Lighting

Natural lighting can work, but better results can be had by using artificial growing lights, which are more consistent and reliable. A wide spectrum fluorescent light, commonly called a grow lite, is needed for flowering and fruiting, but your plants will normally do this outside in the garden, not in the basement. So the normal, common fluorescent lights are okay for starting seeds. Don’t allow the leaves of the plants to touch the light tubes, as they will burn, even on fluorescent tubes.

One question people ask is where to put the fluorescent light system: in the basement, upstairs in a spare bedroom, in the attic, out in the garage, or right next to my husbands bed? We have found that the best place is the basement, because plants actually like the cooler temperatures and it aids in developing strength for the trip outdoors. How? When the lights turn off for about 6 hours each night, the temperature drops and this toughens-up the young plants. It gets them ready to cope with the outdoor environment, which will be many times rougher than your basement. If you baby your plants by placing them next to your husband’s pillow, you do them a disservice and are not helping them. Once the plants begin to grow, don’t baby them. By being in the basement, they will become tough survivors ready to face the outside elements in the weeks to come.