What's in your garden?

[tvguy]

Some people near me have a green house that already has a red glow at night, presumable some heat lights.They will be on from now until it gets warm so it makes me wonder if they couldn't just buy started plants for the cost of the electricity they are using.

Well, I guess that's my question. Is it worth the cost?

No. If you drink beer allow me to covert the cost of beer into plants for you. It is the way I determine the value of everything.

3 beers at Howie's = $12
$12 devided by $1.25 per pack + 9.6 packs
each pack has 4 plants that is 36 plants for 12 bucks.

You cant grow starts cheaper using lights. And 36 plants will take up some space in your garden.

12/1.25 =

But None of these calculations show the cost to grow starts with lights. 12 bucks will buy you a lot of electric light to start a lot of plants. In trays they could be set outside on sunny days. In the end you should have a lot larger and more valuable starts than the ones you get in 4 packs.

Every year I end up buying several HUGE tomato plants and try to get them in the ground as early as possible. Those are pretty expensive

If you already own the lights, then it might be cost effective, but if you have to buy one, not so much. And any light smaller than a T-5 will not allow you get many plants under them. Besides, the beer comparison was meant only to demonstrate that we can spend much more on simple pleasures in a month than those plant starts cost. I'll use coffee and a scone to compare next time.

Here are some lights and a cost comparison. http://www.nextag.com/t5-fluorescent-gro...ducts-html

Nah just stick with the beer comparison, I can relate. The link you posted is for grow lights for indoor growing and not just "starting" I think you can start seedlings with any old florescent lights.