And they're off!

We started our first tomato seedlings today!!

First, some background. We grow a lot of tomatoes around here. We start our earliest tomatoes for the greenhouses inside, and then when we turn on the greenhouses in March, we are able to fill the houses up quickly. Up until now our seedling operation in the basement has consisted of a bunch of florescent light fixtures with plant/aquarium bulbs in them. Lights like these ones.

Here is another view.

But the past couple of years we have grown to where out setup is an impossible tangle of fixtures and cords, and it makes watering and plant handling a nightmare. So this year we bought a professional high density light that covers a lot of area, has a better light spectrum for our plants, and makes watering and handling so much easier. Here is a picture of the light, with the remote ballast on a the cement block to the left.

Even though the light wasn't cheap, we are convinced it will pay for itself quickly in saved labor/hassle, and in improved plant quality. Other growers tell me that legginess will be a thing of the past with these lights.

And here is the first tray of the 2008 season ready for some seeds!

And now in its new home. Grow!