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Comment by foxhop | Hacker News Reader

Every time I see a gardening with tech post I get mildly irritated now that I have been actually gardening for 5 years. I'm of the opinion that we need less tech and more systems with integrated design to take the human labor out of gardening and orchards.

The sun is the perfect light source for photosynthesis and temperature. I only use LEDs as a last resort for seed starting. Also LEDs don't provide the heat which plants really, really desire so you will end up needing to supplement with heating pads, incandescent bulbs, or external heating.

I accidentally raised my electric bill $100 one month last year when I used a small space heater to warm seeds.

I'm currently trying the following experiments:

  * winter sewing basil using milk jugs outside in the snow

  * sewing onions indoors and germinating them on top of my houses boiler.

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At least where I live in Sweden we ain't getting enough natural light during the winter half of the year to grow small herbs for cooking, I've tried and have them sitting in clear view from the middle of a huge window (largest one I've got) and they still die, so I started putting them under some lights about 18 hours per day and they started not only regaining health but also accelerating in growth.

Now this wasn't any special light I just kept my kitchen CCFL's on and still saw some results however I've seen the results one can get with greater light system (especially paired with smart and learning control algorithms) as I've previously worked as a engineer/product developer on a light science company named Heliospectra were we could see amazing results not only in our labs but also at customers facilities.

I know you know this, as you referenced the pads, but FYI for the interested: you can get electrically-heated seed mats that only burn 20-40 watts, and cover a standard size.

https://www.amazon.com/Jumpstart-MT10006-8-875x19-5-Inch-See...

I use them for both seed starting, and as a gentle, no-hot-spot heat source in my 3D filament storage/desiccant container. Even leaving them on 24/7 will only add a dollar or two to your monthly electricity bill.

Yeah, the heating pads or seed starting is a great idea. I bought a bunch of 72 watt incandescent bulbs for when the seedlings sprout.

I've been using one at my desk to keep my body / hands warm. Beats heating the whole room when all that is cold is myself.

I'm in zone 6b and I'm just starting some of my cold hardy plants now. Its a little early but I can't help myself.

I'm always charmed by the fact that when this site gets posted to HN so many readers don't realize it's for growing weed. The sun doesn't work if you get arrested when the plants sprout.

Have you documented your endeavors somewhere? I'd be interested.

I put lots of my pictures here: http://unturf2.tumblr.com/

I have not really documented any of my tests thoroughly.

Gardening is tricky because it takes a year or more to test / verify ideas. It takes multiple years to prove or disprove a hypothesis, so _most_ of my work is actually just attempting to reproduce other peoples theory.

Its hard to know what is important to document and the process is slow.

Lots of my tricks and ideas have been coming from the permaculture movement. I use permaculture has a perspective or lens when qualifying strategies of my food growing systems.

There is many resources online and people teaching gardening on youtube which I spend my fall and winter months absorbing and then utilizing.

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