[New shoot]

I want one    http://www.greenandeasy.co.uk/product/Garland-Grow-Light-Garden.aspx

In my defence my house is old (1890s workman cottage) so small windows and the way it is orientated I only have a couple of windowsills really any use for propagating.

I'm thinking about starting the aubergines and chillies in it, then the other tender veg and using it for salads in the winter.  Has anyone got one or am I just being suckered by a gadget 

[Yorkie]

I can see the attraction, particularly for salad leaves - although I don't know whether they would grow indoors during the whole year without this extra help.

I guess it may depend in part on how you will grow on any plants which are started off early under the lights.  For example, if you start tomatoes off a month early, they will eventually grow too tall for the growlight, and have to be moved - but will the new (light, day length and warmth) conditions be suitable for them or will they just get leggy indoors while waiting for it to be warm enough for them to be planted out.  Might depend on whether you have a heated greenhouse for them to go into.

[Yabba]

It's cheaper to build your own

I started my chillis yesterday under my computer with a couple of 25w cfls ( £10 each of amazon + couple of quid for fittings ), worked well enough last year.

Been given a 400w HID for this year, can't wait to see what that can do

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[New shoot]

It would be cheaper to build one but my DIY skills are pretty non-existant

My greenhouse is in my front garden so I keep it simple - no heating or anything to attract unwanted attention.  I don't do tomates that early and usually make some reflectors out of cardboard and tin foil and transfer plants to the lighter windowsills I do have as they get larger.  It appealed to me for the really fussy earlies like chillies though and I think would grow baby salad leaves better than I manage now inside 

[Yabba]

If you can put in a couple of screws you can make your own

I've seen some that are just tinfoil lined cardboard boxes with the fittings hung through the top screwed to a piece of wood

These bulbs look good and are under £6 (wish I'd found them last year ) daylight bulbs

I should post a picture of my setup

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[JayG]

I don't think the grow-light garden is an outrageous price for the kit you are getting but it probably would take a long time to pay for itself if that was a consideration.

In general, good reflectors are essential to maximise the output from artificial lighting; my home-made aluminium reflectors for the aquarium lights were much more effective when I lined them with foil which keeps its shiny finish for much longer.
The plant growth went from barely adequate to almost rampant without changing anything else! 

I'd be a bit concerned about the cost of running high-wattage bulbs though (about 6 pence an hour for a 400 watter?!)

[Yabba]

The 400w won't be used for a fair while yet and my chinenses need a veeeeery long growing season, the majority of them didn't ripen last year With luck I can setup the 400w at the field as I'm not the one who pays the eleccy bill there ... Think they might notice the light though :roll:

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