on Wed Sep 17 12:01:46 1997, Paul Wheaton writes:
>
> Healthwise, no.  Electricy-bill-wise, yes.  You are going to have a VERY
> difficult time giving your plants enough light.  You will use fluorescent
> bulbs and lots of them right next to each other and you will want to keep
> the bulbs within an inch of the top of the plants.  Since the plants will
> grow, you will need to keep adjusting the lights.  As the plants get
> larger, the bottom part of the plant will not get enough light and it will
> elongate (this is called phototropism).  You will have a spindly plant
> that grows fast and needs lots of support.  Whew!  Lotsa work!  It's
> experiences like this that give you a strong appreciation of the sun!

How does HID lighting like Metal Halide compare with flourescent lighting?
I understand that it is supposed to be many times more efficient and
require fewer fixtures.

> If you don't want to take on this light problem full force, you might try
> some varieties of plants that are not so light crazy and that don't grow
> tall (like tomatoes).  How about alpine strawberries?  I think that they
> do okay in moderate light (commercial strawberries must have full sun or
> they taste yucky).

I am interested primarily in salad type vegetables such as tomatoes,
lettuce, spinach, onions, carrots, etc. for starters.  If that works out
maybe some fruit.

--
Brian Glass | [log in to unmask] | http://www.andrews.edu/~glass | 313-995-9022
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Doubt is the key to knowledge.  - Persian Proverb