The boonie is inside and it’s fecund. Heavy with peppers, I’m wanting to ensure it could survive our stepping away for a few days. Last year I was a lot more cavalier about it all. This time I’m experimenting. I’ve mentioned plant water spikes already, now its time to worry about lighting.
Lighting is provided with these bulbs, day and night timing with these inexpensive timers, and the final element is a light fixture stolen from the computer room. I was (and am) looking for small portable light fixtures with a nice parabolic back stop so I can direct a beam of light at my large plant. Anyone know of someone selling office fixtures that can handle 60 watt bulbs anymore? A check of Office Depot showed fixtures that could only handle 13 watts.
The plant light bulbs are huge, with a ballast that puts a 100 watt “equivalent” bulb to shame. In the picture below, the smaller bulb is the standard 60 watt replacement bulb.
Small and locatable. That’s what I need, and will be looking for.
Update: Target has desk lamps that work well.
Food Near Snellville 
December 10, 2010 at 12:01 pm
When I was putting myself through school I used to grow African violets to sell (not a few, hundreds at a time). We used just standard florescent lamps (the length that most people use in their garage) set a few feet (2 or 2 1/2 feet over the plants from what I recall) over the plant. They got plenty of light and were very happy and grew well with the florescent lighting and it added some warmth since the plants were so close to the lighting. I’m wondering about your plants setting more fruit….are you going to hand polinate or is the only goal of this experiment to see if you can overwinter the plant?
December 10, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Flowers are too tiny to want to hand pollinate. It obviously was flowering and setting fruit inside the house as is. But this was my one plant to survive of 7 last year and I want it alive this upcoming season. I suspect indifferent watering the biggest issue(that, and putting plants out too early).
Roughly around mid January I want to start some new peppers inside. They should be ready to go outside by the end of the freeze in 2011.
If I start too many I may have to give a plant or two away. I can’t care for 7 inside, unless the lighting and watering is a huge success.