One of the cheapest ways to start your garden is to sow your own seeds in the late winter or early spring. Gardeners who get an early start on the growing season usually plant their seeds in their kitchen so that they can get natural sunlight or they establish an indoor garden in their basement under artificial light.
An alternative is to use your garage. This is an attractive option because it means that you do not have to take up space in your kitchen or basement. Gardening in your garage does take a little bit of planning, but the results will make it worthwhile.
What equipment do you need?
Since your garage garden will be focused on fostering new seedlings, you will need seed trays or very small pots. You could substitute empty food containers (yogurt cups, for example) if you want to be frugal. Seed trays, in plastic or biodegradable materials, are available at gardening and home improvement stores. They are relatively cheap.
You will also need potting soil and, of course, seeds. Since you will be growing them from the very beginning, you should also get something to mark each pot so that you know what kind of plant it is. This could either be a marker and masking tape or small “popsicle sticks” that you can stick in the soil and write each plant’s’ name on.
You will also need a thermometer so that you can make certain that conditions are good for the seeds to sprout. In addition, you can buy a piece of plastic sheeting to help better control the temperature.
The final element is lighting. Fluorescent fixtures with T8 tubes will work the best. Longer (more than one meter) bulbs are preferable. You can install a timer so that you do not have to turn on and turn off the lights manually.
Setting up your garage
You do not want to put the seed trays on the floor. Even if your garage is climate controlled, the cold cement will keep them from growing to their full potential. Long tables are the best furnishing, but you can just set up shelving or even 2x4s raised off the ground. Anything that will keep the pots off the cement will work just fine.
Also, if your garage has windows, you can place your tables so that the plants get natural sunlight. This can limit (or even eliminate) the need for artificial light from fluorescent bulbs.
Plan ahead
You can enjoy even more success in your gardening efforts by doing a little bit of research. Some plants compliment each other. For example, basil repels certain insects that would otherwise eat tomato plants. Growing seedlings for both of these species together can be very beneficial.
Make sure your garage is in working order
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