Seeds started

This year we decided that we were going to plant our garden from all heirloom seeds; no hybrid plants at all.  We bought a bunch of seeds from Baker Creek Seed Catalog, and got them started in trays in mid-February.  At first we were growing them under a single-bulb fluorescent light we had in the basement, but it was hard to get everyone good time close to the light.  We went to the Habitat ReStore to try and find a fixture with multiple bulbs, and we found a 2x4' fixture with room for 4 bulbs (the kind that usually hangs in drop-ceilings) and the results were amazing!  Every plant started growing exponentially better and fuller.  I'm not quite nerdy enough to calculate this precisely, but it seems like the leaves have 20% growth every day.  We also got some handy advice from a local organic farmer (who is also leading a wild-plant foraging trip on April 15th near our house) to surround the light with aluminum foil, since it reflects something like 98% of the light.

As the little seedlings started getting bigger and their true leaves sprouted, we transferred them from their seed-starting trays into 2-liter bottles that we got from a lady on craigslist.  We cut off the tops, washed them, and then drilled holes in the bottom for water drainage.  Julie's idea is to keep putting more dirt in there as they grow taller, so that new roots shoot out from the stems, so by the time they make the journey outside, the root structure is 6-8" deep, instead of 2-3".  I married a brilliant woman.

 As of today, we're at the point where we need more 2-liter bottles, so we're going to go recycling-dumpster-diving at a recycling center this afternoon.  Hopefully the thing is full, so I don't have to actually "dive" in, but some of our tomato plants look like miniature trees and have outgrown their little 1" seed cutting tray.

There's so much information and energy in those little seeds!
 
Edit:  Wife took some pictures!!!

These are the little guys pre-germination.  We started them in the bathroom was the warmest, darkest place in the house.  It's small, so all the heat gets trapped in there.  Started on Feb. 13th.

The tomatoes had germinated by the 17th!  So crazy! (The normal time is 7 days)

That's our celery and lettuce enjoying their new light

This is where the action's at folks.  It's sitting next to the south window for maximum natural light too.  The aluminum foil really makes a big difference in there.

One of our tomato plants at 3 weeks. 

Lettuce.