Shed Grow Lights

Hi,

I have a nice small shed at the back of the garden, due to the lack of space in my house I want to use the shed to grow from seeds. The problem I have is I have no electricity in the shed.
Is there any thing else I can use for the seeds , something like battery / solar powered grow lights.

Thanks

 

I use solar powered batteries to run lights and fans at night in my little greenhouses. Today I will be going out to the greenhouse that has a heater and lowering the lighting to about 18" above the floor and around the walls so that when I turn the heat on next week and move my seedlings outside, the lights will extend the "daylight" hours to match what they have been inside.

I use LED lighting because it consumes a lot less power than other types.

Edit: if your shed walls/ceilings are solid-no light gets in, you will need two panels. One to charge up the battery for use at night and another to run the lights directly during the day.

 

Maybe a coldframe instead ? Depends where in the country you live.

 

Yes, quite right and they are cheap to make too

 

Coldframe?
I'm in the east midlands, leicester

 

What is your growing zone?

An unheated coldframe would be about as efficient as an unneated greenhouse IMHO.

 

Sorry, what do you mean by 'What is your growing zone?'

 

@Telemacus

Growing zone is about the lowest temperatures experienced in the winter.
The US is split into a series of zones USDA Hardiness Zones and Plant Hardiness
The RHS have a similar system for the UK Check how hardy plants are using RHS hardiness ratings / RHS Gardening
Where I am is H3/H4.
I see your from the East Midlands so H4 probably covers you.
You could fill in your location and then people would have an idea of what would be hardy for you.
A word of warning is that growing zones are a generalisation. Shelter, exposure, orientation and shade all contribute to your specific garden.

 

There are different zone ratings depending on the country code you are using. I am in Zone 5B - as an example the temperature this morning is 3F or -16C (decidedly warmer than the last few months) and we will be experiencing that through til at least the end of the week. On the map below, I am in the blue area and you are in the yellow area. The higher the number, the milder the climate. There are probably more breakdowns in your area to better narrow down your exact growing conditions but the general map is a pretty good rule of thumb for figuring out what the other fellow has to deal with. One member here is in the purple (3) zone -

Sorry @NigelJ - I use the one for the world - as there really is some other land masses outside England's borders.


I use cold frames to extend the season at the beginning of the year. The soil gets heated up faster because of the enclosed area and the sun shining through the glass. Yesterday I shoveled about a foot of snow off of my frames so that the sun would have a chance of getting at the soil within.

Your climate being very mild compared to mine, a cold frame would be great as the earth heats up and the absorbed heat helps keep tender seedlings warm overnight. You may have to prop the lid open on hot days to make sure you don't fry your plants but if you close it the minute the day starts cooling, you'll retain lots of lovely heat.