Turning My Dark Basement Into a Seed Starting Paradise!

[@wishwellfarms]

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas! Now that I have my new lighting system in place I’m super excited to get our 2025 growing season off to a great start. I will be seeding our very first tomato planting on January 18th after returning from an RV trip to Florida with my wife. I’m really looking forward to sharing the entire growing process with you all…hope you have a Happy New Year!

[@EdwardNY8]

Happy new year to you and your family. Enjoy that Florida weather. I'm excited for the upcoming video.

[@Well_I_am_just_saying]

@@wishwellfarms I probably should start my tomato plants by February 1st. I usually germinate the seeds in baggies with wet paper towels in them, but I might skip that step this year and just put the seeds directly into the potting soil.

[@Mil-i3n]

I'm a big fan. Farmer from the Czech Republic. Also a vegetable grower. 👍

[@wishwellfarms]

Thank you for watching!

[@DDL2728]

Yaaayyy, let the new year of veggies begin - so interesting & impressive! God bless y'all! 👍🌟♥️🙏

[@wishwellfarms]

It's approaching quickly, thanks!

[@DDL2728]

@@wishwellfarms 🙌💃🙌

[@hpgroup9519]

Thank you for being the most awesome farmer out there 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@wishwellfarms]

Wow, thanks for the kind words!

[@rjaquaponics9266]

details details are so important! Bravo!

[@wishwellfarms]

Indeed!

[@johnsandell4501]

Wishing you another successful season.

[@wishwellfarms]

Thanks, I appreciate that!

[@Dwade689]

The one thing I like about this channel is your content is more explanatory than the others, I’m just surprised you don’t have over a 100k followers

[@wishwellfarms]

I appreciate the feedback! Hopefully youtube will start pushing my videos out to a wider audience...

[@allotmentjoy]

Good one Jason 👍🌱🌱🌱🌱

[@wishwellfarms]

Thanks!

[@steveddavis]

Have a great trip to FL and Happy New Year!

[@wishwellfarms]

Thank you Steve!

[@cassowaryind]

I learn so much from your videos

[@wishwellfarms]

Thanks, I enjoy sharing my little knowlege that I have!

[@Well_I_am_just_saying]

I have used LED lights similar to yours for the past 2 years. I use potting soil in tall 20 ounce plastic drinking cups with drain holes drilled in the bottom. My setup takes extra room to begin with when the seedlings are small, but I don't have to keep transplanting them into bigger pots and I end up with really good root structure with the bigger 20 oz cups. I put the tall cups into large plastic cups that are slightly wider and shorter than the inner cups. I water through the bottom holes by filling the outer cups with water.

[@wishwellfarms]

great way to do it on a small scale!

[@danlowery3235]

Thanks for the video!!! The amount of work you do is unreal!! I am working on my seed order for 2025 but just for a small garden/ food plot.

[@wishwellfarms]

Thanks! Just part of the vegetable farming life I guess...hope you have a great growing season!

[@dnawormcastings]

Great looking set up 🇳🇿🪱

[@wishwellfarms]

Thanks, hopefully it works out well for this first early seeding

[@mydraftable6526]

Thanks for the information. Didn't know it was that involved.

[@wishwellfarms]

You are welcome!

[@jeffmann6187]

Nice work on those lights

[@wishwellfarms]

Thanks, I’m really excited to see how it works out!

[@omanicutey]

here in Oman now is the farming season and I have a problem in my tomatoes and you mention it with the solution ( purple color under the leaves ) and I thought I have take them off and start to purchase another seedling so thank you and I hope they developed that color because of the lack of phosphorus only

[@wishwellfarms]

Hopefully that is what it is

[@zachglickmann8525]

Three years ago I switched to LED lights and have been more than pleased with the results. Equivalent or better germination without the excess heat and electrical consumption not to mention replacing expensive worn out bulbs. Your detailed explanation of what you do is quite interesting and I pick up useful information for my modest, compared to your operation, garden.

[@wishwellfarms]

Awesome! I can't wait to see how these new lights do.

[@Zeke-yv3nw]

Very interesting! Always been very curious about hydroponic tomatoes.

[@wishwellfarms]

Thanks! I’ll be filming the entire process along the way.

[@hawkeye7435]

😊😊😊😊😊

[@KrazyKajun602]

Please give us a update on the new lights once your seedings are grown and ready to be moved . We would love to see if the lights fixed your issue with leggy seedlings.

[@wishwellfarms]

I will document it all!

[@Bdub-o1x]

Ever try just vermiculite to start ? rockwool always seemed expensive

[@wishwellfarms]

No, but I have used jiffy cubes before. Yes, rockwool and perelite are getting very expensive, but still a very small amount compared to what tomatoes generate in revenue.

[@Evansdotcom]

1000w+ MH bulbs pump out quite a bit of heat, if you were already adding heat from your furnace I wonder if swapping those MH bulbs for LED is going to make it especially cold down there? Good luck with the seedlings this season!

[@wishwellfarms]

I keep the basement around 65 F so shouldn't be an issue. Thanks!

[@BethHalsey]

Be aware that yours LED lights don't give off heat the way the old lights did. We switched over a few years ago the same year we replaced our old furnace in the basement. We had a leaning curve with our temperature settings, The furnace was much more efficient and didn't "waste" heat into the basement.

[@wishwellfarms]

I don't really have any issues keeping my basement around 65 F as long as it's not below zero outside. Definitely will have to keep a close eye on temp, but with heat mats under neath and a half dozen thermometers scattered throughout it shouldn't be an issue. I have an extra opening in my ductwork to help heat the basement too when needed.

[@wild_insomnia]

lights looking awesome.In one Dutch series more or less the same array was installed to grow marijuana

[@wishwellfarms]

Yep, starting tomato and marijuana very similar, lol

[@حجاجللمنوعات]

My name is Ya Hajjaj from Egypt, 45 years old, multi-skilled worker. I want to work with you on your farm. I will amaze you with the work for the period you want.