I located my setup int he basement because that was the only place in the house where I had enough room. The challenge with the basement was how cold it is in March. Because of this, the heating mats was essential to keep the soil temp high enough for germination (70°-90°). Two 20"x20" mats were enough for 4 flats, but I only needed 3.
The two ratchet straps are connected to eye hooks screwed into the beams in the ceiling. This gives me lots of flexibility to keep the height of the light just above the growing plants. The light itself is connected to a timer I had laying around that I use for Christmas lights.
The heating mats are plugged into a thermostat that is designed specifically for the mats. There is a temperature probe that comes off the thermostat that you place in the soil. It simply shuts off power to the mats when the desired temperature is reached - without this piece the mats just constantly run when plugged in.
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Here are the components of my setup. It's not a budget system but it's not top of the line one either. My goal was to have it around for a few years.
It's been running for nearly a month now and it seems to be working really good. Here are some progress pics of the Polverini Tomatoes - the local heirloom variety that started inspired me to start my garden from seeds this year. More on that later...
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