Gardening Methods

Can I supplement lack of sunlight with artificial lights for my vegetable garden?

I’ve started a small vegetable garden on my back patio- I want to grow tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, onions, zucchini, and various herbs. I’ve noticed that the patio only gets about four hours of direct sunlight daily, and I’m worried that this will not be enough for heathly growth and yields. These plants are all in containers, so they are able to be moved if necessary to maximize light exposure. But, I was wondering if I fit my patio light with a couple flourescent bulbs, will this help make up for the lack of direct light? Will the plants be healthier with a couple of extra hours of supplemental light from the flourescents, or will the sunlight be enough?

If you can move them so that they get at least 6 hours of sun a day, that would be enough. If you can’t, then supplemental fluorescent lighting will help. Keep in mind that you don’t want them on all night long, and that yields will be less from container-grown plants, anyway.

Above ground container vegetable garden using rainwater — Video #4