DON'T WAIT! Start These 10 Crops In February (For Huge Harvests)
Quick Overview
The urban farmer plans to start planting 10 specific crops in February inside high tunnels to get a massive spring harvest, detailing the setup of his indoor seed starting area, which includes LED grow lights and environmental controls like a humidifier and heater, and also shows off a custom-built Santa Maria-style barbecue pit under construction.
Key Points: The farmer plans to start planting 10 crops in February inside high tunnels to ensure a massive spring harvest, despite expecting temperatures to drop to 5 degrees Fahrenheit overnight. The indoor seed starting area utilizes multiple wire shelving units illuminated by Barina T8 LED grow lights, which the farmer has used successfully without replacement. Crops being started include Red Beets ('Boro'), Scallions ('Evergreen Hardy'), Dill ('Thalia'), and various lettuces like 'Salanova green and red butter' varieties. The farmer uses a soil blocker to create small, dense seedling plugs, which reduces transplant shock compared to traditional cell trays. Environmental controls in the basement seed starting room include an AC Infinity smart controller managing a humidifier (running to maintain humidity) and a space heater (kicking on when temps drop below 60°F or humidity drops below 50%). The farmer is also building a large Santa Maria-style barbecue pit using a heavy-duty metal grate suspended by a winch system, planning to use it for cooking for chefs/friends. The video contrasts the cold, snowy outdoor conditions (February 1st) with the warm, controlled environment of the indoor grow area.
Context: The video features an urban farmer, identified as Chef Mike, working on his farm during the early spring (February 1st) while snow covers the ground outside his high tunnels. He details his strategy for getting a huge spring harvest by starting seeds indoors under grow lights, showcasing his multi-tiered shelving setup and various environmental controls necessary for winter propagation. He also pivots to showing off a large, custom-built Santa Maria barbecue pit he is assembling in his basement workshop.