By Fiona Gallagher · permaculture designer · food, animals and preservation on 12 acres in Tassie
“After losing my first 40 seedlings to Tasmanian frost, I learned that starting indoors in a tin shed is useless without a backup heat source.”
— Fiona. If you can't eat it, it goes to the chooks.
ArticlesCalculatorsSite PlannerShopLook, if you're off-grid in Australia and not starting seeds indoors, you're wasting money. No ifs, no buts. The sun's not always on your patch, and the frost's coming. Get this right or you're eating beans from a tin for the next 12 months.
Look, if you're off-grid in Australia and not starting seeds indoors, you're wasting money. No ifs, no buts. The sun's not always on your patch, and the frost's coming. Get this right or you're eating beans from a tin for the next 12 months.
Grow lights aren't optional. Sunlight through a window? Bull. You need 14-16 hours of direct light daily. Cheap LED shop lights work but they're a waste of power. Get proper grow lights.
What to buy: 200-400W LED grow lights. 400W is the sweet spot for 1-2 trays. Don't buy those $20 "grow" lights from Bunnings – they're garbage.
Suppliers: Grow Lights Australia (Sydney) – $129 for 400W full-spectrum. LED Grow Lights Australia (Melbourne) – $149 for same. Both have off-grid kits.
Price check: $129-$149. Yes, it's a bit of cash. But cheaper than buying seedlings every week.
Tip: Hang lights 15-20cm above seedlings. Adjust as they grow. If they stretch like a sunburnt kangaroo, they're too far away.
Plastic cups? You'll be repotting every week. Use proper seed trays with drainage. Otherwise, your seedlings drown in 3 days.
What to buy: 10-20 cell seed trays. 72-cell is perfect for most veggies. Get the kind with a bottom tray to catch water.
Suppliers: Gardeners Supply (Nationwide) – $12 for 10-cell tray, $18 for 72-cell. Bunnings – $15 for 72-cell (but check for mould issues – they're cheap for a reason).
Price check: $12-$18. Worth every cent. Don't skimp.
Tip: Sterilise trays with 10% bleach solution before use. No one wants mouldy seedlings.
Yeah, you read that right. If you skip this, your seedlings die when you put them outside. It's not optional. It's not "maybe". It's mandatory.
How to do it: Start 7-10 days before planting outside. Day 1: 1 hour in shade. Day 2: 2 hours in shade. Day 3: 3 hours in morning sun. Day 4: 4 hours in morning sun. Day 5: 6 hours. Day 6: Full day in partial sun. Day 7: Full sun. If it's windy or cold, skip a day.
Warning: Don't do it on a 40°C day. Don't do it if a cold front's coming. If your seedlings look wilted after 30 minutes, bring them in. They're not tough enough yet.
Tip: Hardening off is why you start seeds indoors. If you skip it, you've wasted 4 weeks of effort. Don't be that bloke.
Run your lights off a 12V battery (like a 100Ah deep cycle) with a charge controller. A 400W light uses ~33A/hour. So 10 hours = 330Ah. You'll need a decent battery bank. Don't run it off a car battery – it'll die in 3 days.
Suppliers: Off Grid Australia (Perth) – $350 for 100Ah battery. Solar Hub (Nationwide) – $299 for same. Pair with a $50 charge controller.
Price check: $350-$400 total. It's the only way to run lights off-grid without burning cash on power.
Worth a watch: Weekly Homestead Chat Vlog | Garden update | Starting seeds | Fruit Trees | Off Grid Australia 119 · Our Small Footprint
While many off-grid projects are achievable as DIY, certain situations require licensed professionals:
Always check local regulations and obtain necessary permits before commencing work.