I am new to gardening (just got my start late last summer) and I live in Germany currently. I've been looking into things, and I noticed something called a Ballast Assembly. What is it, and what is it used for?
There is plenty of information on the Net, for example here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp and here: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/publications/efficiency/ee-products/lighting/6639
May be this will help: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_ballast Sorry, but I can't see why do you bother with this?
Presumably, you're reading gardening books/resources which are making reference to a "ballast assembly". Simply put (as Sundrop has cited), they are making reference to grow lights--many gardeners will start seedlings under artificial light to give them a head start before Spring planting, and indoor/hydroponic growers will use lights throughout the entire growing process. Often, the term "ballast", which is actually just a part of the light assembly, gets used as a synonym for "grow light". Flourescent lights have the ballast built in, but more powerful halide and sodium lights require a separate ballast assembly to meet their greater power needs. If you are growing vegetables and plant starts, you likely don't need to worry about ballasts--a fluorescent grow light unit will be good enough. If you are growing hydroponically, or cultivating specialty plants with more demanding light requirements, then things like ballasts become important.
Thanks for the responses. I hadn't decided whether or not to use it as of yet--I haven't even bought one. I was waiting for responses. I'm grateful too, because based on what I've seen, I don't need one as it would be pretty much a waste of time and money for me at this point. Thanks again to everyone.
