Designing an Indoor Garden

Here’s how I designed a Indoor Garden and harvested fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs all year long.

Why Start an Indoor Garden?

With this set up you can grow fresh chili peppers, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, basil, lavender, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, sage, parsley, and practically anything else you can think of. It is exciting to watch the plants grow bigger each day, and it’s even better to cook with them! You will save money, eat better, and enjoy a wonderful hobby all at the same time! And beginning an indoor garden is a lot cheaper and easier than you might think.

What Kind of Equipment Do I Need?

I suggest starting with a 4x4ft mylar grow tent, cloth pot or elongated soil planters, variety seed packs, medium-sized fan, and full-spectrum HID or LED grow light.

Where is the Cheapest Place to Find Grow Equipment?

Search craigslist in your area for quality used grow equipment. I managed to find a 4’x4’x8′ grow tent and an inline fan for $50 and then scored a 1000W HID lamp and ballast for another $50 the next weekend! You can also buy a 4×4 grow tent at some major hardware stores for around $200.

What Should I Feed My Plants?

A general purpose fertilizer, such as Jack’s Classic (20-20-20) will work for most plants up until the flowering and/or fruiting period. For flowering plants, switch to Jack’s Classic Bloom Booster (10-30-20) in the blooming stage (works great for lavender). For tomatoes and chili peppers, use a reliable tomato fertilizer, such as Jack’s Classic Tomato FeED (12-15-30).

My Soil is Depleted, What Should I Do?

Generally speaking, any kind of raised planter soil mix should work for the first crop. However, these soils have a limited amount of nutrients, and you will begin to notice a decrease in yield as these nutrients diminish over time. As a result, it’s a good idea to add soil amendments after harvesting. Here are some of the additives I use to reconstitute my soil.

• Organic Compost (20%): adds carbon-based nutrients back into the soil that are needed to produce sugars in plant cells.
• Worm Castings or Manure (20%): replenish the carbon and nitrogen levels in the soil. Worm castings work great but chicken, steer, or sheep manure are great as well. Some casting and manure blends also contain slow-release phosphorus and potassium supplements.
• Perlite (10%): adds volume and improves the aeration and drainage of the soil.

How Do I Control the Light?

Use an indoor timer to control the light period in your garden. The two settings should be 16 hours on/6 hours off for vegetative growth and 12 hours on/12 hours off during the fruiting/flowering stage. Metal halide (MH) bulbs are better for vegetative growth, whereas HPS is better for flowering.

Are LEDs Better than HPS?

Well-balanced, full spectrum LEDs are ideal for all stages of plant growth but tend to cost more than HID lamps. HID lamps consume a large amount of energy however, so a high quality full spectrum LED can save you big on long-term energy costs, making it an ideal investment for indoor gardeners. High performance LEDs are also much quieter and produce less heat than a MH/HPS, which can be a huge help when growing in indoor spaces.

What Should I Use for Pest and Mildew Control?

Garden Safe Fungicide 3 is a great beginner’s choice for controlling pests, fungus, mildew, and mold. It is made of all natural ingredients that are non-toxic and immediately washes off with water. Fungicide 3 also kills and controls aphids very well.

Other pest control solutions that I use include live ladybugs. A single ladybug can consume up to 50 aphids a day, making them a great companion for indoor gardeners.

Can I Use a Red/Blue LEDs to Supplement my Light Spectrum?

Blue and red LEDs tend to have limited use by themselves, but supplementing good light conditions with blue (vegetative) photons can help control plant hormones that are responsible for unwanted bolting and blooming when used in addition to a new feeding regimen. I have also used blue LED lights in the past to supplement canopy covered plants.

Will There be Enough to Cook With?

Absolutely. My wife and I have enjoyed a continuous supply of delicious fresh vegetables and herbs that we eat on a daily basis. We also take fewer trips to the grocery store and save a lot of money by growing our own food. Cooking with fresh ingredients is an absolute delight. Below are some key take-aways on the taste and nutritional benefits of self-grown versus store-bought produce:

• Fresh herbs dramatically enhance the flavor of home cooked meals
• Fruits taste sweeter and stay fresher for longer than store bought produce
• Leafy greens have a more supple texture and complex taste compared to store bought produce

Cooking with home grown ingredients is out-of-this-world. I highly recommend indoor gardening for anyone looking for a new hobby.

What Else Can I Grow Indoors?

My wife and I had a great time growing lavender. It smelled wonderful in our apartment and we were able to use it as an ingredient for some coconut massage oil, as well as some home made soap!