Grow Amazing Vegetables Indoors

There are numerous benefits to an indoor garden beyond a job well done. Plants improve air quality by filtering toxins; lowering the risk of respiratory disorders. Growing your own vegetables eliminates the risk of unknown pesticides and fertilizers. Homegrown veggies taste better too! It’s no secret that vegetables purchased from your grocer are often times bland and flavorless, a sure bet in the winter months especially, when vegetables travel many miles to get to your grocer.

Beyond veggies, you can grow herbs and decorative plants as well. Some plants are well known for their medicinal value. Sage is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antifungal properties. Mint is known for soothing headaches and reducing nausea. Marijuana has a wide range of health benefits as well. You will want to check your local laws before growing some plants.

In order to grow the biggest, best vegetables year round, you’ll want to build a garden indoors and hydroponically. Now before you hit the back button, remember that the best things in life don’t come easy, but it doesn’t have to be difficult either.

The first step in growing the ultimate garden is planning. There are a few things to consider when growing amazing vegetables.

• Location of your garden. Pick a place that has at least 6’ of height and can be enclosed to seal out light. Take this time to minimize your life, you’d be surprised at the space you can create for your new garden. A great place to start is a closet.
• Seeds. I suggest starting with cherry or pear tomatoes. The smaller variety has proved to be a little easier to manage when you’re first learning to grow hydroponically.
• Budget. You don’t have to be rich to get started. However, there are a few essential items you’ll want to procure.

There are many types of hydroponic setups. I’ve tried them all and prefer Deep Water Culture or DWC for short. It’s simple, low maintenance, and has proven to produce the biggest, tastiest vegetables I’ve ever had. There are many sites that cover the construction of what are often termed “bubble buckets”. There are also commercially available setups available. These are great for beginners and the results are unreal.

One of the most important things for a plant is light, this is their food. For best results you’ll want to use vegetative and bloom bulbs depending on life stage of the plant. For even better results you’ll want to use a Metal Halide bulb for the vegetative stage and High Pressure Sodium for the bloom stage. These bulbs require ballasts, hoods, higher amp usage and produce a lot of heat. Often times centrifugal fans are used in enclosed light hoods to keep them cool.

For a small closet garden I recommend T5 lighting. They don’t produce much heat, are inexpensive to run and don’t require any electrical work.

You’ll also want to consider nutrients and the pH of the water. There are many commercially available organic fertilizers that are made specifically for hydroponics. Additionally you’ll need a pH tester to ensure that you maintain the correct pH.

There are three main stages in a plant’s life:

Germination - Plant the seeds and watch them sprout. Germinate seeds in 1” rockwool cubes. Keep in a dark place with a heating mat underneath your germination tray.

Vegetative - Watch it grow into a mature plant. Fill your 10” net pot with hydroton or coco coir and place your sprouted rockwool cube into the soilless medium. Set the timer on your grow light for 18 hours a day. Remember that you are mimicking their natural environment.

Bloom - Switch the lighting schedule to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. This signals the plant that winter is approaching and it’s time to produce some vegetables.

Once your veggies are ripe you can harvest and enjoy some of the tastiest veggies you’ve ever had!