Indoor Gardening Thread

[Ostrodamus]

Hello all.

I'm creating this thread in hopes that we can have a bit more of a centralized location for all things "indoor gardening" related. If anyone is anything like me then you likely can't be bothered to go out in the cold to garden during the winter. I'm new to this region, and it's much colder than I'm used to in the winters, therefore I have set up an indoor greenhouse for winter gardening. This comes with its own issues. Mainly... I'm new to indoor gardening. Just this first winter I am encountering endless questions. So much so that I stopped looking them all up and decided to just try them for myself.

Things like...

Pots vs. bags
Self-pollination and my role in it.
Watering adjustments (ongoing)
Which veggies grow best?
Grow lights - lumens, red/white/blue spectrums
Heating and air flow
Indoor pests and how to handle them best
Fertilizing - Do, don't, give half when, except when - sheesh!

It just goes on and on it seems. I figure; I enjoy gardening enough that I want to do it year-round in some fashion (for now), why not learn how to do it indoors? I'm hoping there are others on this site who also enjoy indoor gardening, or are interested in starting. Maybe we can figure this out together.

Thanks for checking out the thread.

-Fox-

 

[Tetters]

This looks like the interesting makings of a thread The first thing I'd think about if using an upstairs space, or extended veranda area would be the weight issue. Growing mediums can be very light when dry, but dangerously heavy when wet. I know someone who used a flat roof area for a few plants in pots, and the roof rotted, and it all went crashing through and caused a huge amount of damage. No special clever knowledge to impart here, just interesting to think about, and maybe glean some knowledge.

 

[Anniekay]

The only "indoor gardening" I do is houseplants and starting seeds indoors because I have to in order to have plants big enough to transplant out into the garden in March.

I would think it all depends on what you are trying to grow. Winter veg like cabbages and broccoli you would have an easier time I would think because you can keep the room cool and they will grow with less light than tomatoes and peppers where you have to keep the room warm. For all of them you have to have humidity. A 20 buck humidifier should take care of that.

You would still need to fertilize as if they were growing outside.

 

[Ostrodamus]

This looks like the interesting makings of a thread The first thing I'd think about if using an upstairs space, or extended veranda area would be the weight issue. Growing mediums can be very light when dry, but dangerously heavy when wet. I know someone who used a flat roof area for a few plants in pots, and the roof rotted, and it all went crashing through and caused a huge amount of damage. No special clever knowledge to impart here, just interesting to think about, and maybe glean some knowledge.

I did think about this, and I'm well under any weight limits. I have two 20-gallon grow bags in the center, up to four 5-gallon grow bags on either side (left right - total of eight 5-gallon bags), then I smattering of gallon/4" pots on the shelves. What I didn't [fully] think about was water runoff. Luckily, I didn't completely neglect it and I put down a double layer of thicker painter's clear tarp. I also have drip mats of sorts that catch runoff of the larger bags. That being said, I saw some moisture under the tarp the other day and now I'm worried the flooring under will have some discoloration come spring.

 

[Anniekay]

Get ya some of those black plastic pans that guys use to catch the old oil when they do an oil change on their car. The grow bags should fit in those and use trays under the rest to catch the water.

 

[Tetters]

IF I ever decided to garden indoors, it would definitely move the whole operation to a place on the ground floor, and keep the top of the house for living accommodation. Even the plastic covering or trays, especially in a humid situation can cause damp, and once damp gets into timber you will finish up with problems, so more than a little risky for you and your family.
In a cold winter, the top of a house is usually the warmest, as heat rises. Here, we have the living room upstairs, with one small bedroom, store cupboard and bathroom. The views are better up here, and it's a good place to be should we get unwelcome guests Too much humidity, incidentally, can cause mould.
Downstairs is the busy, working area.