Grow Strawberries in Fabric Pots

January 22, 2019

Want to grow strawberries indoors or in containers? Strawberries are great for small spaces and containers, and they grow 8 to 10 inches tall and 12 inches wide. A 6-inch pot per plant is adequate, or you can group plants in larger containers, hanging baskets, or grow towers or bags.

PC: Leslie F. Halleck

Make sure to give strawberries even, consistent moisture that drains quickly - fabric pots help. Do not overwater, especially in cooler temperatures, as crowns can rot quickly.

New BOOK! Gardening Under Lights: The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers



Zygopetalum Orchids Bloom Better with Short Days

January 21, 2019

Many orchids are day-neutral- meaning they do not require a specific photoperiod (hours of light/dark), to produce flowers. They instead flower in response to cooling temperatures in fall and winter.

Zygopetalums are one of my favorite orchids; their flowers have a wonderful fragrance.
PC: Leslie F. Halleck

Some orchid types, such as Zygopetalum spp, may not require short days to bloom, but can flower faster and better when grown under short days combined with cool temperatures. That makes them facultative short-day plants.

New BOOK! Gardening Under Lights: The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers


Mounting Single Bar LED Grow Lights

January 20, 2019

Fluorescent fixtures are relatively small, and you can mount them to all sorts of structures. If you have only a small space on the kitchen counter under the cabinets, you can mount an individual fluorescent fixture for one HO T5 tube right there.

Single bar fluorescent grow lamps with reflectors can be hung or mounted, horizontally or vertically, to different surfaces.
PC: Sunlight Supply, Inc.

This is a perfect spot for a few leafy kitchen herbs, such as basil or chives.

Gardening Under Lights Book


Grow Tents for Indoor Gardening

January 19, 2019

If you are looking for a fast, easy way to create a dedicated growing space in your home, basement, or garage, a grow tent is a good solution. Grow tents create a microenvironment in which you have much more control than you would have in, say, an open office or a basement space.

Cucumber vines growing under LED lamps in a grow tent.
PC: Homestead Gardens

Some retailers offer bundles or kits that provide all the basic gear. Grow tents are constructed with spaces for you to connect ducts to pull in fresh outside air and ventilate the heat. Some newer grow tents come with built-in fans, thermostats, and other gadgets that help you keep tight control over the growing environment.

Gardening Under Lights Book


Measure Light from Your Grow Lights

January 18, 2019

To measure light for growing accurately, buy a calibrated PAR quantum flux meter, which is a light sensor connected to a light meter. Botanists and horticulturalists use these tools, which measure the spectral region between 400 and 700 nm, to obtain the incident PPF your lamp delivers each second.

If you thought that window was bright enough, think again. This poor begonia won’t last long. There’s barely enough light here for any plant to survive long term.
PC: Leslie F. Halleck

Newer meters are specially calibrated for the wider nanometer range commonly emitted by LEDs. Good quantum meters are not cheap, but if you’re interested in high yields they are an excellent investment.

Gardening Under Lights Book


Grow Bonsai Indoors Under Spotlight LED

January 17, 2019

A few environmental factors will influence your success with indoor bonsai. Light, of course, is a big one. Most woody plant species that are trained as bonsai need more light than they would typically get with ambient indoor lighting. A single spotlight LED, properly placed, can help your bonsai thrive.

A bonsai grown under a spotlight LED.
PC: Soltech Solutions

Most woody bonsai won't survive indoors for long, especially if they don't have lots of bright light (normally they'd be outdoors in a sunny location). Adding a grow light for your bonsai is a must.

Certain tropical plants can also serve well as trained bonsai. These tropicals will be better suited to living indoors year-round, but you will still need supplemental light for many types unless they are low-light plants.

New BOOK! Gardening Under Lights: The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers


What is the Critical Photoperiod for Cannabis?

January 16, 2019

The critical photoperiod for female cannabis plants is about 12½ hours, with about 13 hours for male plants. A traditional lighting regimen to bring plants into flower is 12 hours of dark followed by 12 hours of light.

Midsize vegetative cannabis plants
PC: Dan Heims

The dark period must not be interrupted with any light, and it typically takes two weeks under this photoperiod regimen for plants to bud. You will need an enclosed growing space such as a grow tent, a sealed closet space, or a grow room.

New BOOK! Gardening Under Lights: The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers


What is an Aqua Garden?

January 15, 2019

Aquaponic systems, or aqua gardens, combine hydroponic growing and aquaculture, or fish farming. Plant roots are suspended in a grow bed. Fish and other aquatic animals inhabit a tank with a gravel bed at the bottom.

PC: Homestead Gardens

Some aquaponic gardens are very large and must be sited outdoors or in a garage, but you can place a mini aqua gardens on your counter top. Don’t forget the grow lamp so your herbs or houseplants can grow vigorously!

Gardening Under Lights Book!


Back to top

Tips in your inbox

E-Newsletter

Sign up for my monthly E-Newsletter for botanical business news, horticulture courses, and tidbits for plant and gardening lovers!