Coir, or coco fiber, is a more sustainably harvested and renewable alternative to peat moss. Coir mats can be used to propagate, grow microgreens, or line planters.

Some coir can be high in salts, which can interfere with the uptake of certain nutrients, such as calcium. If you plan to use coir as a hydroponic substrate, look for brands that have been washed or composted.

Gardening Under Lights Book

For most annual and edible seeds, normal germination occurs at optimal soil temperature and moisture levels without any special techniques. You can speed up the germination process (or improve germination rates from older seed stock) if you presprout them, a process called chitting or greensprouting.

Chitting involves soaking the seeds, usually for 24 hours, before you sow them. Moisten some dish towels, paper towels, or newspaper, then set the damp material in a tray, on a plate, or inside a plastic bag. Spread your seed onto the moist surface. Seeds will absorb the moisture and swell, and some will germinate and sprout.

Gardening Under Lights Book

When you grow plants under only red light, they can put on additional leafy growth, or biomass. This is good for certain crops, such as lettuce. But as plants develop more leaves and other structures, they may not transpire properly or they can stretch, get too tall, or develop oedema (leaf blisters—a common issue in tomatoes grown under only red light) or other problems.

If you grow your plants under only red light for too long, chlorophyll production can stop altogether, causing photosynthesis to cease.

Gardening Under Lights Book

Newer CMH lamps require less electricity to generate more usable light output, so you can use a lower-wattage lamp than you might with an HPS or an MH lamp. CMHs are thus more efficient than standard MH lamps, and they put out less heat than HPS lamps, which is a great benefit to most home growers.

With a more full-spectrum light output and a 20,000-hour life span, a CMH lamp is a quality all-around HID lighting solution for home gardeners who want to grow a variety of plants indoors without switching lamp types.

Gardening Under Lights Book

There are 25,000-30,000 known species of orchids, and their care requirements vary. Orchids have three general categories of light needs: low (200-300 PPF), medium (300-600 PPF), and high (600-1000 PPF).

The color of orchid leaves will tell you if they are getting too much or too little light. Normal, healthy leaves should generally be a light, bright green. Leaves that become very dark generally aren’t getting enough light, while a pale yellow-green or red tint indicates plants are getting too much light.

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

Beets are root vegetables that also offer edible leaves. There are many varieties of beets with a number of root colors, sizes, and flavors--a rainbow of beet options.

Direct seed beets into the garden, or into the final container you'll use to grow them indoors. Thin seedlings so that there are a couple of inches between each remaining seedling. Use a balanced granular vegetable fertilizer in the soil or growing media at seeding time. Then side-dress the beets or use a liquid fertilizer one or two more times during their growing cycle.

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

Have you ever wondered why plant leaves change color? Plant leaves contain several different types of pigments called Carotenoids, flavonoids, and betalins are additional support pigments— sporting shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple—that also absorb small amounts of light, just like chlorophyll.

These pigments are responsible for creating different colors in plant leaves and stems. When the chlorophyll breaks down in fall, as temperatures cool, these pigments become visible. That's why you get a fall color change in your trees. This colorful begonia, that is growing under plant lights, has more of these colorful pigments which are visible all the time.

Gardening Under Lights Book

While you could successfully grow a few species of carnivorous plants in a bright window, most need significantly more light and humidity. In fact, most carnivorous plants grow naturally in full-sun locales, so you must provide intense light indoors for your creature-capturing plants.

Light your carnivorous plants for 12 to 16 hours per day, depending on your light source and the ambient light available in your living space.

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