I’m in NE, had extra room in the basement, so figured we’d try, mainly to learn. We started with a few different seeds to see what we could grow. It’s a jungle now! Basically the seeds need to be treated like babies and can start cheap in styrofoam cups or the seedling cups. They like being on a heated mat. Once they start growing, transfer to bigger pot (they’re all finicky). The bigger the pot, the bigger they’ll grow. Through trial and error, it was easiest to water from the bottom bc the roots grown down. We poke hole in the cups and drill into some of the planters. You can tell who needs water to by how heavy the pots are. About every ten days or so we give them food, iguana juice. Lights are on a timer. They need light 14-16 hours a day since it’s not natural light. That’s about all I got!
One more thing, they love to be talked to and music. The animals love the room and our cat even tries to groom them when the leaves need to pruned.
Lol about the cat grooming them. :D Thanks for the info! It's amazing they are doing so well in a basement. I bet it gets chilly down there. You haven't actually harvested anything yet, have you? I have been trying to get seed starting trays for a month and having trouble. Do you have a particular place you like to buy from for supplies? Do you intend to plant them in the ground soon? Have you noticed that certain veggies do well in the basement while others don't? If so, please specify and again, thanks for the advise!
The cat is hilarious! I’ve been able yo make it temperature controlled and ranges from 65-72. We used greenhouse tarp which reflects the light and also helps keep the chill out. Super cold nights/days, I run a space heater. If you think about the seedling as babies, they need to be warm. I bought cheap warming mats from Amazon. You don’t need to trays. Styrofoam cups work wonders. Plant a couple of seeds in each cup, the strong will surface. Poke holes in the bottoms and feed them from the bottom. It helps keep their roots grow stronger. I typically try to buy from a local grow store to support small business but when they don’t have it, I’ll go to Amazon. We’re playing with all kinds of stuff but so far the only thing that didn’t fruit was cucumber and squash. They were our first plant and I think we overwatered them in the beginning. We’re trying again.
Must be nice having a "we" my wife is oblivious to everything calls me crazy blah blah. So im just gonna go thru all this in hardcore mode with a women who is most likely going to lose her shit and blame it on me.
The we is my other single mother friend. She’ll come around soon enough. Just keep your ideas to yourself and prep how you have to. The truth comes out eventually. Their plan is division, friends, families, couples. Don’t let them win.
I haven’t felt a big difference in my bill. Maybe light $30/40 but I’m also running a small heater bc it gets cold up here. They also have bulbs you can use in overhead lights!
Thanks for responding. I have a few leds but couldn't determine how much more I was paying using them vs just using natural light. If it isn't that much difference I might consider starting my bed room food operation again. Need an excuse to move the fish tank back inside anyway.
Not as hard as you think! It started off just to see if we could even do it and to learn about each plant. With the state of the world and inflation, I have to say, I’m so glad we did!
I have aloes just sitting on a kitchen counter near a couple of windows facing west. I have other plants there also. They will all go outside as soon as freezing weather is over.
Aloes don't need a lot. Just water occasionally. When an aloe gets really big, it has flowers. You will suddenly see a stalk about three feet tall. The flowers are yellow tubes about an inch long. One of mine has bloomed three or four times over the last 20 years. I don't know which conditions are best for that, but every time, the plant was outside in the bright sun.
I've got aloe at my house. What makes them happiest is sun-adjacent shade, and I've rarely had to water them (just watch out for the tips if they start shriveling up). Hope that helps!
There are fabric "potato pots" with a velcro door to reach in and harvest from the side, and a clear window to view the potatoes growing. Haven't tried one yet though, guess now is the time with food prices
Greenhouses are easy to build. Just a frame out of almost anything and covered with plastic or glass or anything else that's fairly clear. I used 2x4's and corrugated plastic. I used some that was supposed to be hail-resistant on the roof. It's been up for 15 years and hasn't fallen down yet. So I guess I did okay, not being a carpenter or anything.
Kek! I’m not supposed to be sharing but I will with fellow frens more to show that it’s possible. It was more of a learning exercise and I guess it worked! It won’t go to waste.
hmmmmmm.... i can think of some other plants that would be fun to grow indoors.... for a friend....... with glaucoma..... and chronic pain...... and ptsd.....
It’s legal here! The local store has helped us with fertilizer and stuff. They are very finicky, they like their own rooms and don’t play well with others!
What brand/model lights are you using? Looks like LEDs. For me, the cost of lighting strong enough to grow veg to fruition has been the main thing holding me back from year round growing. I stupidly invested in 5 “burple” LED lights that were like $150 each and while they’re excellent for the seedling stage and beans grew like gangbusters under them, pretty much everything else struggles to get enough light from them. I use them now for seed starting and that’s about it.
I bought simple lights from Amazon. These were the best bang for you buck. Maybe since I have them all connected it produces enough light and heat? We have them in pullies to adjust height depending on what stage they’re in and we’ve had them fruit. The grow store guys say the feed (iguana juice) is the key. Here’s the cheap lights we bought.
Awesome job! I've been wanting to start the same thing. Does it matter what type of seeds you select? I've always wondered if it's the seed or the soil that makes the difference (on nutrition) or both.
We bought non gmo seed package from Amazon. We did try different fertilizers bc it’s a basement but now that we’re starting to eat some of the plants, we’ve been able to reuse the dirt. Fortunately, you can purchase as you kind of need it so it’s not a huge up front cost. I think the key is the iguana juice every ten days.
Excellent! Please share your tips / advise.
I’m in NE, had extra room in the basement, so figured we’d try, mainly to learn. We started with a few different seeds to see what we could grow. It’s a jungle now! Basically the seeds need to be treated like babies and can start cheap in styrofoam cups or the seedling cups. They like being on a heated mat. Once they start growing, transfer to bigger pot (they’re all finicky). The bigger the pot, the bigger they’ll grow. Through trial and error, it was easiest to water from the bottom bc the roots grown down. We poke hole in the cups and drill into some of the planters. You can tell who needs water to by how heavy the pots are. About every ten days or so we give them food, iguana juice. Lights are on a timer. They need light 14-16 hours a day since it’s not natural light. That’s about all I got!
One more thing, they love to be talked to and music. The animals love the room and our cat even tries to groom them when the leaves need to pruned.
Lol about the cat grooming them. :D Thanks for the info! It's amazing they are doing so well in a basement. I bet it gets chilly down there. You haven't actually harvested anything yet, have you? I have been trying to get seed starting trays for a month and having trouble. Do you have a particular place you like to buy from for supplies? Do you intend to plant them in the ground soon? Have you noticed that certain veggies do well in the basement while others don't? If so, please specify and again, thanks for the advise!
The cat is hilarious! I’ve been able yo make it temperature controlled and ranges from 65-72. We used greenhouse tarp which reflects the light and also helps keep the chill out. Super cold nights/days, I run a space heater. If you think about the seedling as babies, they need to be warm. I bought cheap warming mats from Amazon. You don’t need to trays. Styrofoam cups work wonders. Plant a couple of seeds in each cup, the strong will surface. Poke holes in the bottoms and feed them from the bottom. It helps keep their roots grow stronger. I typically try to buy from a local grow store to support small business but when they don’t have it, I’ll go to Amazon. We’re playing with all kinds of stuff but so far the only thing that didn’t fruit was cucumber and squash. They were our first plant and I think we overwatered them in the beginning. We’re trying again.
Must be nice having a "we" my wife is oblivious to everything calls me crazy blah blah. So im just gonna go thru all this in hardcore mode with a women who is most likely going to lose her shit and blame it on me.
The we is my other single mother friend. She’ll come around soon enough. Just keep your ideas to yourself and prep how you have to. The truth comes out eventually. Their plan is division, friends, families, couples. Don’t let them win.
Same here probably haha. Everything I say or do gets an eyeroll
Dang. Here I am just trying to do my planters and you have a huge indoor garden haha. Love it!
Didn’t realize it was going to do so well! Kek! It kind of got out of control but we were trying to learn their different temperaments.
What's the light bill like or how much energy does it require to run?
I haven’t felt a big difference in my bill. Maybe light $30/40 but I’m also running a small heater bc it gets cold up here. They also have bulbs you can use in overhead lights!
Thanks for responding. I have a few leds but couldn't determine how much more I was paying using them vs just using natural light. If it isn't that much difference I might consider starting my bed room food operation again. Need an excuse to move the fish tank back inside anyway.
I would say it maybe depends on where you are geographically with natural light vs indoor. I’m in the NE so outdoors isn’t possible in the winter.
Impressed...I’m trying to keep 3 aloe plants alive! I have some learning to do!
Not as hard as you think! It started off just to see if we could even do it and to learn about each plant. With the state of the world and inflation, I have to say, I’m so glad we did!
I have aloes just sitting on a kitchen counter near a couple of windows facing west. I have other plants there also. They will all go outside as soon as freezing weather is over.
Aloes don't need a lot. Just water occasionally. When an aloe gets really big, it has flowers. You will suddenly see a stalk about three feet tall. The flowers are yellow tubes about an inch long. One of mine has bloomed three or four times over the last 20 years. I don't know which conditions are best for that, but every time, the plant was outside in the bright sun.
I've got aloe at my house. What makes them happiest is sun-adjacent shade, and I've rarely had to water them (just watch out for the tips if they start shriveling up). Hope that helps!
Try fabric 'Smart Pots' too. More oxygen to roots, difficult to overwater. Available with handles.
We tried all different kinds. I live in an ocean town and between that and the humidity, they stayed too wet! Potatoes did really well in them though!
There are fabric "potato pots" with a velcro door to reach in and harvest from the side, and a clear window to view the potatoes growing. Haven't tried one yet though, guess now is the time with food prices
We got the ones without the plastic window! 😂 Tge dirt just fell out
Beautiful
My kind of porn! Wish I had a greenhouse. Someday (Soon (TM))
Wait ... that's in a basement??
Greenhouses are easy to build. Just a frame out of almost anything and covered with plastic or glass or anything else that's fairly clear. I used 2x4's and corrugated plastic. I used some that was supposed to be hail-resistant on the roof. It's been up for 15 years and hasn't fallen down yet. So I guess I did okay, not being a carpenter or anything.
Yup! Basement! You can do it anywhere I’m realizing!
Good job! Happy, thriving plants.
mmmmmmm, cilantro....i can never get mine to be that full/bushy before it goes to seed
If a plant starts to flower, pinch it off.
Looks like you have a little too much self-sufficiency there, citizen!
Kek! I’m not supposed to be sharing but I will with fellow frens more to show that it’s possible. It was more of a learning exercise and I guess it worked! It won’t go to waste.
hmmmmmm.... i can think of some other plants that would be fun to grow indoors.... for a friend....... with glaucoma..... and chronic pain...... and ptsd.....
It’s legal here! The local store has helped us with fertilizer and stuff. They are very finicky, they like their own rooms and don’t play well with others!
Awesome!
That is awesome
What brand/model lights are you using? Looks like LEDs. For me, the cost of lighting strong enough to grow veg to fruition has been the main thing holding me back from year round growing. I stupidly invested in 5 “burple” LED lights that were like $150 each and while they’re excellent for the seedling stage and beans grew like gangbusters under them, pretty much everything else struggles to get enough light from them. I use them now for seed starting and that’s about it.
Great looking setup. Very impressive.
I bought simple lights from Amazon. These were the best bang for you buck. Maybe since I have them all connected it produces enough light and heat? We have them in pullies to adjust height depending on what stage they’re in and we’ve had them fruit. The grow store guys say the feed (iguana juice) is the key. Here’s the cheap lights we bought.
SZHLUX Grow Light 4ft 140W... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JLJ3D6Y?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
That's a lot of weed!
Kek!
Awesome job! I've been wanting to start the same thing. Does it matter what type of seeds you select? I've always wondered if it's the seed or the soil that makes the difference (on nutrition) or both.
We bought non gmo seed package from Amazon. We did try different fertilizers bc it’s a basement but now that we’re starting to eat some of the plants, we’ve been able to reuse the dirt. Fortunately, you can purchase as you kind of need it so it’s not a huge up front cost. I think the key is the iguana juice every ten days.