-James Gordon- Welcome back to another Introduction to Hydroponics blog! Today we are going to look at the different types of lighting best suited for indoor cultivation. With lights in the past there have not been as many options as there are today, and picking a light can be a little tricky now. Let's look at all the different types, what they are best suited for, and when to use them. So let's keep an open mind, maybe take some notes, and hopefully this will be a good tool to … [Read more...] about Lighting for Hydroponics
grow light
Growing Microgreens Indoors – It’s Easier Than You Might Think!
-Mike Weeks- Growing food indoors might seem intimidating, but it is something that you can incorporate into any homestead. Using LED or even T5 fluorescent lighting, it is very easy to set up a small growing space that doesn’t require much energy to produce quality results. This single indoor space can serve several purposes: growing plant starts for the outdoor garden; keeping a few herbs around through winter; supplying supplemental lighting for a house plant or two; or growing my favorite … [Read more...] about Growing Microgreens Indoors – It’s Easier Than You Might Think!
Tips & Tricks to Beat the Summer Heat for Your Indoor Grow Space
-Gabrial House- Summer is right around the corner, and while that is exciting news for the outdoor gardener, some indoor growers will be cursing the heat. One of the big problems for indoor growers is their heat footprint from their grow lights. In this blog we are going to talk about some easy ways to beat the heat! Whether you’rr starting a new grow space or already using an established space, we will look at some tips and tricks to keep your room in full summer swing. If you are … [Read more...] about Tips & Tricks to Beat the Summer Heat for Your Indoor Grow Space
Fluorescent Grow Lights: Versatile, Effective, and Priced Right!
-Luis Guerra- Fluorescent lighting is a great choice for growing plants indoors because it has a low startup cost and can be used pretty much anywhere. Fluorescents can be used in many different applications, from keeping orchids healthy and beautiful, to germinating vegetable starts for market. Please note that not all fluorescent lighting is the same. That flickering fluorescent light at work is not the same as the T5 fixture used for horticultural lighting. T5s utilize and deliver … [Read more...] about Fluorescent Grow Lights: Versatile, Effective, and Priced Right!
AgroLED Dio-Watt Review
-Mike Weeks- Lighting is one of the most important components of an indoor gardening set-up, and in today’s competitive and somewhat flooded market, making the right choice for your garden can be quite overwhelming. Fortunately, we know the right questions to ask to help you make an informed decision. We often recommend LED to growers that want a low profile set-up. LED’s generate less heat and draw less power so they are easy to fit into smaller spaces with very little ventilation … [Read more...] about AgroLED Dio-Watt Review
Winter Gardening Indoors
Gardeners can have mixed feelings at this time of the year. Some start getting antsy, looking for something green to start or plant. Others see this as a time of rest, a time to enjoy the fruits of our labors. For those of you who just want to kick back and enjoy the time off for now, this article is not for you. But, for those of you who are itching to grow something right now, read on, because where there is a will, there is a way. Lighting technology has not only allowed humans to thrive … [Read more...] about Winter Gardening Indoors
How to Grow Year Round Salad Greens
Every gardener I know grows lettuce for salad greens, because it is one of those vegetables that we tend to eat on a daily basis, and usually with at least one meal every day year round. So, we need a lot of it, and we need it often and always. Luckily, salad greens are one of the easiest crops to grow for a perpetual crop. Perpetual, or year round, salad greens can be grown indoors or out and I do both. I have two 4’ x 6’ raised beds that I use outdoors, and a table set up with grow … [Read more...] about How to Grow Year Round Salad Greens
Plant Lighting Pt 1: Plants see PAR, humans see Lumens
Most gardeners know lumens to be the “measure of the total ‘amount’ of visible light emitted by a source.” What they often do not know is that this “visible light” only refers to light that is visible to the human eye with no regard to the distribution of that light energy over the spectrum. Why does this matter? Imagine three lamps: let these lamps be red, blue, and green, and let each emit the same number of watts of optical energy. On a lumen scale, the red and blue lamps would have a much … [Read more...] about Plant Lighting Pt 1: Plants see PAR, humans see Lumens
