With the advent of LED grow lights, it doesn't take much cost to grow produce indoors anymore. I always prefer to grow my produce outside, as it is the most natural state for a plant to thrive in. Outdoor grown plants are strong and there are tons of benefits to eating produce that is grown in the soil where you live. However, there are several advantages to growing food inside under grow lights:
- Temperature control, can grow year around
- Plants do not get exposed to the elements, such as wind, frost, and heat
- WAY LESS DUST. Dust gets all over produce outside, but not inside!
- Pests and weeds not nearly as much of a problem
I decided to turn one of my shelves in my she-shed into an indoor growing station. If it turns out to be successful, I have a few more shelves I can convert. And yes, those license plates do say "CRYPTO". I rolled with those plates back in 2017, and decided they drew too much attention, so I took them off.
Due to size constrictions, my shelf can accommodate small to medium-sized plants and seedlings. My plan is to do my starter plants indoors, and also grow seedlings to sell in my Etsy Store and possibly at farmer's markets. I can grow lettuce, spinach, chives, garlic, and possibly green beans on my shelf. Growing greens year around is a huge deal for me as salads are a staple in my everyday diet.
You will need:
A roll of heavy duty painter's plastic
Staple gun
LED grow lights
Timer switch
Trays
Plant pots
The links take you to the product listing if you are interested.
The first step is to properly line your shelf with plastic and encase the growing area. This will keep heat and moisture in.
I found that using a staple gun was the easiest solution to tack all this plastic. This part is quite finicky to get perfectly lined up with the shelf, but I got it done.
I then made a drape out of plastic to hold the heat in. The plan is to run a small, thermostat controlled space heater. It won't have to run very often as the heavy duty plastic will keep in a lot of heat. I stapled ribbon to the posts so I can roll up the plastic and tie it up.
Next step is unpacking the lights and hanging them. This particular lighting system I purchased came with these really neat slip locks on them, making hanging a cinch.
I used heavy duty woven tarp material and stapled strips of it to the ceiling of the shelf to attach the lighting fixtures. Since the lights are not heavy, this seems to be a practical way of hanging these lights without having to screw in hooks.
Once I got my lights attached, I plugged them in, and voila! I have a grow station! I purchased trays that fit perfectly on my shelf. Each tray can hold 12 3.5" pots, and I have 7 trays, equalling 84 seedlings.
I still need to affix some velcro along the bottom of the plastic drape, so it fits snugly to the bottom of the shelf. I actually found some in a drawer, saving me a few bucks.
The total cost of this design was about $100, the lights being the most expensive. These 4 foot, 60 watt LED lights costed $35 a piece.
For me, it is totally worth having an indoor growing station, and I am hoping that it turns out to be successful. If it does, I have three more shelves I can use to add more grow stations.
I hope you found my article helpful and informative. Please give me a follow if you would like to stay updated on my content.
If you want to learn more about off grid living, visit my website, www.MaximumOffGrid.com.
And don't forget to visit my Etsy Store for heirloom seeds and natural findings.
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely, Regina Cal.
