Indoor Soil Gardening 101

A 7 Step Guide to Successful Indoor Organic Gardening

Choose a Potting Mix

  • Potting Mixes are typically peat-based mixes with perlite and other materials that unlike soil, are light weight and have great air/water holding properties
  • Sphagnum Peat Moss is naturally acidic and often used with dolomite lime to raise pH
  • Perlite is a coarse substrate derived from volcanic rock and used to improve drainage/aeration
  • Coco is made from the husks of a coconut, is pH stable, and provides moisture retention/aeration
  • Worm Castings and Composted Waste add beneficial biology that help plants access nutrients in the soil

The Right Environment

  • Key components include relative humidity, temperature, CO2, and air circulation/exchange
  • Ideal humidity is between 40%-60%
  • Some plants like higher humidity, but that can lead to problems with fungus and disease
  • Ideal temperature is between 68-75F
  • Plants need CO2 to grow - with good air circulation and exchange, a room will naturally have between 300-400 PPM without supplemental CO2

Start With Good Water

  • Water quality is essential to plant growth
  • PPM (parts per million) or EC (electrical conductivity) measures salts in a solution
  • Start off with a low PPM or EC and add nutrients specific to your plant variety requirements
  • A Reverse Osmosis system can reduce PPM/EC
  • pH should range 5.8-6.2 in hydro and 6.0-6.8 in soil4
  • Nutrient "lockout" occurs in too high or low pH levels

Nutrients/ Fertilizers

  • Liquid/Dry nutrients can be organic or synthetic
  • Over or under fertilizing can cause burning, curling, or yellowing of plants
  • Most nutrient bottles are labeled with N-P-K (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium)
  • When used together, nutrients and supplements will help you achieve maximum results

Grow Lighting

  • MH (Metal Halide) and HPS (High Pressure Sodium) are types of HID lights used in grow rooms
  • MH lamps = Blue spectrum for vegetative
  • HPS lamps = Orange/Red spectrum for flowering
  • T5 lamps are high-output fluorescents with low heat/energy consumption ideal for cuttings, mother plants, and short growth cycles
  • DE (Double Ended) lighting is a full spectrum HID lamp with a higher par reading than single ended
  • Plants in vegetative stage need 15-18 hrs. of light
  • Plants in bloom stage need 10-12 hrs. of light

Testing Equipment

  • There are many meters available for testing solution pH, PPM, and EC
  • Environmental controllers and meters are available to automate and more accurately control and maintain the temperature, humidity, CO2 and lights
  • Testing equipment for the water-nutrient solution, light, room temperature and humidity, CO2, and air circulation is the key to providing optimal conditions for a bountiful garden

Optional Accessories

  • Grow/Garden room accessories are essential for optimized growth and harvest
  • Atmosphere drive devices such as fans, blowers, CO2 emitters, and integrated timers are a grow rooms greatest accessory
  • Trellising, stakes, supports, shears, and labels are useful when growing fruiting/flowering crops
  • Pest and disease control may be needed and there are many organic options available