My Setup and Procedure
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Basic Supplies: |
| 4' Fluorescent Light |
Small Electric Fan |
| Tinfoil |
Tape |
| String |
Towel |
| Plastic Cups |
Potting Soil |
| Fertilizer |
Humidifier |
| Extension Cable |
Water Sprayer |
Setup for Closet Growing:
- Take your tinfoil and cover the walls with it. White paint works well to reflect the light, so you may not need the tinfoil. If your walls are a darker color, however, then you should line your closet. Use the tape to secure the tinfoil.
- Find a way to hang the light from the ceiling using the string. My closet has a shelf at the top so I simply attached the string to it. You may need eye bolts to screw into the ceiling.
- Once the light is hung, put a fan into the room to get some circulation. Ideally, you would have an intake hole and an outlet with two fans, but I'm guessing you're not going to be cutting any holes in your walls any time soon.
- If you have a humidifier, now is the time to put it in. Place it near the door so you can refill it easily. I'm not sure if a humidifier is necessary, but someone told me recently that the plants love it. Also, if your humidifier is the kind that makes hot steam, then it will raise the temperature in your room considerably. The ideal temperature, I've read, is somewhere between 75 and 90 degrees.
- Attach all of your power cords to the extension cable. Run the cable out the door (try not to make it obvious) to a power source. It is a good idea to disguise the cable running into your closet.
- Put soil in your pots. Mix in a tiny amount of fertilizer, and put the germinated seeds into the soil, root down, about half an inch under the surface. Thouroughly wet the soil and place under the lights.
- Now you wait. Water the plants as often as you can, but not too much at one time. Flush them with water every once in a while. I mixed 1 tablespoon of Miracle Grow into a gallon of water to spray onto my plants. Also, make sure the humidifier doesn't blow directly onto your plants; the heat may damage them. Oh, one more thing: keep the fan pointed toward the plants.
