Thinking about getting into the immensely gratifying hobby of growing indoor plants? Whether you intend to grow flowers, food, or herbs, growing indoors differs considerably from growing outside. This short guide will take you through some of the essentials you will need as well as what growing conditions and factors you will need to control for success.

Check it out and contact us if you have any questions at the end of it.

What You Need

While some indoor growers simply start their seeds indoors in seed trays before transferring them outside, some hobbyists actually commit to growing plants from seed to maturity, completely indoors, by creating and maintaining the conditions under which those plants thrive.

To do so, you will want most, if not all of the following.

• A grow tent: While some growers build and maintain entire grow rooms, self-contained grow tents are much more practical, versatile, and affordable, and on top of that, maintaining precise conditions in a grow tent is much more practical than maintaining conditions in a grow room. Grow tents are specifically designed to facilitate the maintenance of optimal temperature and humidity, many are ducted to enable easy HVAC and airflow, and offer ideal internal reflectivity to ensure that the right amount of light energy reaches your plants.
• Growing containers: You can grow plants indoors in hard-sided vessels, but many indoor growers prefer fabric pots because they are breathable, lightweight, and allow for air pruning, making them better than plastic or earthenware pots. They’re also lightweight and fold down for easy storage when you aren’t actively using them.
• Growing media: Unless you are growing plants hydroponically, you will need a sort of potting medium to support their roots, to provide for airflow, and to support moisture and nutrient delivery. There are many commercially available potting media you can use. The best ones offer a rich mix of organic components such as humus, coconut fiber, and moss, which when balanced, retain moisture, keep roots properly aerated, and which nourish the plant.

• HVAC controls: In other words, you will need a system that can both heat and cool the interior of the grow tent so as to maintain optimal growing conditions.
• Grow lights for indoor plants: Providing the appropriate amount of light for your plants, depending on species as well as the stage of growth, is one of the most critical aspects of optimal plant health. To do so, quality grow lights for indoor plants, that offer the right spectrum of light, and luminous intensity, are necessary.
  We recommend LED grow lights for plants because they are powerful, directional, energy efficient, and longer lasting than both incandescent and HID grow lights. To learn more about LED grow lights for indoor plants, see our collection.
• Fertilizer: The three main constituents in fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are necessary for healthy foliation, root growth and health, and florescence. These are necessary among other nutrients in different concentrations based on the cultivar you are growing as well as its current stage. Also, when growing in a closed container fertilizer is often needed in order to prevent soil exhaustion.
• Controllers: While not absolutely necessary, automated controllers that monitor the temperature and humidity inside your grow tent, as well as the light timers, soil pH and more, will make it much easier for you to maintain consistent, uninterrupted growth conditions that are as close to ideal as possible.
• Support/pruning/trimming tools and accessories: Some plants need support as they grow; others should be trimmed or trained in order to ensure optimal health. For this, you might need stakes, supports, ties, twine, pruners or trimmers, and other indoor growing tools.

What You Need to Control

In addition to being prepared with appropriate indoor growing accessories like a grow tent that’s appropriately sized, LED grow lights for indoor plants, and fabric pots, you need to know what actors you need to control to optimize plant health.

• Temperature: Temperature will impact how quickly a plant grows as well as how quickly it reaches its flowering stage. Plants that are exposed to temperatures higher or lower than they prefer will suffer. Also, some plants prefer higher daytime and cooler nighttime temperatures, which increases the value of automated controls.
• Humidity: Not just the atmospheric temperature, but humidity levels, also impact plant health. Some species and cultivars flourish best in constantly arid conditions, others thrive best with consistently elevated humidity. A grow tent and HVAC system will help maintain humidity conditions where your plants need them.
• Soil pH: The acidity or alkalinity of the soil in which your plants grow will impact their ability to absorb nutrients. In some cases, imbalance pH can prevent plants from properly accessing the nutrients they need even if an appropriate fertilizer is administered in the proper concentration.
• Irrigation: How frequently you water your plants, as well as how thoroughly you allow the growing medium to dry out between waterings will also impact plant health. Growing indoors, especially in a grow tent, allows more precise control over watering and soil conditions.

• Nutrient delivery: Some plants are heavy feeders and others are not. Not fertilizing adequately can stunt growth and cause blossom drop; fertilizing too much can burn, even kill the plant. Growing indoors allows for precise fertilization.
• Light exposure: How much light your plants need is chiefly determined by the cultivar, which will also determine how much water and fertilization they need, among other growing conditions. Nonetheless, it is critical to ensure that your plants get enough light in order to prevent etiolation. Explore our LED grow lights to create the infrastructure that will offer you the best chances of success.
• Air purity: An indoor grow tent equipped with adequate ventilation will give you precise control over how clean the air is, as well as how fresh and well-circulated.

Explore Indoor Grow Tents and Accessories Here

This short post is not specific to a single species or cultivar. It should, however, lay the groundwork you need to create an indoor growing infrastructure that offers you the best chances of growing plants successfully. Explore our collection of indoor growing systems and growing accessories, some of which are equipped with integrated controls and AI sensors, and get in touch with us if you have any questions.