by EzekielDiet.com
Posted on May 16, 2023

I bought a 10 X 10 grow tent to conduct an experiment to see how much food I could grow in that much space. There are probably a dozen different ways to use 100 square feet of grow area. I’m going to show you how I’ve decided to try my hand at an indoor garden.

Index of 10 X 10 Grow Tent Diary

Because this is an ongoing diary style blog post I’m including an index of most recent additions on top so you can jump to the most recent posts. Use your BACK button to come back to the Index.

Update Harvest Photos May 16, 2023

Drill Pump to Remove Excess Water

Fungus Gnat Update May 16, 2023

Update Photos May 1, 2023

Killing Fungus Gnats Permanently

Update Photos April 26, 2023

Update Photos April 25, 2023

Apartment Indoor Garden Vegetable Seeds – Container Friendly – Heirloom

Harvested Root Bound Carrots from Peat Pellets 4-11

Picking Seeds for Indoor Container Growing 4-10

Update Photos April 7, 2023

Wisdom Gained So Far

Update Photos March 23, 2023

Solitary Backyard Bee Help Wanted

Panda Film instead of Grow Tent

Update Photos March 16, 2023

March 09, 2023 Update First Harvest

Downspout Hydroponics

Off Grid Garden Tower for Lettuce

Be the Bee – Hand-Pollinating Indoor Vegetables

Water Level Float Stick Concept

Walmart 10 ft x 10 ft Grow Tent Just $343

Update February 28, 2023 Pictures

Flu Update February 25, 2023

Understanding Grow Light Terminology: PAR PPFD PPF PBAR Spectrum Wattage

How Many Watts Can I Safely Operate on a 15 AMP Breaker?

Nearly two-thirds of gardeners play music to their plants, research claims

Update February 15, 2023  pictures

Update February 14, 2023 pictures

Electricity Cost for 7 – 100 watt Grow Lights

Electroculture Gardening Techniques

Update February 10, 2023

HooYan $35 100w LED Grow Light Review

Update February 08. 2023

Water Filtration

Update February 06, 2023

Do You Change Soil In Wicking Grow Tub?

Update February 03, 2023

Update February 02, 2023

Seveka 100w $50 LED Grow Light Review

Update February 02, 2023

Cost of 10×10 Grow Tent Project So Far

Update January 31, 2023

Gardening with Leon’s Fertilizers to Add to Grow Tub Water

Enough Fertilizer for 3 Years of Grows

HLG 100w $153 LED Grow Light Review

Leon’s Fertilizer Formula for Grow Tub

Gardening with Leon – Grow Tubs & Fertilizer

Organic Potting Mix from Home Depot

17 Gallon Self-Watering Grow Tub Components

How Much Food Can You Produce in a 10 X 10 Grow Tent

The Benefits of an Indoor Garden

I put the tent up in an unfinished basement. I have the basement build-out on indefinite hold to see what the economic collapse and Great Reset looks like. An indoor grow tent or grow room in a basement, spare room or garage has been a recurring image in my mind for several years.

I tapped an excess AC/Heat air duct with a 4 inch metal dryer vent pipe to bring heat into the tent. Outside the tent is 63 degrees. Inside is 69.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The grow lights will also add a few degrees later. This vent also keeps a new supply of fresh oxygen in the tent. Plants need oxygen.

For all the guys out there who end up funding and building this system because your wife or girlfriend saw it and wants one just like it. I’m sorry : )

Regarding the benefits of indoor gardening, look at it this way. No outside tilling and preparing chem-trail soaked earth. No weeding the garden. No insects, bugs, slugs, squirrels, deer, snakes, birds, rabbits, neighbors and thieves competing for the food. No harsh chemicals to kill every bug on your property. No daily watering. No split tomatoes from too much water. Up to 4 grows a year rotating vegetables. Full 16 hours of light all day, every day. You control the temperature, water, light, darkness, wind, soil and fertilizer quality. You become Mother Nature in the grow tent. And one other thing, you get to choose the quality of the sea minerals going into your vegetables. And the chicken poop. : )

How much food can you grow in a 10 x 10 grow tent?

Or a 10 x 10 extra bedroom. I don’t have the answer to that right now. But stay tuned and I will along with a picture diary.

I’m planting: 2 different types of Tomatoes,  Yellow Squash,  Zucchini, Cucumber, 2 different Lettuce, Basil, Beets, Green Onions and Yellow Onions, Carrots and Sweet Potatoes. I may try to squeeze in some strawberries around the bottom of a couple tubs. This picture below is about 2 weeks of growth from seed. Yellow squash on the left shot right up. Tomatoes in the center. Green zucchini on the right. The Dixie cups have carrots. That’s basil and lettuce in the  sprout tray. Those are beets bleached out with the purple light.

I bought the 10 X 10 grow tent for only $329 on a Black Friday sale with free shipping from GrowAce ($356 w tax).  I actually bought it as a Christmas gift for someone else. It never occurred to me she wouldn’t have a clue about how to use a grow tent. After several years competing with insects, bugs, slugs, squirrels, rabbits, deer, snakes and birds in the yard she had given up on gardening. I would kid her about the occasional $500 tomato the bugs left for us. So it looks like this grow tent turned into my project until it’s up and running, then she’ll most likely takeover.

If you just do a little here and a little there, a few minutes this week, a couple hours next week will add up to an elaborate grow room in just a few weeks. Plus, there’s something therapeutic about working with soil and caring for plants.

See the tent at:  https://growace.com/products/yield-lab-120-x-120-x-80-reflective-grow-tent

Once all this is in place and finished I really only plan to check on this garden grow tent  once a week for watering, nutrients, training, pruning, picking vegetables, etc.

17 Gallon Self-Watering Grow Tubs

I intend to have 12 – 17 gallon self-watering grow tubs. The tubs are $7.98 at Walmart. I used 4 inch plastic perforated (holes) flexible drain pipe ($14 for 10 ft pc Home Depot it takes 4 for 12 tubs). There’s about 40 inches of drain pipe in the bottom of each tub (water reservoir) with 1 inch PVC watering pipes stabbed into one of the drain pipes.  The tubs you get at Walmart are smaller than the ones used in Gardening with Leon’s example videos below. His tubs take a 48 inch piece of 4″ pipe.  My tubs take a 36″ piece and a 4″ piece of 4 inch drain pipe.

The picture below is the water reservoir. It will hold a couple gallons of water each and last up to 10 days depending on the plant. The ends of the drain pipe are covered in landscape weed mat cloth. I duct taped it after using a rubber band to hold it in place. I didn’t think the rubber band would hold the weed mat by itself once filled with dirt. The last 6 tubs I used 2 – 8 inch plastic zip ties connected and pulled tight around the weed mat in one of the pipe grooves.

Water Level Float Gauge

Below Picture:  These are the float water level dip sticks that float inside the 1 inch white PVC watering pipe. I’ll paint lines on the wooden dowel showing the empty mark and full marks (3 inches down) similar to a dip stick, except this stick floats.  It’s a 4 inch reservoir pipe, so 3 inches of water when full leaves enough air in the tub to wick the water throughout.

The fishing floats are $1.16 for 3 at Walmart (get the bigger ones pictured) and the dowels are 3/16 inch (green tip) and cost .42 each at Walmart in the hobby section. I used a water proof glue to glue the dowel and the black tip to protect the other end of the Styrofoam fishing float. You’ll cut a foot or more off of the 36″ dowel.

The 1 inch white PVC watering pipe is cut square on the top end; and at a 45 degree angle on the bottom end. This keeps the pipe open at the bottom for adding water. If it was cut square it would sit on the bottom and block adding water. Also, as long as the bottom of the PVC white pipe is submerged additional air can’t get into the tub. That trapped air is what creates the wicking action of water into the Potting Mix.

I have room for a total of 12 tubs, 6 across the back, 4 in the center area, 2 more on the front wall of the tent. This leaves me room to get to each plant with a walkway. I bought a couple tubs full of grow lights on Craig’s List at half price to supplement basic fluorescent lights with correct bulbs for grow and bloom.

I’m planning on 16 hours of lights on and 8 hours off.

There’s always a lot of used grow lights, equipment and tents in the secondary market. Now would be a good time to start looking at what’s available.

Work Bench

I added a 6 foot plastic desk, table for germination and working with plants. Later I’ll add wire shelves on top of the table at the back for LED flat lights above herbs and maybe sprouts. Tub storage under the table.

Organic Potting Mix from Home Depot

Home Depot Organic Potting Mix $9 – 40 quart bag X 10 bags = $95 for 6 tubs.  It has to be Potting Mix to wick properly. Potting Soil has too much vermiculite and stays too wet.  Must use Potting Mix. I’ll probably need another 10 bags of potting mix.  However it’s a good start and I believe slow release and powder fertilizer will allow it to be used for several grows.

Cutting Edge LED 95 Watt Light Per Plant

For now I intend to use a hodgepodge of grow light bulbs and fluorescent lighting fixtures I’ve scrounged up used.

If I decide to continue this project long term I’ll go ahead and invest in the HLG 100 Horticulture Lighting Group Quantum Board LED Grow Light for each grow tub. It will then be a system you can even put in a closet or anywhere you have a 2 ft x 2 ft footprint and access to an electrical plug.

Look at that 5 Star rating by 402 reviews. People are really happy with  this grow light. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. It replaces older LED lights that sucked 3 times the electricity.  You can light up a 10 X 10 grow tent with 12 of these LED lights and only be pulling about half of the capacity of a 20 amp breaker. Without a lot of heat.

Twelve hundred watts is about like running a blow dryer or a coffee pot with heating burner for 16 hours a day. You can compensate by turning off other unnecessary lights around the house. And maybe even the hot water heater all day or night when not needed. A lot of people I know, and have known, sit around with 20 or more lights on in several rooms day and night. Granted that low watt LED bulbs today have reduced by up to 75% the amount of electricity that old incandescent light bulbs used to pull. But still almost everyone can cut back on excessive lighting and electric use. If your electric provider has discounts for off-peak hours you also have the option to light up your plants all night and save.

Before you load too much wattage on whatever circuit breaker you’re drawing from (10, 15 or 20 amp), get an electrician’s opinion for safety.

Of course everyone should have a backup plan for when the power goes off. Either move the plants outdoors, if possible. Or in the winter have a small gas or propane generator capable of running 1,200 watts of lights. You could also cut back to 12 hours light, 12 hours dark. Or even 8 hours of lights on and 16 off in a power outage. Another option would be to turn every other light off. Or, go back to a dozen 34 watt grow bulbs during an outage. Regarding heat, the bark and forest products composting in that potting mix creates heat around the roots. Don’t complain about all the bark and sticks in the potting mix.

The good thing about these LED lights is they will daisy-chain with one plugging into another into another which reduces the number of plugs in a surge protector and timer.

Consider that each one of these lights probably has the ability to increase the temperature in the grow tent by 1 degree or more. 12 of them could easily increase the temperature by 10+ degrees. In a basement this is perfect but you will need an oscillating fan to move air around to reduce hot spots in the room. If you’re in an extra bedroom you’ll need to exhaust the hot air into an attic or outside in the summer. In a basement just open a grow tent vent and blow it out.

My Garden Mentor at the YouTube University – Gardening with Leon

Leon’s fertilizer formula for a grow tub:

This is Gardening with Leon’s fertilizer formula for grow tub:

1/2 cup Sustane (chicken poop turkey feathers) or Walmart Tomato-Tone

1/4 cup Sea Minerals (not sea salt, will burn plant, avoid Redmond)

1/8 cup Gypsum

1/8 cup Lime (garden lime, not slack)

1/8 cup Epson Salt from any store

Keep in mind the Potting Mix you buy may already be HOT with these additives. Leon is adding this to Potting Mix so I guess it’s fine. That’s a question I need to ask. I can definitely see this fertilizer regimen after the first grow.

If you’ve considered stockpiling some of these nutrients for future uncertainty then here’s the list of what you need.

The product links in this post are not affiliate commission links. I don’t have any affiliate relationships with any products I’ve used or promote on this site. Links are for your convenience.

I like Leon. He reminds me of good Christian people I’ve known and relatives from a bygone era. A time when knowledge was passed on just like this. When you have a whole town full of people like Leon it’s like going back in time; Mayberry. I have all the respect in the world for good rural Christian people from that generation.

See more of Gardening with Leon at: https://www.youtube.com/@gardeningwithleon2816

To see more self-wicking water tubs see:  https://duckduckgo.com/?t=lm&q=water+wicking+tubs&iax=videos&ia=videos

I modified my tubs for indoor growing without the drain holes 3 inches up from the bottom. If your tubs are on a back deck (consider weight) and exposed to the rain, then you need drain holes at 3 inches to drain off excess water. I don’t need to drain water indoors. I’ll always be adding water. I’ll use the dip stick float to tell me how much water is in each container.

Update January 31, 2023:

I finished manufacturing 12 self-watering grow tub systems and filled 6 tubs full and 3 partially full that used up the 10 bags of Potting Mix.  10 bags (40 quart size) filled 7 tubs. I should need an additional 6 or 7 bags. I’ll pick up 10 more today.

Like the fourth wall you never see in movies and on TV. Being able to unzip the whole front of the tent makes getting in and out with bags of dirt much easier.

Cost of Project So Far:

$356  Grow Tent 10 x 10
$102  12 – 17 gallon grow tubs
$55 40 foot of perforated pipe (buy 50 ft roll cheaper)
$11  2 – 1 inch X 10 ft PVC Pipe
$50  6 foot plastic folding table
$20  float sticks
$10  zip ties (get a big bag you’ll need them all over the grow tent)
$191  20 bags Potting Mix
$300  Used grow lights (Craig’s List)
$50 Fresh Non-GMO Seeds
$100  fertilizer
$50   Misc

$1,295 Total

The product links in this post are not affiliate commission links. I don’t have any affiliate relationships with any products I’ve used or promote on this site. Links are for your convenience to find featured products.

Update February 2, 2023

Got the remaining grow tubs filled with potting mix, fertilizer and microorganisms. It took 18 bags of Potting Mix for 12 tubs or 1.5 bags per 17 gallon tub. Those 34 watt LED grow bulbs are only temporary to get the plants started. I believe they’ll be fine until the plants get larger. Then I’ll need something stronger. They are supplemented with the fluorescent lights. The seedling table has left me with enough extra plants to give some away. I still have yellow squash, zucchini, large cherry tomato, and beets left over.

The Lettuce and Basil: This is the small leafy lettuce that can be planted this close on the right. Basil obviously needs more room in the left tub. For larger heads of lettuce they’ll be 6 around the perimeter of the tub with one in the middle. I’ve seen plastic lettuce/herb grow towers that I may look into to keep 20 heads or more growing all the time.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash:

Large Cherry Tomato:

Update February 3, 2023:

I planted cucumber, yellow onion and spinach seeds directly in freshly made grow tubs last night. I covered the seeds in a seed sprouting soil.

I also planted the sprouted carrots in a fresh grow tub.

I’ve decided to add 4 more grow tubs. I want at least 2 tubs of sweet potatoes. And a couple grow tubs for strawberries.

Do You Change Soil In The Wicking Tubs? Gardening with Leon

There is a 67% Cheaper Off-Brand Grow Light Using the Same Samsung LM301B Diodes

The $153 HLG 100 Grow Light reviewed above in this post has an off-brand competitor knock-off that’s 67% cheaper. The reseller advertises it’s using the same Samsung LM301B light diodes. This light appears to have 13 rows of light diodes instead of 11 rows on the $153 HLG 100.  The HLG 100 electric driver is attached to the aluminum light panel and there are no light diodes under it. Obviously because the heat from the driver would reduce the life of the diodes under it. The Seveka off-brand design lifts the electric driver off the back of the board with spacers so the board can accommodate 2 more rows of light diodes. The aluminum board is twice as thick as the HLG 100 also to dissipate heat better. In some ways maybe it’s better. If it’s the same diodes it should work as well as the HLG that’s 3 times the price.

What this light does not show in their literature is the ability to daisy chain one light to the next to reduce plugs. However in one of the customer videos I see what looks like a twist-lock connector in the electric cord that may be a daisy chain link. It could just be the on/off switch. The Seveka light also doesn’t have a dimmer. But the manufacturer explained in broken English (must be Chinese) that the dimmer damages the light diodes, after the light is dimmed, the diode never goes back to full brightness, so they eliminated it.

I just bought 5 of these lights. I’ll review them once delivered. Because this light has a 3 ft X 3 ft footprint I may be able to light 2 grow tubs side by side. The grow tubs are 19 inches wide X 2 = 38 inches. Maybe I can run this grow room on only 500 watts of power. I can always supplement with fluorescent or even grow bulbs where needed.

There is also the possibility that one light could cover 4 tubs set up in a square 38 inch x 38 inch. This would only probably work in the Veg period. In bloom each plant could use the whole light.

I wanted a full spectrum white light with the red diodes for a really bright white as opposed to the Burple (purple) colored grow lights. The purple lights are hard on the eyes and require full-time eye protection. The new Samsung LM301B light diodes is very bright but only requires a pair of good reader sunglasses (if you wear glasses).

This light could bring the system cost down to just $80:

$8  – 17 gallon grow bucket
$15 – 1.5 bags Potting Mix
$50 – Off Brand Grow Light
$5 – 4 inch Drain Pipe
$1 – 1 inch PVC water pipe
$1 – weed mat

$80 Total Per Grow Tub

Only $55 if one light covers 2 Grow Tubs

Only $42.50 average per tub if one light covers 4 Grow Tubs

$100 worth of fertilizer for 3 Years of Future Grows:

See the Gardening with Leon recommended fertilizers for a grow tub below. I just bought one of each for about $100 with free shipping.

If you can get 4 turns a year on the grow room this should be enough fertilizer for 3 or 4 years. You just have to keep it dry. It shouldn’t expire. The Epson Salt isn’t shown but I can pick that up anywhere. 12 tubs X 4 turns yr X up to 1/2 cup = 24 cups Tomato-tone a year. There should be at least 3 years of full-time gardening in $100 worth of fertilizer.

So a couple hundred dollars worth of fertilizer could last 5 to 10 years.

This leaves the liquid grow and bloom fertilizer that’s added to each gallon of water at the rate of just a teaspoon. It too will last years,

With the 5 Seveka Grow Lights and the 4 fertilizer products below I have an additional $360 invested.

As an afterthought I wouldn’t waste time or money looking for used  grow lights or equipment on Craig’s List. The new products coming out so fast are so affordable it’s a waste of money to buy outdated equipment.

Sustane alternative:

Sea Mineral:

Gypsum:

Lime:

Add Teaspoon To Each Gallon of Water in Grow Tub:

Vegetation:

Bloom (just one of the 2)

February 6, 2023 Update:

I used a limb/branch clipper to cut all the 3/16″ dowel water float sticks to the correct length about 24 inches. Because each 1″ PVC watering pipe may be slightly different lengths or sit inside the drain pipe higher than the next tub the full and empty marks will be specific to each tub and dowel.

I used the Pilot Gel Black Pen to mark the dowel at EMPTY with the float sitting on the bottom of the drain pipe.  Then I would measure 3 inches down (toward float) and create a FULL line. Markers spread on wood grain. The Gel pen colored in a dark line should suffice. You can always go over with paint later if it fades.

Large Beef Steak tomato, spinach, cucumbers, yellow onions and green onion seeds are planted for germination in new grow tubs.

With about a month (January) of preparation, germinating seeds, seedlings, manufacturing grow tubs, and moving potting mix took about a month. So this first week in February starts the Vegetation stage.

Water Filtration:

For now I’m monitoring for the need to water. I have to keep seeds in 4 tubs moist for sprouting. I’m hand watering all the small plants until the tubs are filled. I need to change the whole house filters and start the tubs fresh with the cleanest water possible.

You might consider using a small, portable, countertop inline water filtration system if you’re using municipality chlorine/fluoride/Rx/chemical laden tap water.

You could add male and female water hose fittings on the inlet and outlet side of the inline water filter pictured below.  So you hook a male end water hose up  going into the filter; and another water hose Female fitting for the clean water out side. I’m already considering where I can add a handy water hose-bib in my basement setup.

These are my 3 whole house filters pictured below I just replaced today for the third time since I installed the system. They’re 20″ long and 4.5″ round. The inline filter above is much smaller at 9.75″ x 2.9″.

The Fluoride and heavy metals cartridge is on the left, the center cartridge is a carbon filter to remove chlorine and hundreds of other chemicals, the right filter is for Lead and other heavy metals, Rx, chemicals. The center cartridge catches most contaminants and I should replace it twice as often as the Lead and Fluoride. They’re about $200 to $300 a year to replace all three. The fluoride filter is $110 by itself. The last time I shopped around and bought different brands at a discount.

See: https://www.ezekieldiet.com/488-whole-house-fluoride-chlorine-lead-contaminant-filter-from-lowes-or-home-depot/ for more information on a whole house water filter.

Update February 8, 2023

To start these tubs I’m using a 5-1-1 fish crap emulsion called Alaskan Fish Plant Food sold at Walmart and Home Depot. I’ve used it for years and know it’s “good chit”. : )  It smells terrible but everything you put it one grows out-of-control. Wear gloves as the smell doesn’t wash off easily. You’ll smell it for hours.

I added a teaspoon per gallon. Seems odd to add fish crap to purified filtered water. I’m starting with this because of the high nitrogen number to start, 5. Later in bloom stage I’ll use a bloom fertilizer high in the 2nd and 3rd number.

I filled all the grow tubs with fertilized water last night. Each tub took 4 gallons of water. For the first 3 tubs I filled a 1 gallon pitcher and added fertilizer and poured into each tub watering pipe which was way too tedious. Balancing and pouring gallons of water from a pitcher into a 1 inch pipe was way too time consuming.

By the 4th grow tub I was pouring 1.5 tablespoons of fish crap down the watering pipe and using the water hose to fill each tub while sitting on a stool. This method only takes a few minutes per grow tub. The first 3 tubs did indicate to me that the reservoir holds more water than I thought, 4 gallons of fertilized water instead of two.

I checked them today probably 20 hours later and every grow tub had wicked 1 inch of water into the soil.

Here are some pictures. This first tub on the right is large heads of lettuce, 6 around the perimeter and 1 in the center (from Leon). The small organic lettuce in center tub doing well, and the basil plants in the left tub.

Below are spinach seeds planted in the left tub, only one plant is peeking through. The center tub is carrots that were germinated and grown then transplanted to the tub. The far right is yellow onions.

Below pictured are cucumbers just sprouting through the soil. I have no idea if this tub can handle this many plants. Row spacing was 4 inches so I tried to keep that spacing when planting the seeds. Notice the water level sticks indicating this tub has 3 inches of water in the bottom, or 4 gallons. Pull the float stick out to fill with a hose so you don’t beat that float up with water pressure. I used a spray nozzle using a jet stream.

Below pictured are the beets. I germinated these from seed, planted in dixie cup sized containers and transplanted them last night.

Below is the green zucchini. Again I have no idea how many plants I can put in a tub. I’m trying 2.

Below is the yellow squash which just shot up as a seedling and is larger than any other plant.

Below are 9 beefsteak tomatoes, 6 seed plugs and 3 containers. which were the last to plant as seeds. In hindsight I should have germinated two 35 spot seed trays with dome, instead of just 1. If you’re ever growing for emergency food I would use at least 2  and maybe 3 starter trays and get everything growing at the same time. Or plant all the tubs at the same time. Those are 5 extra cherry tomato plants looking for a home. We gave away extra yellow squash and zucchini already. That small sprouted plant next to the Dixie cup stack is a mystery plant, it may be lettuce. It took the longest to germinate than all the other seeds.

 

$35 100W LED Grow Light using Samsung LM301B diodes w Dimmer, Aluminum Driver

I spent a lot of time yesterday researching LED grow lights and eventually ended up at Alibaba.com where I discovered the LED aluminum plate with diodes only costs $12 wholesale. Some LED grow lights, like described on this blog post, can be purchased wholesale as low as 1 at a time for $18. Shipping from China doubles the price. Order a dozen and shipping becomes reasonable. Many US brands simply buy the Chinese components and manufacture them in the US. From what I can tell a $50 to $150 100 watt LED grow light using Samsung LM301B or H light diodes with the power cord and driver has a cost of less than $20. Packing and accessories may add $5. Another $5 bumps you to better electrical parts. Regardless of the name brand and huge price all LED Grow Lights are cheap to manufacture. Several times yesterday I seriously stopped and considered becoming a LED Grow Light retailer.

I just bought this Samsung LM301B HooYan brand new in the box for $35. There are deals out there if you can find them.

I believe one of these grow lights can cover 4 tubs in vegetation stage. Probably not optimal in bloom stage though.

This replaced the 4 bulb 4 ft fluorescent light and 4 – 34 watt grow bulbs. I’m not sure of the wattage for the 4 fluorescent bulbs. But I believe this light is half half the wattage used before.

I\

Sturdy aluminum housed driver.

Update February 10, 2023

I purchased 4 more 17 gallon tubs to maximize the amount of tubs that will fit the 10 X 10 grow tent. I want to try my hand at growing sweet potatoes and strawberries in the self-wicking grow tubs. This gives me 16 total tubs.

I went online to check into buying sweet potato shoots, however they don’t ship until the outdoor grow window begins in March and April. Rather than wait I decided to go ahead and try to grow my own shoots. They cost $24 for 6 shoots online. I hope to get at least 6 shoots off each sweet potato half pictured below.

Again, in hindsight this should have been set up 6 weeks ago.  It will take a month to get shoots from these potatoes.  I’ll probably plant the shoots right into two tubs designated for sweet potatoes. I understand the leaves are packed with nutrition, edible and delicious as salad; we’ll see.

These are organic sweet potatoes from Whole Foods. I’m assuming they haven’t been sprayed with the chemical that keeps them from sprouting. Under close examination one of the above sweet potatoes had a shoot starting already so I thought I would try them.

Instructions said to cut them in half and place cut side down in water in a warm place. Sweet potatoes came from tropical areas and like heat. I have a seed mat heater under the water tray they’re sitting in which will keep that water a little warmer.

Everyone should know how to make a few dozen sweet potato shoots for stealth or bag gardening. The leaves are edible, plus you get a harvest of potatoes later.

The temperature in the tent with just 2 100w LED Grow Lights and 2 – 24″ T5 fluorescent light fixtures is 75 degrees F. That’s already 12 degrees difference inside the tent verses outside. Humidity is 68% inside the tent and 48% outside. I’m concerned that 5 more 100w LED Grow Lights could add another 8 to 10 degrees. If this is the case I’ll need to redo ventilation and pull the hot air out into the basement.  The electric drivers on the LED lights reach 130 degrees. I’m considering an additional small oscillating fan running at the light level. This should help extend the life of the electric drivers and the LED light diodes.

I thought it was interesting that the heat from the 2 – 100w LED grow lights pulled down the humidity in the tent by 5 to 10%.

Electroculture gardening techniques – how to boost crop growth

I heard this clip on the SGT Report about Electroculture Gardening Techniques and was curious if it could apply to my grow tubs. I found the video on YouTube (below) and have decided to try it.  Every water dip stick I made for the grow tubs had a 12 inch piece of 3/16th wood dowel left over. I just need some copper wire to give it a try.

Skip to 34 Minutes to the start of the Electroculture segment in video below.

The first 34 minutes is about his path to health and a lot of new age stuff I don’t agree with. I’m not endorsing anyone or their beliefs. I’m just  interested in this Electroculture copper antenna phenomenon.

One comment he made in the video below, that went right over my head then later I found interesting was about the number of birds he said started hanging out around his house after he started using these copper coil antennas. I made several of the copper coils that were just laying on my desk. I witnessed something I’ve never seen before in years at my home. A song bird comes and lands on the railing outside  my open front door and just sang and sang and sang. Did it have anything to do with the copper coils? I don’t know, maybe.

From YouTube:  Join us for an enlightening journey as we explore the secrets of electroculture and the ancient knowledge of holistic farming techniques. In this episode we discover the hidden technology and DIY solutions that can help boost crop yields and increase your harvest to unimaginable growth, all while reducing your dependency on pesticides. Find out how this approach to urban farming can offer a solution to food shortages and provide fresh, healthy food using everyday technology found right in your home. Get ready to revolutionize the way you grow your food!

Electricity Cost for 7 – 100 watt Grow Lights

Someone asked: what will it cost to run 7 – 100 watt grow lights for 16 hours a day? Off the top of my head I said $20 maybe $30 a month. Then I decided to calculate the exact number.

I went to my electric company’s website and took last month’s total Kilowatt Hours (KWH) used divided into the total bill and came up with a rough rate of about .11 cents per Kilowatt Hour or KWH.

A KWH is 1,000 watts of used electricity. A 100 watt LED Grow Light that is on for 10 hours = 1,000 watts and used 1 KWH,  or about .11 cents worth of electricity. Or 100 watts X 10 hours = 1,000 watts or 1 KWH and costs .11 cents.

Here’s the math for 7 lights (without using Smart Usage off peak hour electricity):

100 watt LED Grow Light X  7  = 700 watts per hour X 16 hours = 11,200 watts or 11.2 KWH per day X .11 per KWH = $1.23 per day or $38.13 per month (31 days).  This is about what it costs to run a pool pump for 8+ hours a day.

For just one 100 watt Grow Light you’re looking at about .18 cents a day X 31 days = $5.58 a month.

This is the worst case.  Earlier I wrote that everyone can cut back on electric usage to accommodate some of this extra consumption. How many old fashioned, power-hog incandescent light bulbs are still in your home? You can run 6 – 60 watt equivalent (using just 10 watt each) LED light bulbs for every old 60 watt incandescent light bulb you get rid of. If you’ve never thought about it, you may be surprised how many old electric hog incandescent light bulbs you can do away with.

Another problem today is all the chandeliers, bathroom lights, ceiling fans and canned lights in most homes. When you flip a light switch you start burning 4 to 12 bulbs for however long they stay on, verses one light.

All power companies have numerous plans to to save you money if you use extra KWH during off-peak hours. Peak hours are 2PM to 7PM from June to September heat months.

I just reviewed one plan that advertised the off-peak rate at just .01 per KWH, however you pay $8.41 per KWH for all electricity used between the peak hours of 2PM and 7PM. Someone devious could probably get over on the power company under that plan. Maybe that’s what they want. Some items can’t be controlled like refrigerators and phantom electricity used by electronics even while off. The AC/Heat can be controlled to some extent. Electric hot water heaters can be set on a timer to go off from 2PM to 7PM. No cooking, washing, drying, or growing from 2 to 7PM.

Another option is to figure out how many solar panels and batteries you need to operate up to 700 watts of LED lights for 16 hours a day using a combination of sun wattage and battery stored wattage until the sun is back over you.

Update February 14, 2023

The grow tent now has 5 – 100w grow lights operating and the inside temperature of the tent is at 76 degrees. Humidity in the 50s.

I’ve added 4 additional 17 gallon grow tubs I’m setting up slowly. Two will be strawberries and 2 tubs will be sweet potatoes.

Organic lettuce going strong pictured below.

Heads of organic lettuce pictured below.

Zucchini looking healthy pictured below. Notice the copper coil Electroculture antenna. I used 24 inch 1/4 inch dowels and #12 copper wire.  Just buy a 25 ft roll of 12/2 w ground electrical wire. That gives you 25 ft of ground already bared. And a black and white plastic coated wire you can strip and use. Each 24 inch antenna will take at least 3 ft of copper wire.

The trick to spinning 12 gauge copper wire around a dowel is to use a pair of pliers to grab the last coil around the dowel with one hand and spin the wire around the dowel with the other hand. Then repeat.. pair of pliers to grab the last coil around the dowel with one hand and spin the wire around the dowel with the other hand. You have to be careful not to crush the 1/4 in dowel with the pliers. To start the wire at the top of the dowel make a curl in the end of the wire and clamp it to one end of the dowel tight without crushing to dowel. Once started, grab last curl with pliers and start wrapping the wire.

Pictured below is the Gardening with Leon 5 ingredient soil fertilizers for self-wicking grow tubs. With the Epson Salt ($13 Home Depot) I have $120 here in fertilizer. It should last 3 years. The 5 bags fit neatly in a 64 quart plastic tub to store under the table. I’ll pull out a baggy of each and keep the rest sealed in this tub. You want to seal this in a tub because the Tomato-Tone chicken poop smells through the bag.

This is: 18 lbs of Tomato-Tone (1/2 cup tub), 10 lbs Sea-90 Minerals (1/4 cup tub), 5 lbs Gypsum (1/8 cup tub), 5 lb Lime (1/8 cup tub), 5 lb Epsom Salt (1/8 cup tub). All organic.

The 5 Seveka $50 100w Grow Lights using the Samsung LM301B diodes came in and I ordered one off of eBay I found for $36. They get hot like a light bulb. I’m looking for a good oscillating fan to run at the light level to help keep them cooler.

All these LED grow lights come with these adjustable ratchet rope hangers that require either an S hook or I use plastic zip ties to hang from a ceiling tent pole. The adjustable rope hanger lets you adjust the height of your grow light above the plant(s). You’ll want a couple bags of zip ties in different lengths, they come in handy all over the tent.

Update February 15, 2023

I’ve changed the way I’m sprouting the sweet potato shoots. I noticed they were only sprouting roots on parts of the potato under water. This should increase the rooting area and accelerate sprouting.  I’ll probably change this again and put each one in a clear plastic cup mostly submerged.

The extra 4 tubs are ready to fill. I covered the drain pipe ends last night with the landscape weed mat material. I used zip ties (2 8″ ties connected) that was easy to position over the ends in a rib and tighten. I also decided to use 3 straight pieces of drain pipe rather than circling the tub in a longer piece. The reason is because curving the pipe around the bottom put a lot of stress on the thin plastic tub sidewalls. The straight cut doesn’t add any stress to the side of the tub.

Pictured above is 5 – 100w LED Samsung LM301B Diode Grow lights that are approximately 12″ x 12″ equals 500 watts. There are 2 more Seveka 100w lights under the table in boxes. Over the table is 2 T5 24 inch fluorescent fixtures, 8 bulbs 24 watt each equals another 200 watts. I’ll replace those 8 T5s with two 34 watt LED grow bulbs now that I know they’re pulling 200 watts. Nothing competes with the new LED diode efficiency. See the MP3 garden music speaker to the right of the army green watering tub.

Zip ties come in handy. Moving air over Seveka 100w LED Grow Lights.

Nearly two-thirds of gardeners play music to their plants, research claims

Nearly two thirds of gardeners play music to their plants, according to new research.

Studies have shown that music helps plants to grow, with the vibrations stimulating their growth.

In a survey by music licensing company PPL PRS, which studied 1,000 gardeners, 63 per cent said they played music to their plants.

Like people, plants enjoy listening to music, while different plants prefer different genres.

Classical music is most effective on the growth of roses, while chrysanthemums thrive after just 30 minutes of play.

PPL PRS’s gardening expert Michael Perry (AKA “Mr Plant Geek”) said: “Using sound to stimulate growth is an entirely natural phenomenon.

“To that end – and as strange as it might seem – research suggests that plants enjoy music. With houseplants, a good beat can mimic the natural vibrations they would experience outside.”

According to Perry, jazz and classical music are the best genres for plant growth stimulation, so he advises plant owners to try pivoting to those genres.

Read more: https://lseband.org/nearly-two-thirds-of-gardeners-play-music-to-their-plants-research-claims/

Here’s what my garden is listening to:

All of these MP3s came from YouTube videos by the same title. I simply recorded them to a USB drive and plug it into an MP3 player.

How Many Watts Can I Run on a 15 AMP Breaker?

Electricians will normally install a 15 AMP Breaker for a dozen lights and minimal receptacles in an unfinished basement. I’ve replaced the hodgepodge of old energy hog incandescent bulbs in the basement lighting to 8 – 10 watt LED bulbs, plus 2 garage LED lights at 60 watts each. When the basement lights are on I’m only pulling 200 watts to light the whole basement. I could cut that in half by getting rid of the 2 – 60 watt garage 3 wing LED lights and replace them with 10 watt daylight LED bulbs.

It appears as though I need to keep electric usage below approximately 1,500 watts of electricity on a 15 amp breaker. Right now I’m well within that range.

Many bedrooms will have a 20 AMP breaker.  At some point I may need to consider a separate 20 AMP breaker just for the grow room.

Current wattage used:

650 watts  Grow Tent 568 watts lights, fan and music
200 watts basement lights

850 total watts

My only issue is a 3HP treadmill that’s probably maxing the 15 amp breaker. I either need a separate breaker for the treadmill, or ideally the treadmill should only be used when the grow lights are off. I need to get my Kill-a-Watt gauge and find out exactly what that treadmill is pulling.

I discovered the treadmill is pulling 300 to 350 watts at 3 MPH walking. So at 850 + 350 watts = 1,200 watts total   – I’m close to maxing out the 15 amp breaker. I need to find an electrician and eventually run a separate 20 amp breaker just for the grow tent.

Understanding Grow Light Terminology: PAR PPFD PPF PBAR Spectrum Wattage

LED Grow Light PAR and PPFD maps and ratings can be confusing without a couple key basics to remember.

Here’s the basic rule of thumb regarding plant lighting needs:

Seedlings need PAR under 300  (24+ inches above plants)
Vegetation needs PAR from 300 to 600  (18 inches above plants)
Flowering needs PAR from 600 to 900  (12 inches above plants)

Either the light will need to be dimmed or spaced up or down over the plant at the right height to achieve the correct PAR PPFD rating. You use the PAR PPFD maps shown below to estimate distance of light from plant and PAR ratings.

None of this made complete sense to me until I heard someone explain PPFD ratings for the actual sun.  It was explained that in nature the sun reflects PPFD in the 400 range in the morning as the sun is approaching, increasing to 2,000 in the afternoon when the sun is overhead and then back down to 500 PPFD as the sun moves out of range.

Flu Update February 25, 2023

I haven’t lost interest in this project. I picked up a flu virus a week ago that’s slowing me down.  I’m taking everything in my flu protocol so it’s just a matter of time to work it out of my system. I would appreciate your prayers for a speedy recovery.

Update February 28, 2023 Pictures

The self watering tubs have done well while I was sick with the flu. I monitored them once and watered small plants. But it was a low maintenance week.

I filled the 4 new tubs today with potting mix. I just need to finish the water level stick floats and fill with water. I picked up strawberries, 2 different brands of potatoes plus sweet potato. This just leaves one tub for a tomato plant I guess I’ll buy from Home Depot.

2 tubs above will be strawberries.

Lettuce is doing very well and needs to be cut and used. That’s spinach in the right tub. I sprouted the spinach in the tub. I could have planted 4 times this much. In fact most of this lettuce doesn’t need air rights and could be grown on a shelf and stack several layers of lettuce, spinach, grasses, herbs and greens. I can imagine two 4 foot wide X 6 foot tall chrome wire shelves in this corner using T5 fluorescent bulbs.

I’ll add a beefsteak large tomato on the back left tub I just filled. The 2 new tubs in the foreground will be 4 different types of potatoes.

We plan to use those leaves for a stir fry wrap meal.

Green zucchini.

Green zucchini and yellow squash.

Beets and cucumbers. I should have planted twice this many beets. I need to thin the cucumbers. Live and learn.

Carrots doing well. I should have planted 3 times this many. The sweet onions in the back tub still haven’t sprouted.

The sweet potatoes are sprouting.

Walmart 10 ft X 10 ft X 80″ Grow Tent for $343

Walmart has a good price on a 10 x 10 grow tent. I like this design because the whole front wall can unzip open, plus you have the smaller doorways that can be easily unzipped (for most ingress and egress) without bending all the way to the floor to unzip it across the bottom. This one is very similar to mine.

You need a closed environment to keep bugs out, humidity in, light in, dirt contained, water spills contained, and give you a framework to hang lights, fans, power strips, etc.

GrowAce.com also has their 10 x 10 Grow Tent on sale for $387 ($43 Off).  https://growace.com/products/yield-lab-120-x-120-x-80-reflective-grow-tent

Self-Wicking Grow Tub With Water Level Float Stick

This is where I got the idea for my Water Level Float Stick concept. Mine is just a variation of this one.

Be The Bee – Hand-Pollinating Indoor Plants

First, put your John Belushi bee costume on (SNL circa 1975-76). Don’t forget the bee antenna, this is a very important step. You must wear the bee antenna to be successful. This is where all the pollen-mojo-magic happens.

Now you’re ready to be the bee:

Off Grid Garden Tower

Downspout Hydroponics

 

Update March 9, 2023 – First Harvest

The organic lettuce was the fastest growing plant. This was started from tiny seeds maybe 8 weeks ago. We’ve harvested probably 5 stalks this size.

This is the first documented meal using the organic lettuce.  The tomatoes and cucumbers will also eventually come from the garden as well. It was tastier than other lettuce. The occasional basil leaf was very strong with taste.

 

Update Photos March 16, 2023

Just a little done here and a little more done there adds up over several weeks.

Below: The sweet potatoes were put in water on February 10, so this is 5 weeks of growth.  I think a 6 pk f 12 inch sweet potato shoots was $24 online. I’ve already twisted 4 shoots off that were about 4 inches. 2 of the 3 potatoes sprouted. Once I twist a shoot off I put it in a plastic water bottle cut in half with water. I cover the bottom third of the shoot in water so they can start rooting. Once they’re 12 inches tall with roots they’re ready to plant. I have more than enough shoots started to fill a 17 gallon tub.

Below: Just about everything in this picture was started from seed in January. I went from 12 tubs to 16 tubs which slowed the project.  The two tubs with no plants below are strawberry seedlings I bought at Walmart. In the back corner is a large round Sweet Onion sprout packet about 16 sprouts I got from Home Depot.

Below:  I picked up these potato sprout kits at Walmart that already had shoots growing off the small potatoes. They were planted 3 inches down.

Below: This is the basil and lettuce gone wild.  We’re clipping and eating from the 4 salad tubs daily.

Below: Again all this was started from seed in January. You can see where we’ve cut several stalks of organic lettuce. The good thing is just clipping what you need today. A little lettuce, basil, spinach.

Below:  More organic lettuce we need to get busy and eat.  All the lettuce tubs are wicking water quicker than most other tubs.

Below:  Bottom left is spinach doing well. Needs to be eaten. The carrots are also sucking water fast. Notice the water stick sitting on empty. The back corner is a the round Georgia Sweet Onion sprout pack from Home Depot for $5.48.  That blue 3 gallon planter is a green pepper I got for $5.48 at Home Depot.

Below:  Top left is a Hybrid Red Tomato that thrives in containers and only grows 2 ft tall I got from Home Depot for $9.48. To the right is a Sweet Cherry Tomato I got from Home Depot $5.48.  I had to replace the cherry tomato plant I started from seed. It never thrived so I replaced it. We still have 6 or 7 cherry tomato plants to give away.  The right center is the small potatoes. The empty tub bottom right is for the sweet potato shoots once they get 12 inches long with roots.  I snap a sweet potato shoot off at 4 inches and put the stem in a water bottle to start rooting. Notice the red and white bug sticky traps. They’re there to catch gnats that come in with the dirt.  I put 4 sticky sheets in the tent and they were all gone in 3 days.

Below:  This is the green zucchini in the back. And the Yellow Squash in front. We’ve lost a dozen cigar sized squash and zucchini that didn’t get pollinated in time. I now know the female flower with fruit opens in the morning. I only have a short window of time to be the bee. We’re on top of it now.

Below:  In the back is the cucumber plants. We weeded a dozen extra cucumber plants out and re-potted to give away. In fact this project has spun off three dozen excess plants that went to other gardens. The beets are growing strong and wicking water now. All this too was from seeds.

 

Panda Film verses Grow Tent to Save Money

This kung fu Hermit guy in the video below was not my first choice. However he’s the only one who has done a how-to video for the panda film concept that I want to share. Listen at 1.5 to 2 X speed as he could have done this 15 minute video in half the time. Keep skipping ahead to get the idea without watching every minute. There are better videos but they’re all about growing cannabis. So you get kung fu Hermit.

Also never staple within 2 inches of the corner. There’s a metal corner bead on every corner with floated gypsum mud that the staples will break loose.

The idea is to create the best reflectivity and protect the walls.

This Panda Film can also double as blackout curtains over windows if there ever comes a time when you would want to conceal a lit home. This would be a handy item in any pantry storage.

 

Solitary Backyard Bee Help Wanted

Tell me about your pollinating skills. Where did you go to school? How much pollinating experience do you have?

After some additional research I’ve discovered the cucumbers also need to be hand pollinated.  It occurred to me I need to just trap a backyard bee and release it in my grow room.

In my best Klaus Swab (James Bond evil character German accent) I’ll inform the bee you will spend the rest of your life (2 weeks average) in this 15 second garden and you will own nothing and be happy.

 

Update Photos March 23, 2023

Below: I cleared the 4 salad and spinach tubs and I’m getting them ready to replant. This picture below is about 1 of 6 cuttings this size. Half of it was wasted because we couldn’t eat it fast enough. It’s composting. The lettuce and basil below has been washed and drying to be used in a green smoothie.

Below: I finally started planting the sweet potato shoots that have rooted. I put them in water on February 10, 2023.  About 6 weeks to get short rooted shoots. None of the 4 inch shoots I snapped off the potato grew taller once picked. However they all had healthy looking roots so I went ahead and planted them. Once a shoot sprouts from the potato they’ll grow an inch or more a day so it’ll be another week once you have a small shoot. I’ll need to keep an eye on these small plants until they get  taller. I have room for a couple more shoots that are rooting now.

Below:  The small potatoes are going gangbusters. They like the soil and the light obviously.

Below:  This is the Home Depot Hybrid red tomato plant that is good for containers and only grows 2 ft tall.  The leaves were curling down meaning the light was too close. I’ve raised the lights another 6 inches and it seems to be doing better.

Below:  This is the Home Depot Sweet Cherry Tomato, doing well.  I raised the light on it as well.

Wisdom Gained So Far

Hand Pollinating – be prepared for hand pollinating cucumbers, yellow squash and zucchini. Female blooms open in the morning and you have to visit every morning to pollinate with a brush. I easily lost a dozen squash and zucchini that didn’t get pollinated in time. The 4 squash/zucchini plants should have yielded 3 to 4 dozen vegetables. Or a dozen per plant if all were pollinated.

Don’t Play Twister with Hand Pollinating – Tubs with vegetables that need hand pollinating need to be easy to access all the way around the tub so you’re not playing Twister in the garden trying to pollinate flowers.

Easy Grow Tub Plants – I would have to say that carrots, beets, small potatoes, organic salad (multiple tubs) and spinach flourished in this potting mix and LED lighting. The carrots immediately figured out the wicking process and drank the tub dry faster than all other plants. Salad tubs were the second most water users.

More difficult to Grow – Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Yellow Squash and Zucchini create more work due to pollinating. Tomatoes are not so much a pollinating issue, although each bloom needs to be vibrated, but they aren’t thriving in this soil and lighting yet. Onions didn’t start from seed. I had to buy a pack of shoots.

Plan Ahead – I should have already determined what I would plant in the 4 empty salad tubs and had these seeds germinating in grow plugs.  I should have started the sweet potato shoots back in January and planted them last month in mid February.

Sweet Potato Shoots – take 6 to 8 weeks to grow shoots 10 to 12 inches on potato and root in water. Once picked form the potato they stop growing in height and grow roots. Let the shoots get 8 to 12 inches on the potato then pick and put in water to root.

Daily Maintenance – You can automate a lot of tub watering using the grow tub with reservoir concept, however my original idea of filling tubs and checking back once a week is not possible. I’m spending 30 minutes a day in the garden with an occasional day skipped. But you have to keep an eye on heat, humidity, starter seeds, shallow rooted plants in tubs, etc.

Update Photos April 7, 2023

I thought I should update the grow tent garden project.  I spend about 30 minutes a day maintaining the garden that includes: watering, checking seedlings and shallow rooted plants, checking water for shoots rooting, cleaning, pollinating, planting, adjusting lights, opening vents or door flaps to bring down humidity, etc. and often just taking a few minutes to enjoy the music and just take in this amazing seed, soil, water and light to food process God designed. So far I don’t feel like it’s a chore. I’ve learned a lot in 90 days and I’m confident I can fine tune this process to maximize food production.

Below:  The sweet potato shoots are finally planted and growing.  It took 2 months to get to this stage. I understand sweet potato leaves are delicious and nutritious. I might need a little more research before I eat sweet potato leaves though. But in a food emergency it might be good to know.

Below: The small potatoes love the potting soil and light and seem healthy.

Below:  The tomato plant has 6 tomatoes in different stages of growth. The tomato plants haven’t done well under the Seveka 100 watt LED lights. I’ve pulled the light up all the way and they seem to be doing better. I may go back to T5 fluorescent bulbs for tomato plants. Or swap out a light that can be dimmed.  (This is a good reason to have a couple LED lights that can be dimmed) I hand pollinate these with a vibrating tooth brush. Just lightly touch a new bloom and see the pollen release and drop from the bloom. That flower is pollinated. This is easy for tomatoes.

Below:  Cherry Tomato plant with 3 or 4 blooms and tomatoes.

Below:  This is the green bell pepper that’s doubled in size in 2 weeks. It’s soaking up excess light. I’m thinking about adding many more small pot plants to use overflow light.

Below:  Once I started hand pollinating I have 6 yellow and green squash at different stages of growth.  In these 4 plants I would estimate conservatively each tub will generate 12 squash, or 24 from 2 tubs. It could be twice that based on lost squash that didn’t get pollinated.

Below: Strawberry plants in 2 tubs, 6 plants. They’re already making strawberries. I have no idea how these 3 plants in each tub will overwhelm the tub. I believe they’ll be flowing over the edge to the floor. That’s the 2nd strawberry in 2 days even at this small size. Notice the copper wire wrapped around the wooden dowel. We’re conducting an experiment with these two tubs of 3 strawberry plants and the copper wire stick. Both tubs have 3 similar strawberry plants, the same potting mix and fertilizer and light. One has the copper wire stick and one doesn’t. So far the copper wire stick tub has produced 2 ripe strawberries and 4 or 5 new strawberries.

Below:  I made a mistake when transplanting the beets. I left the cloth wrapper on the starter peat pellets that restricted the beet growth. Each beet was the size of a marble or smaller due to the restriction. Once I discovered the mistake I removed the peat pellets and replanted all the beets. After a week of shock they all came back to what you see below. Always remove cloth wrappers from seed starter pellets before planting.

Peat Pellets wrapped in cloth. Always remove the cloth when transplanting. Some plants can bust out of the restricted cloth. But others will not and be restricted in size and growth.

Below:  I’m baffled by the cucumber plant not producing cucumbers. I studiously hand pollinate 4 dozen flowers every day and still no cucumbers. Something is wrong and I haven’t figured it out yet.

Below:  The sweet onions seem to be doing well. This is the $5 packet I got from Home Depot that have tripled in height. I have no idea what’s going on below the soil.

Below:  The carrots seem to be the biggest success. But they drink a lot of water.

Below:  I use an old vibrating toothbrush to hand pollinate the tomato plants daily. New blooms will release the pollen and you’ll see it fall from the bloom. Just lightly touch each bloom. I just tap the bloom, it doesn’t take much.

Below:  The open 4th wall view. Just a few minutes every day becomes an elaborate project in no time.

Below:  Different angle on the 3 Green Zucchini that got pollinated correctly.

Below:  Take a tip from race car pit stop refueling. Pick up a funnel like this one below to make filling the grow tub reservoir much easier and faster. It cuts watering time to just seconds.  I think I got this at Walmart. Remember the 1 inch PVC pipe is 1 inch inside diameter so make sure the funnel is close to 1 inch or less. But not too much smaller that say 3/4 inches if you want to guzzle the water down.  This one is just a tad smaller than 1 inch and when shoved in it stands by itself. The funnel makes watering much easier. Especially when the plant grows over the water pipe. The funnel helps push  limbs and leaves out of the way. It’s very tedious to pour a couple gallons in a 1 inch pipe without a funnel.

Below:  You’ll also need a $10 temperature and humidity gauge. See the High and Low Ranges. This will require monitoring and opening the tent to release humidity and sometimes heat. Eventually I will regulate temperature and humidity with automatic switches that turn exhaust fans on and off.

Below:  This is another way to harvest sweet potato shoots. Just designate a few small seed potatoes and put on a window sill or under light until they sprout. Once sprouted and a few inches tall slice the potato leaving a chunk of potato on each sprout. Plant the sprout with sweet potato plug and water until rooted. It’s taken a month to see the sprouts below.

Below:  You need a cosmetic or paint brush similar to this for hand pollinating.

Below:  The cucumber plant tendrils are amazing to watch over time. They will reach out to other cucumber vines and support each other as they grow taller. They shoot straight out until they find  an anchor point. Then wrap 4 times and then it creates these shock absorbing curls to give when needed. Absolutely amazing. It causes me to wonder about the moment in time when God designed this feature into the cucumber plant.

Below:  The right half of the grow tent 4th wall unzipped showing the basement it’s in. The basement is actually bright but the intensity of the light in the tent makes it look dark. It’s constantly 65 degrees in the basement and 75+ in the grow tent. I leave the wall open regularly with basement windows open to allow fresh C02 in the room. And to help control heat and humidity. When considering where to put your grow tent position it near a window if you have a daylight wall with windows in your basement. If you choose a windowless room you’ll need to pipe outside air in. Plants need fresh C02 and in pollen season I would assume you can pipe in pollinated air that might help in the pollinating process.

Zucchini plant root bound in a seed starter peat pellet

This is one of the two green zucchini plants I pulled today and found this. It’s been root bound by the peat pellet wrap. Just like the beets. This means the yellow squash was also root bound. Reading the directions is a good idea even if you think you already know everything. Those cloth wraps are enough to drastically reduce root growth.

 

Picking Seeds for Indoor Grow Tent LED Container Gardening

More wisdom:  I don’t believe it’s a good idea to go to Walmart or Home Depot and start buying organic heirloom seeds off the rack. These seed packs are marketed mainly to people using them in outdoor gardens.

I also believe that most “prepper” seed packs and deals are mainly intended for outdoor gardening. Indoor container gardening under LED lights will require specific genetics and characteristics.

I now understand grow room container gardening under LED lights will take a different approach.

As I’m reaching the end of this first grow cycle and considering what to plant next I think it’s very important to spend more time looking into seeds that are known for their ability to grow indoors in container and under LED lights.

Plan:  Research heirloom open pollinated seeds that produce plants that are compact, do well in containers and artificial LED lights.  Test plant and grow to determine grow-room LED light viability.

Best Vegetables To Grow Indoors Under Lights

——————————

Ezekiel Diet Note:  Notice that potatoes, squash, zucchini and cucumbers are not on the list below. Melons and strawberries are fruit.  I’m still planning to try growing container LED potatoes, strawberries and cucumbers, maybe using dwarf plants that do well in containers.

——————————–

By: Imran Saleem

I assume you wanted to grow veggies indoors because it is too cold to grow outdoors or you are doing some kind of experiments or you don’t have any kind of space outside to grow your organic veggies.

So many gardeners start indoor gardening to get a head start for next spring or summer crops. Sowing seeds and growing seedlings indoors under lights is the most common activity in gardeners. But growing full crop under light is not a simple and easy task.

So many crops are not suitable to grow indoor like different varieties of tomatoes (grow up to 6 feet) will need a bigger indoor system to better growth.

In this post I will share some simple growing vegetables, you can grow under lights. But first, you need to do your research on how to grow vegetables indoors under lights.

23 easy to grow vegetables indoors under lights.

1: Spinach.

Spinach is very easy to grow indoors under lights. Spinach is one of the fastest-growing leafy green vegetables. Because you are growing indoors, you will need a pot, a light source (led grow light). Sow the seeds in a pot or you can use plastic bottles. Do not use the topsoil from your home or garden. For pots potting mix is necessary.

2: Lettuce.

Lettuce is another easy growing leafy green. Like spinach, lettuce can also grow in pots or plastic bottles. Sow the seeds of Lettuce in potting mix. Or you can start growing lettuce from the bottom part of store-bought lettuce.

Put the bottom part in water, when you see small roots, plant that in your pot.

Read More: How to regrow store-bought lettuce.

3: Tomatoes.

As I mentioned above growing tomatoes indoors under lights is not an easy task. But there are so many varieties of tomatoes you can grow indoors, they are called dwarf tomatoes. Here are some varieties you can grow:

Mohamed

Yellow Dwarf

Andrin

Orange Hat

Vilma

Yellow Canary

These all varieties are dwarf. They only grow 7-10 inches in height. You can grow them in grow bags or pots using potting mix.

Read More:
How To Grow Beefsteak Tomatoes In Pots
Everything You Need To Know About Growing Tomatoes In Grow Bags

4: Carrots.

Growing carrots in a pot are very easy. You will need a pot about one foot deep and one foot wide. You can also use grow bags instead of pots. Use potting mix soil in a pot or grow bag. Remember no matter how much your soil is good, you will need a good source of light (led grow lights) to grow all these veggies.

5: Mushrooms.

Growing mushrooms indoors is extremely easy and fast. Small mushrooms only take 2-3 days to grow. Even a plate size mushroom only take 10-15 days to grow. You can grow mushrooms in pots, grow bags or your laundry Container.

6: Scallions.

They are healthy as garlic. Growing them is very easy. You can also regrow store-bought scallions. Cut the end part of scallions about 2-3 inches. Put that in a glass of water. Change the water on a daily basis. In a few days (8-10) roots become double in length and new roots will appear.  It’s time to plant them in a pot or grow bag.

7: Green Beans.

Green beans grow very tall, so you need a good source of light. They also grow very fast. Sow the seeds in a pot, use some wood skewers to support the plants, as they grow very tall.

8: Kale.

Kale and spinach are like cousins. They almost serve the same purposes in dishes. Both are very easy to grow. They don’t require your attention on a daily basis.
Grow kale directly from seeds, in pots or grow bags (or bigger plastic bottles). Don’t let the soil dry and you are good to go.

9: Bell Pepper.

These bombs of vitamin C are extremely easy to grow indoors. Use pots, grow bags or plastic bottles to grow them. When fruits of bell pepper are ready, harvest immediately. Because the more you harvest, the plant will produce more fruit.

10: Arugula.

Arugula is very fast and easy to grow inside. They prefer a cool temperature which makes them best to grow indoors.  Sprinkle the seeds of arugula in a pot filled with potting mix. Water them and place the pot or your container under your source of light.
Each plant of arugula gives you multiple harvests at maturity. Harvest the bigger leaves and leave smaller ones for later harvest.

Read More: An Ultimate Guide to the Best LED Grow Lights for Indoor Plants

11: Ginger.

Ginger is very easy to grow. If you have some store-bought ginger at your home you can grow your own ginger. Put the ginger bulbs in water for a few hours, so any kind of growth inhibitor dissolve in water and leave the bulb. Now plant that bulb in a grow bag, water them and watch them grow.

12: Onion.

Onion is a must vegetable in our dishes. And it is very easy to grow onion indoors. You can grow onions from seeds, but it is best to grow them from seedlings or from a scrap of store-bought. 
Use a bigger bot to grow onion, because they have a bulb to expand under the soil. When the green stalk of onion is about 6 inches in height, harvest your onion.

13: Beets.

Beet is very beneficial for the patients of blood pressure. Choose a bigger container or grow bag for beets. Grow them directly from seeds. But first, soak the seeds overnight in water. Now sow the seeds in potting mix, water them and place the grow bag under a led light source and watch them grow.

14: Radish.

It is one of the fastest-growing crops. Radish can be harvested in just 3-4 weeks. That makes it a perfect crop for an indoor project. It is a moisture-loving crop. So do not let the soil dry. Also, do not overwater them, because nobody likes waterlogged soil.  Radish is a big source of vitamin C, folate and potassium.

15: Swiss Chard.

Swiss chard is not that different from kale. Growing kale is also very easy. Swiss chard is one of the toughest crops. The plants of chard required 6 hours of full sunlight. It means a good and slightly bigger source of light will be needed for this crop.

16: Mustard Green.

Mustard green is not common as other leafy greens. But they are very beneficial and easy to grow as others. You can grow them in pots or any container available.
Here are some herbs you can grow indoor under the light.

17: Basil.

Basil is one of the most common and easy growing herbs out there. Basil can be grown in every pot, literally in every pot available. If you don’t have any pot for basil, you can them in plastic bottles of Coca-Cola. Use a good kind of potting soil in your container.
You can grow this herb directly from seeds, or use cuttings from store-bought basil to grow them in pots.

18: Rosemary.

Rosemary is also very easy to grow indoors. For making your indoor garden more classy and beautiful, use mason jars for your all herbs. Make a mason jar indoor herb garden. You can use seeds or store-bought cuttings to grow rosemary.

18: Oregano.

Moderate to a strong light is good for better growth of oregano. Oregano is one of the most popular species of the mint family. Oregano can also be grown from cuttings of store-bought. When you feel the surface of the soil is dry, water the plant.

19: Bay Laurel.

This is one of the strongly flavored herbs. The oldest leaf has a strong flavor. This herb can be attacked from different diseases easily, so pick a place with good air circulation.

20: Mint.

From a herb garden to mint garden. There are so many different varieties of herbs you can grow in your mint herb garden, peppermint, spearmint, apple, orange and banana etc.
Growing mint is very easy. Growing from store-bought mint is the easiest method. Pick some good green cuttings, plant them in potting soil, water them and they will start to grow in a few days.

21: Parsley.

This is one of the most using herbs. You cannot go wrong with growing parsley indoors. Pick a container or plastic bottle to grow parsley. Using potting soil as a growing medium. Grow them directly from seeds. Sow the seeds in Potting mix, water them and use a strong source of light.

22: Thyme.

It is a very popular member of your herb garden.
Growing thyme under light is very easy. You can grow thyme from store-bought cuttings. Water the plant when the soil feels dry. Thyme is sun-loving, so a good light source is necessary.

23: Microgreens.

A microgreen is a very beautiful addition to your indoor garden. If you are a beginner, start with microgreens.
Microgreens are way more beneficial than fully grown vegetables. They have a lot more vitamins and are full of nutrients. In 10-15 days, you can have an indoor garden, full of microgreens.
There are a lot of varieties of microgreens you can grow under lights. Here are a few of them:

Radish microgreens

Cabbage microgreens

Watercress microgreens

Mustard microgreens

Arugula microgreens

Sunflower microgreens

Broccoli microgreens

Flax microgreens

Pea shoots microgreens

You can have your own separate microgreens garden in no time.

Read More:

How To Grow Microgreens In Your Kitchen Garden

How To Grow Purple Potatoes In Containers

Which Plants Can Be Grown In Plastic Bottles?

Source:  https://slickgarden.com/grow-under-lights/

 

Harvested Root Bound Carrots from Peat Pellets

Below:  The carrots have done well (I thought) and it was time to harvest. However, I discovered over half the carrots were root bound from the peat pellet wrappers left on when planted. They were drinking a gallon of water a day but very easy to grow indoors under LED lights. The greens are edible as a garnish on salads or other food. Good to know in a food emergency.

Below:  See the peat pellet wrapper still clinging to this cluster of carrots. I also learned that regardless of how small and fragile I need to separate clusters of carrots to singles so they’re not cramped while growing.

Below:   See one peat pellet wrapper below left that completely restrained the carrot from growing.  I won’t be using starter pellets again. We still have a harvest of carrots, just not uniform in size and shape.

This was the last of plants I originally started in the peat pellets with growth restraint fabric.

 

Indoor Garden Vegetables Hydroponic Survival Garden Seeds – Non-GMO Heirloom Vegetable Varieties for an Apartment Victory Garden – Container-Friendly – Plant Indoors or Outdoors – Survival Garden

I looked all week for an heirloom seed packet designed specifically for indoor container gardening. I just ordered this package below.

 

Update April 25, 2023 Photos

The “Apartment Collection” of seeds that were chosen for their ability to grow indoors in containers finally arrived. The first Amazon delivery was short 10 packs of seeds. I had to return the first set and request a new delivery that came yesterday.  No tomatoes in this package. I had to get them elsewhere.

Growing Micro Dwarf Tomatoes Indoors And Under Lights

Click the link above to read the article. These tomato seeds below are dwarf plants that only grow 8 to 12 inches tall. The description says they will grow loaded with dwarf tomatoes.  I plan to grow them in 1 gallon fabric grow bags on the table top using the T5 fluorescent lights.

In the comment section the author recommends:

If you like yellow tomatoes, try Jocholos, Pinocchio, Monetka.

If you like Reds? Mohamed, Bonsai, Red Robin, Window Box Red.

There are many other great tasting varieties in both reds and yellows, but these would be the first that I would recommend. Thanks.

Below:  I’ve had an infestation of gnats that I mistook for fruit flies. In the past I’ve successfully used little plastic sauce containers with apple cider vinegar and dish soap. Poke a few small gnat size holes in the top of the plastic lid and it would normally trap dozens. But these gnats aren’t attracted to vinegar or rotting fruit smells. They come from the potting soil and are attracted to the dirt.

I’ve been using these sticky traps but it didn’t completely get rid of them. I bought a couple of these ZEVO brand flying insect traps that seem to be working well. I can actually watch them become attracted to the ultraviolet light, fly into it and get stuck. I paid $20 for 2 at Walmart.

Below:  This trap below is covered in gnats from just one day and has almost cleared the room. The picture doesn’t do justice to the amount of gnats stuck to it. The ultraviolet light must attract the gnat.

Below: These sticky sheets catch a lot of gnats but hasn’t cleared the room like the one above. This collection of gnats is from at least a couple weeks. The ultraviolet trap caught this many overnight. However I believe I can just add a small ultraviolet bulb over this sticky sheet and have a much cheaper and larger trap.

Below:  I have 4 empty tubs waiting on the new indoor seed genetics that were just delivered.

Below:  I’ve cleared the table top to start planting the dwarf tomatoes and micro-greens under T5 fluorescent grow lights.

Below:  I have 8 dill plants coming up. I use darker colored seed starting soil right in the potting soil. This way I know where each seedling is for easy target watering.

Below: A couple Cilantro plants just started on the right. Oregano taking longer to sprout in the 2 dark areas on the left. Notice the darker plugs of seed starting soil.

Below:  The Basil plants do well in tubs and LED lights. We’re taking cuttings from them almost daily. There are 3 Parsley plants just popping up around the edges of the right tub. They’ve been so useful for cooking I added the Parsley, Oregano, Cilantro and Dill believing they’ll be used regularly as well.

Below:  I now have 2 tubs of sweet potatoes growing. These were the shoots that seem to have taken root and doing well. The leaves turned from purple to green. The second tub not pictured has the actual sweet potato halves I used for taking shoots. They were covered in roots and I thought they would be good to plant.

Below:  The cherry tomato plant (corner) shot up to about 3 ft and has 8 tomatoes. I pulled the other dwarf tomato plant that wasn’t thriving in the grow room. We transplanted it outside and I’m waiting on better indoor genetic tomatoes listed above.

To the right of the cherry tomato plant is the small potatoes that have just shot up in foliage.

Below:  I will plant the new carrot seeds directly into this grow tub. I added the Leon fertilizer mix of 1/2 cup Tomato Tone, 1/4 cup Sea Minerals, 1/8 cup Lime, 1/8 cup Epsom Salt, 1/8 cup Gypsum to each of the 4 tubs. Then I used a battery powered drill with 2 ft. a garden auger bit to mix the soil in each tub. Being careful not to drill into the 4 inch pipe in the bottom.

Below:  This is the new genetics indoor seeds. I’ll try lettuce in this tub.

Below:  This is the new genetics indoor seeds. I’ll try a new dwarf cucumber in this tub.

Below:  This is the new genetics indoor seeds. I’ll try arugula in this tub.

 

Update Photos April 26, 2023

Below:  I planted 6 tubs last night from the “Apartment Collection”. I planted 2 tubs of Lettuce, 1 tub Cucumbers, 1 tub Carrots, 1 tub Arugula, 1 tub of Thyme.

I removed the 2 tubs of Strawberries as they were not doing well under LED lights. I have no mercy for a plant that’s not producing. It reminds me of the vineyard parable in Luke 13:7  where Jesus taught – Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?, and Matthew 3:10 – The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. This is a reference to unproductive Christians. You could make an good argument that that’s exactly what’s happening today; God using the heathen demons as His axe. Why “cumbereth” the earth with these unproductive Christians?

Below: 3 of the tubs needed fertilizer. I added it to the top of the tub and used the drill and garden auger to turn the soil under and pull soil from down below to the top. Basically plowing the soil. It’s much easier than doing this by hand. I got this auger when I purchased Zoysia grass plugs to drill holes in the ground for the grass plugs. You can get one at Home Depot or Lowe’s.

Below:  This is one of the 2 Lettuce tubs. The instructions said to plant 6 to 8 inches apart. This would be the footprint of 6 to 8 inches.

In case you missed it earlier, the darker soil areas are a seed starter soil mix that’s designed to stay wet and includes nutrients needed for germination. Rather than germinate in small containers and transplant and shock, I’m just planting the seed directly in the grow tub.  The seed starter soil makes it easy to identify where the seeds are and only water these spots. I use a spray bottle to wet these areas as pouring water will disrupt the soil and displace the tiny seeds. I could cut back drastically on the amount I’m using because it will eventually change the potting mix dynamics and keep it too wet. However, a lot of this seed starter soil may come out with the plant and roots when pulled later.

Below:  This is the Arugula tub. The instructions said to plant 2 to 3 inches apart. This would be the footprint of 2 to 3 inch spacing.

Below:  This is the Carrot tub. The instructions said to plant 2 to 3 inches apart. This would be the footprint of 2 to 3 inch spacing.

Below:  This is the Cucumber tub. The instructions said to plant 10 to 12 inches apart. This would be the footprint of 10 to 12 inch spacing.

Killing Fungus Gnats Permanently with Organic Neem Cake Tea

Wisdom: I would suggest this solution the first day you see a gnat as each one can lay 200 eggs.  It’s probably a good idea to go ahead and treat a new grow tub full of potting soil on day 1 when you build it. Then periodically if a gnat is ever seen. I’ll probably make the Neem tea in 5 gallon buckets to treat 16 tubs. It will probably take 4 – 5 gallon buckets if I put approximately a gallon on each tub to cover the top completely and drench a couple inches of potting mix. I ordered it from Amazon today and expect delivery tomorrow.

 

Update Photos May 1, 2023

Below:  This is the Apartment Collection Arugula sprouting already in just 6 days. I may need to thin some pods of multiple plants. These seeds are so small it’s very difficult to put just one seed in a hole.

Below:  This is 1 of 2 tubs of the Apartment Collection Organic Salad sprouted to this size in 6 days.

Below:  This is the Apartment Collection Cucumber’s growth in 6 days.

Below:  This is the Apartment Collection Thyme you can just barely see sprouting out of the soil in all 5 pods.

Below:  This is the Apartment Collection Carrots that must take longer to germinate. Keeping them moist and waiting.

Below:  This is the Home Depot $4.98 Cherry Tomato plant that shot up to 3 foot with 12 to 16 tomatoes in different stages of ripeness now. It has the first 2 red ripe tomatoes to try.

Below:  This is the second tub I started for sweet potatoes.  This is the actual sweet potato halves I used to make shoots. Rather than throw them to the compost pile I planted them because they were covered in roots. They’re growing twice as fast as the shoots I pulled and rooted. They need support for those vines.

Below:  These are the Beets from the original January planting. The beets were stunted from the peat pellet cloth wrapping I should have removed before transplanting. After realizing what happened a month ago I pulled them, removed the cloth wrapper and replanted. It’s time to spoon some dirt out and see what’s happening under the potting mix.

Below:  This is the Home Depot $4.98 pack of Onion shoots that seem to be thriving. I keep seeing the onion stalks in salads and soups and stir fries. They’re useful too.

Below:  4 Sprouting Jar Lids $11.99. This will be my first test of sprouting seeds.  I picked up these sprouting lids at Amazon that fit my wide mouth quart Mason Jars.  Each package comes with 4 lime green screened lids. I got 2 packs or 8 lids. I also bought a couple sprouting seed mixes to get started. Salad Mix Sprouts and  Holly’s Mix with Mung, Adzuki, Green Pea, Red Lentil, French Lentil, Green Lentil seeds. I’ll try 4 jars and then graduate to 8 if we can eat that many sprouts.

Below:  This is 1 of 2 Zevo flying insect traps that uses ultraviolet light to attract and a sticky insert to trap a gnat. This catch below is a week of attracting and trapping fungus gnats. This device almost clears the room by itself. But it doesn’t get to the source of the problem which is the dry tops of the potting mix. There are always a few smart gnats, I figure they must be the Patriot Gnats trying to warn the other gnats the Ultraviolet Light Sticky Trap and the Man must be working together in a Eugenics effort to exterminate them all.  : )

Below:  This is just a standard insect sticky trap you can get at Walmart. Below is about 2 months of trapping gnats so it’s not near as efficient at the Zevo.  I believe if you set up an ultraviolet nightlight over this it would work just like the more expensive Zevo.

Below:  I ordered the Organic Neem Cake pellets from Amazon in a 5 lb bag to make a tea to soak the potting mix to get rid of my fungus gnat infestation.  The video a week ago said to use 2 to 3 Tablespoons per gallon of water. That would be up to 15 Tablespoons for a 5 gallon bucket. There are 16 Tablespoons in a Cup. So I added about a cup of Neem Cake to each of the 4 buckets. I want a strong first mix.  It’s messy. I used the jet setting on the water nozzle to help mix it up good while adding the water.  I let the first 3 buckets sit for 3 hours and went ahead and wet every grow tub. I could tell it really displaced the gnats. By the way, buckets are getting expensive. The Home Depot orange 5 gallon bucket is $4.48 and the lids are $2.48. But a regular white 5 gallon bucket is $7.98 plus the lid. Hang onto buckets, they can come in handy.

Below:  I poured the Neem Cake tea on mature plants where I could drench the top completely and let it settle in. On tubs with new seeds germinating and new growth I used the HDX Hand Pump Sprayer ($8.97 Home Depot) pump sprayer below. I recommend one of these verses endless pump spray bottles that break and leak. Pump this thing 20 times and you can make it rain on 2 tubs before the next pump.

Below:  It took 3 – 5 gallon buckets of Neem Cake tea to wet all the Potting Mix grow tub tops. I have another 5 gallons I’ll use tomorrow (that should be stronger) in the HDX hand sprayer on the new growth tubs that couldn’t be drenched.

Below:  This is one of the seed packages I bought at Walmart for sweet potatoes. This was 2 kits I believe. This is a couple months of growth. Sweet potatoes are a plan way ahead vegetable. I could probably carve that longest shoot out with a chunk of the potato and plant it. But I’m not in a hurry as I have 2 tubs in the ground already.

 

Gardener’s Log May 16, 2023

My fungus gnat problem has gotten worse. It seems to progress in waves of very under control to very out of control.  I’ve treated the grow tubs twice drenching the soil with Neem Cake tea (which creates other problems I’ll describe later), as well as a natural oil spray (hard on new vegetation) and the infestation is still going strong like nothing happened. I understand the Neem Cake tea disrupts the gnat eggs and larvae process but can take 6 weeks. I have set out more sticky traps and have cleaned up, swept up, vacuumed up what seems like millions of gnats. This is a big issue if you’re slightly excessive compulsive about a clean grow room. My best advice regarding fungus gnats is treat the soil monthly as a preventative for anything that lay eggs. In fact, if you see one gnat you’re 14 days away from 200 more gnats, and another 14 days from 40,000 gnats, and another 14 days from 8 million gnats.

I just took delivery of Mosquito Bits described in this video below to disrupt the gnat larvae stage. I’ve drenched the soil in every tub with Mosquito Bits.

This perky gardener in the video below takes a long time to get to the point. Skip forward to 5 minutes to save some time.

My Fungus Gnat Plan:

Here’s my immediate plan as soon as Amazon delivers the drill pump attachment. I’m draining the water out of every tub down to bone dry and stop watering all plants until the soil is bone dry.  I’ll plug all the grow tub water pipes to keep the gnats out of the reservoir. I’ll turn all the fans off and increase the temperature to dry soil faster.

All future watering will be with Mosquito Bits BT tea sparingly to keep the soil as dry as possible.

Drill Pump To Remove Excess Water From Grow Tubs

An issue I’ve experienced while treating some of my grow tubs is over filling because I’m watering from above new, small plants and it’s accumulating and over-filling the grow tub.  Once there’s too much water and no air the siphoning process stops and the soil is just wet 6 to 8 inches down.  Also, treating the soil with Neem Cake tea and now Mosquito Bit tea has several tubs with too much water as well.  The original grow tub design had a drain hole drilled at 4 inches from the bottom to drain off excess water. I believed I could control the water levels and didn’t need or want overflow drains in the house.

So I’m buying a drill water pump attachment (below) so I can slide a water hose into the water reservoir and drain the excess water into a bucket. I also plan to use this process occasionally to flush the soil of excess nutrients, Neem tea or Mosquito Bits residue.

Now that I can drain every tub I can flush all tubs with the Mosquito Bits tea. Mosquito Bits is basically BT, safe for humans, but not for gnats.

 

Update Harvest Photos May 16, 2023

Below:  Beet harvest planted in February/March. This batch was made into beet juice with leaves and stems.  The excess went to the compost pile.

Below:  These are the tomatoes from the Home Depot dwarf tomato plant that supposedly did well in a container. The plant didn’t thrive in the grow tent so we moved it outside where it didn’t thrive either. But it did ripen up the tomatoes that started in the grow tent back in March.

Below:  The seed potatoes I bought from Walmart that I planted back in March were just dug up.   I think there were 6 small seed potatoes that generated 21 potatoes of differing size. I would certainly want to figure out how to double or triple this capacity.

Below:  The new carrots just popped up.

 

Wisdom Gained

Fungus on wet soil. The minute I see a white fungus on soil I should cover it with cinnamon and sprinkle cinnamon wherever I believe a fungus problem may occur from wet soil.

Fungus Gnats. The minute I see a Fungus Gnat start treatment to kill larvae immediately.

Draining Grow Tubs. Have the capacity to pump excess water (cheap drill pump) from tubs as needed. And regular flushing of soil.