indoor setups

[Ruffsta]

anyone care to post up a picture or 2 of their indoor setups? maybe I can get a better idea.. as mine is not that great (I only started gardening last year and running test plants at the moment).

[img]https://img141.imageshack.us/img141/9066/photo0084q.jpg[/img]

[DoubleDogFarm]

Ruffsta,

I like how you joined and jumped right in.

Look in the Seed Starting forum.

Soil
The Mad Hatter
Double Dog Farm
Rainbowgardener
and others setups are in there.

Eric

[Ruffsta]

Ruffsta,

I like how you joined and jumped right in.

Eric

[Halfway]

Tons of pics on the blog too.

Here's the setup for the hydro. The area for the springtime starts is much the same setup.

Nice setup by the way...welcome aboard!

[url=https://img713.imageshack.us/I/11nov105.jpg/][img]https://img713.imageshack.us/img713/1305/11nov105.th.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://img688.imageshack.us/I/1000713m.jpg/][img]https://img688.imageshack.us/img688/5103/1000713m.th.jpg[/img][/url]

[rainbowgardener]

n this thread are pictures of my seed starting operation:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12209

It turned out to be a 9 page thread, so there's more pictures farther in of how it developed.

[Ruffsta]

nice setups.. wish I could redo mine to be better looking.. guess I'll have to wait for tax return

I rent.. and I have an unfinished basement.. but it's too cold down there, buggy, etc... so it's not the best place to work within.. and the ceiling isn't that high either.. always have to be ducked down

we are thinking about moving to columbus georgia anyways.. been in rhode island way way too long lol.


but again, nice setups! [img]https://www.thecartelproject.com/images/emotions/clap.gif[/img]

[Halfway]

we are thinking about moving to columbus georgia anyways.. been in rhode island way way too long lol.


but again, nice setups! [img]https://www.thecartelproject.com/images/emotions/clap.gif[/img]

Rhode Island to Columbus. Wow. That will be some culture shock!

Columbus, home of Fort Benning. THE Home of the Infantry. Follow Me!

[Canadian Farmer Guy]

I'm building mine this weekend.
I'll try get some pictures up once it's finished.

CFG

[Ruffsta]

lol, yeah.. I lived in somerset,ma til I was 13 and moved to Rhode Island - I'm 37 now and never got outta here... smallest state on the freaking map!

I have visited Maine, New Hampshire and New York - but I was a kid just. oh, and I visited Portugal where my family is from - (when I was 3), but I don't remember it at all... got pics tho lol

but yeah, it will be a change... I need a change, a new start would be nice I think. just not sure if I can get used to how they talk down there lol

[ThePepperSeed]

here's a shot of my grow area from last year...is pretty much the same setup this year except I added some dwc buckets to this mix.

[img]https://www.jeremymayes.com/uploaded_images/IMG_2843_s.jpg[/img]

[GardenRN]

wow, pepperseed! I looked at the pics on your site of the chocolate seedlings and the are so bushy! My youngens are never that full. Is that the variety of pepper? Or are you doing something that much different than I am? What are those little pellets the seeds are growing out of? And what is a DWC bucket?


Every time I think I am with it I find something I know nothing about...geeez!

Very pretty plants! And nice setups everyone! Hopefully I can upload some pics of mine soon. Just have to take the time to set up a photobucket thing I guess.

[Hydroponics]

I am getting ready to build a new system to prepare for the spring. Here are some I've done in the past:

[img]https://hydroponiceconomics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/2010-07-09-13.54.20.jpg[/img]
[img]https://hydroponiceconomics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Finished-Aeroponic-Cloning-System1.jpg[/img]
[img]https://hydroponiceconomics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Grow-Room.jpg[/img]
[img]https://hydroponiceconomics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Homemade-Hydroponic-System-with-Organic-Salad.jpg[/img]
[img]https://hydroponiceconomics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/2010-07-02-04.02.36.jpg[/img]
[img]https://hydroponiceconomics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSCN0196-e1276367904573.jpg[/img]

These are all homemade indoor growing systems. All of the gardens were mostly automated and most were hydroponic. When I grow anything with soil, I always use a drip system with water and nutrient reservoir. Hand watering is not very efficient indoor gardening.

[Halfway]

Nice pics hydro. Growing with this method has been highly productive for me as well.

This year, we take the operation "outside" putting mater against mater and pepper against pepper in soil vs. hydro.

[ThePepperSeed]

wow, pepperseed! I looked at the pics on your site of the chocolate seedlings and the are so bushy! My youngens are never that full. Is that the variety of pepper? Or are you doing something that much different than I am? What are those little pellets the seeds are growing out of? And what is a DWC bucket?

Thank you

I think they are so bushy because of the growing conditions. I grow in my basement in the winter and it's cool...usually low to mid 60's. On top of the coop temps I keep the lights about 2 inches off the top of the plants so they don't have to stretch. I think the cool temps combined with the close light source slows down the grow and make them bushier. Here's some of last years peppers under the same lights about a month before I moved them outside:

[img]https://www.jeremymayes.com/uploaded_images/IMG_2965.jpg[/img]

The pellets are [url=https://www.horticulturesource.com/hydroton-hydroton-clay-pebbles-50-liter-30-pallet-less-than-full-pallet-p1315/?osCsid=43fd64fde41d79b08e194f9f81fbedcf]hydrotron[/url] and DWC is deep water culture. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yy5kJwdMv8]Here's a video on making a basic dwc setup[/url]. My setup is the same concept, I just used 5 gallon buckets instead of the container they used in that setup. Cheap and easy way to get into hydro growing, this is actually my first year trying it.

[Hydroponics]

Nice pics hydro. Growing with this method has been highly productive for me as well.

This year, we take the operation "outside" putting mater against mater and pepper against pepper in soil vs. hydro.

Thanks very much. I'm still deciding what I want to do for this next system. I think I am going DWC with net pots and hydroton. I'll probably root the clones in rockwool.

Pepperseed, please keep us updated on your pepper grow. I would love to see some specifics. My pepper seedlings were wiped out last spring right before transplant. I'll have to try again this year. I like your setup!

[Ruffsta]

nice setups everyone! very cool!

[Halfway]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOZbzFUwdMA

Here is my latest video on the indoor production. My channel "misterhalfwaythere1" has the other videos showing the startup, design and progress of the system. Can't beat it!

It's been a great run!!

[gixxerific]

[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/Gardening/DSC03356.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/Gardening/DSC03416.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/Gardening/DSC03409.jpg[/img]

[rainbowgardener]

Wow!! Awesome, gixx. Are these current pictures? Do you really have all those tomato plants that big already?

[gixxerific]

Wow!! Awesome, gixx. Are these current pictures? Do you really have all those tomato plants that big already?

You make funny haha.

That is from last year, it is bare at the moment.

Sorry but I am going to have to chuckle one more time.

[garden5]

Gix, I know what your secret was...you threatened to bottle your tomato plants into that V8 bottle so they would grow better .

I hope you have as much success this year.

[GardenRN]

ok I'm finally getting around to it. Here's the little bit I have going so far. And this usually doubles onto a second shelving unit by the time everything moves into 5" pots and more lights get added to every shelf.

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/Photo01271034.jpg[/img]

[annastasia76]

you all have some nice setups. I wish we had the room inside. I start all my seeds outside.

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, I grew up in Southern Calif. Houses there don't have basements! My seed starting set up is in my basement. On the other hand people there do have garages. I don't have a garage, since my house was built before most people had cars and isn't fancy enough to have a carriage house. Can you put a seed starting set up in the garage?

But on the other other hand, you don't really need to start seeds indoors since you don't really have winter. You could plant things outdoors right now. My ground will still be frozen for another month to six weeks. Those of us in winter country have to start things indoors if we want to be able to harvest things like tomatoes and peppers in our shorter growing season.

[GardenRN]

This is true rainbow! Although, I will say, as many times as I wish I could grow a full garden all year round, the cycle of the winter, snow and bare garden soil gives it all a sense of renewal replenishment.

But it sure does require more planning to make sure you get not only enough for this year, but enough to get you through as much of the winder as possible!

[JZydowicz]

Here's my setup:

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/Mulletmadness2/Picture11.jpg[/img]

I've got 3 two-bulb fluorescent fixtures, 40 watts per bulb. The middle fixture has more red-spectrum bulbs while the outer ones have cool-white bulbs.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/Mulletmadness2/Picture16.jpg[/img]

I currently have two trays (36 pots total) of peppers germinating. I live literally a block from the Madison farmer's market, and my plan is to sell these peppers as transplants on my front lawn
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/Mulletmadness2/Picture20.jpg[/img]
So far, I've got many of the standard varieties growing: Bell, Poblano, Jalapeno, Cayenne, and Serrano.

They seem to be coming up nicely, and I may have to start thinning soon.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/Mulletmadness2/Picture19.jpg[/img]
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/Mulletmadness2/Picture18.jpg[/img]


I've got a lot of crazy, experimental stuff I'm trying with this setup. I'm using reflective insulation (which someone mentioned earlier I think) basically covering every surface near the plants, as well as a retractable windshield reflector thing I got for cheap at a rummage sale, so I can have access to the plants.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/Mulletmadness2/Picture22.jpg[/img]


To keep the peppers nice and toasty, I have a heated aquarium on the shelf below the plants.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/Mulletmadness2/Picture26.jpg[/img]

Inside, I have a submersible pump.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/Mulletmadness2/Picture27.jpg[/img]

It runs the warm water up through a tube and circulates it under the plants.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/Mulletmadness2/Picture23.jpg[/img]

It, along with the minimal heat given off by the lights, seems to keep the air by the plants about 5+ degrees F warmer than the rest of the room, and the insulated material helps to reflect some of the heat back in.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/Mulletmadness2/Picture17.jpg[/img]

My guess is the soil is a few degrees warmer than the air too. The aquarium seems to help with the dryness of the air in my room as well, as water evaporates from it like crazy!

Anyway, it's really nice having a mini-summer in my room, especially with the weather like it was Tuesday night:
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/Mulletmadness2/Picture30.jpg[/img]


I'll post some updates later!

It's fun to see all the cool setups people come up with. It's way more fun to me to experiment and see what works rather than just buy a growing kit from a store or something.

[Phila-PM]

Wow everyone has some really nice setups here. I need to start working on an indoor setup since its so cold here.

[Halfway]

Great experiments JZydowicz!!

Love the heated water method.

Can you describe your plant media?

[garden5]

You all are puttin' me to shame .

I'm just going the minimalist rout this year with my 2 72 cell flats and single T8 shoplight. I read where you should replace the bulbs each year, but considering that I've only used it for 3 mo. or so out of the year, I'm not too sure if this is really necessary. Any of you replace bulbs from year to year?

[ThePepperSeed]

Any of you replace bulbs from year to year?

I only replace when they burn our or are noticeably dimming.

[JZydowicz]

Great experiments JZydowicz!!

Love the heated water method.

Can you describe your plant media?

Right now, it's coarse peat moss and a decent amount (maybe 1/3) perlite. That's it, I may add more later, but this seems to do the trick. I always go heavy on the perlite so it dries out quicker. I get less damping off and fewer fungal gnats that way.

[GardenRN]

Any of you replace bulbs from year to year?

I only replace when they burn our or are noticeably dimming.

I agree....that rule probably only refers to people who run the lights all the time. They probably have a recommended number of hours of running time.

[DoubleDogFarm]

It's good to hear that someone else uses the Peat and Perlite only mix.


Eric

[garden5]

I think both of you guys are right. I kind of figured that if I didn't see any noticeable dimming that the bulbs would be fine.

Also, I think the skinnier 32 watt bulbs might maintain their brightness longer, too. However, I'm sure brand plays a large role and considering that mine were the cheapest option, I'm not going to expect 10 years out of the them.