A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO URBAN GARDENING

R M Wright

PUBLISHED BY:

WFK Publishing

Copyright © 2012

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

Contents

WILL ANYTHING GROW HERE?

ELECTRICAL CONCERNS

GET GROWING

EBB AND FLOW

NFT

LOGGING AND LABELLING

GERMINATION OF SEEDS

ORGANIC ENHANCERS AND BASE NUTRIENTS

INTRODUCING LIGHT

HEALTHY MOTHER PLANTS

CUTTINGS BASICS

GROWING FROM SEED.

10 TOP TIPS TO LOOK OUT FOR

PLEASE HELP GENUINE AUTHORS

WILL ANYTHING GROW HERE?

I must have asked this question to hundreds of empty rooms throughout the course of my life. In fact, it tends to be the very first thing that comes to mind every time I enter a new property or vacant space. There’s something of a subconscious evaluation process that kicks off in my brain which scans each and every corner, open area and tiny little cranny to see whether any or all would be suitable for growing vegetables. Can I grow anything here? Does anything stand a chance of growing there? Can I force something to grow in there? True, you’d call me obsession and I’d be happy to admit that you’d not be entirely in the wrong, but as far as addictions go, it’s far from the worst in the world…right?

Truth is, indoor growing took hold of me in a big way, growing from a spark of interest to a long-term hobby to pretty much my entire life today. In fact, it has now come to a point that when we’re looking for a new home, visiting friends or even taking a trip round any kind of building I’ve never been in before, the first thing on my mind is where and how I might be able to get some of the good stuff growing.

Of course, I grew out of the ‘excited little boy’ stage a long time ago and my passion is now blessed with what I like to think of as well-seasoned wisdom and experience…without making myself sound too much of an antique of course. I now know how important it is not just to look, but to ask all the right questions before going ahead with any project in any space. Rushing into a new job is something of an instinct I had to water down for thousands of practical reasons, not least of those being the interests of the other occupants of the house who have not always been thrilled to find their ornaments and fixtures replaced with propagators.

But back to the point at hand, when looking for an area in which to go about some growing and asking yourself whether or not anything can or will grow here, there are countless considerations to keep in mind before going full steam ahead and expecting the results to be in any way pleasing…for you and everyone else.

Insulation

The more natural or artificial insulation you are able to provide for your indoor garden, the bigger your chances of a successful crop – it is as simple as that. The problem is, thousands of urban gardeners make the mistake of looking for a growing space they feel to be adequately warm, without taking into account the consistency of the ambient temperature. In truth, insulation is just as much about keeping an area cool as it is boosting warmth, as on overheated growing space is just as redundant as one that remains freezing cold most of the year. High temperatures can make certain lettuce varieties and herbs for example speed into early flowering, just as cold temperatures will inhibit growth and overall strength of most plants. The benefit of considering the insulation present in any given area doesn’t only benefit the plants themselves, as just so long as an adequate level is provided all year round you’ll probably find that you have to spend far less time and money on manually keeping the ambient temperature at a suitable level.

This is where questions need to be asked if approaching a new project or a new living space for the first time. What kind of materials have been used in its construction? What level of insulation is already provided? Are there are significant spikes or drops in temperature throughout the year? How about flow of oxygen? Will the area offer decent exposure to natural light? How about the humidity of the room?

If in doubt but still looking to make the best of the space available, some of the most effective insulating materials you’ll find include Blown in Cellulose Insulation, Fiberglass Insulation and Expanded Polystyrene.

Thousands of indoor gardening newbies each and every year speak out about their shock upon discovering the amazing results they achieve when creating a growing space in their basement. Why is this? Simple – the naturally insulating properties of the earth surrounding the walls is second to none and keeps the temperature consistent year round like nothing artificial can come close to. True, humidity can be a problem if not tackled with a decent appliance, but tick all the right boxes and urban gardening below ground can be hugely successful.

Height of Growing Space

Something all-too often left out of consideration is that of how high the ceiling is above the growing space or the room in which the plants are to be housed. After all, if the plants themselves are not expected to be soaring metres into the air, why would ceiling height matter? I’ll tell you – the higher the ceiling, the higher the air volume and therefore the simpler the control of CO2 levels. You’ll also have the option of being able to raise growing containers to a higher level in order to set up superbly effective drainage systems if your choose to, plus you’ll have a ton more options when it comes to choosing higher-growing vegetables like beans or peas.

Hydration

Plants demand a lot from their owners and can be very picky when it comes to nutrients and conditions, but what all have in common is their need for the very lifeblood that keeps them upright – water. One of the most important tips I can offer before you even think about donating a drop is to find out about the water itself – i.e. is it hard or soft and so on and so forth. As a rule of thumb, soft water is far easier to grow vegetables with, which is not to say that hard water cannot be used but many of those in the know use treatments to remove carbonates as much as possible. Most professional indoor gardeners opt for an indoor reservoir to store their nutrient mixes, which usually manifests as an outdoor rain collection barrel or something of a similar size and design. Trying to tackle the hydration needs of an indoor garden with hosepipes is possible, but in my experience is a pain in the backside easily numbed by using a reservoir instead. One tip though – always keep the reservoir out of the way in an areas not susceptible to temperature changes.

Drainage

Delivering water to your urban garden is one thing, but never forget you’ve also got to make allowances for getting the stuff out too! One of the biggest and most ongoing questions of all asked by indoor gardeners is that of whether there is a guaranteed easy and effective way of disposing of old nutrient solution. The answer? Of course, just invest in a cheap submersible pump and let it do the hard work for you!

Ventilation

If you aren’t planning on installing a state of the art oxygen and CO2 delivery system at part of a 100% sealed and closed environment – which is of course unlikely – you must make sure that adequate thought is given to the ventilation of the growing space. Essential considerations the likes of humidity and CO2 are always underestimated in their importance, though suffice to say can make or break the garden, everything in it and your delicate-little heart to boot! It is not only a case of knowing that air needs to be pumped into the room, but also that the spent air needs somewhere to go. Ventilation demands something of a circulation, whereby fresh air is brought in and the older air is encouraged or at least allowed to escape at the same time.

Experts agree that one of the best ways to ensure that you keep full and simple control over your indoor garden is to go for an extraction fan (if using one) that is slightly larger or more powerful than the input fan. What’s more, if using filter on either fan it is important to realise that the material can reduce the effect of the fan by anything from 10% to over 30%, depending on the make, model, age, power and so on.

If looking to kill two birds with one stone – always a sensible approach – ensure that all extractors in hot rooms are positioned as high as possible in order to expel the hot air which will naturally rise. With regard to input, never fail to carefully consider the source of the air to be pumped in as its temperature, humidity and quality must be suitable. The best advice is usually to pump the air in from another room of the home, ideally a cool room and at all times using suitable filters for bugs and debris.

Size

Quite a biggie if ever there was one, I’ve learned over the years that the little voice inside begging you to cram as much as you possibly can into the smallest possible space really is no friend. If you want your indoor garden to be a success, you not only need to afford the plants as much room as they need to grow without being crowded, but also yourself enough roof to actually get to the individual plants, planters and drainage systems as and when needed. Trying to squeeze in too much will either lead to outright disaster, or the kind of annoying hard work you really weren’t looking for when setting the thing up in the first place.

Pests

A no-brainer of course, any rugs and carpets surrounding the growing area MUST be removed before beginning – not just quickly dusted down. The number of bugs and bacteria a square foot of carpet can harbour is simply mind-blowing and presents a thousand and one dangers for you plants and those ultimately planning to enjoy them. If you really cannot bear to remove the carpets, take hold of some decent plastic sheets and use this to cover the area as required. Of course, either approach will also help you keep the surrounding areas as clean and tidy as possible.

ELECTRICAL CONCERNS

What would you expect to be the single biggest danger to the indoor gardener? Tasteless veg? Maybe a bug infestation? A rather messy workspace? All mild annoyances at best when compared to the biggest nightmare of all – the electrical fire. Now, this isn’t by any means something that should have you abandoning the idea before ever getting started, as although electrical fires are indeed a very real concern, they can be pretty much ruled out the equation by actually being aware of what causes them. In the overwhelming majority of cases, such fires are triggered by sockets being massively overloaded or connections/cables not being checked – or of course inappropriate fittings being used near water. It really is tragic that such incidents ever have to occur given how simple it is to sleep soundly at night by exercising just a little care and caution.

The first consideration to bear in mind before setting up any electrical system is that of just how much power the indoor garden project is going to require. If looking to set up any operation with growing lamps, heaters, humidifiers, air conditioners, fans and so on and so forth, it doesn’t take a genius to realise that the wattage is going to add up to something pretty sizable.

Despair not however as you most likely won’t be forced to call in the cowboys at this stage to help out, as pretty much any person with a can-do attitude, a few basic tools plus an essential dose of common sense can take care of all the essentials without a hiccup. That being said, attention to detail and a good plan of attack cannot be overlooked, as the electrical supply to your garden is one area where you literally cannot leave ANYTHING to chance.

Of course, it never hurts to speak to a fully licensed electrical engineer about your plans just to see if they have any advice or indeed warnings to offer, just as the option is always there to call them in for help if you ever feel unsure about the project.

Home Electricity Supply

First things first, before you actually begin going about piping power to your indoor garden, here is a brief introduction to the way in which your home takes in the stuff in the first place. Across the USA and Canada, three cables are piped into the home, usually from a cable above the home though in some instances the supply comes in from below ground. The three lines consist of two 120 volt of different phase, with the third serving as a neutral line. The residential electricity supply is known as “single phase” and delivers both 240 volt and 120 volt circuits.

Once the cables have entered the home they are directed to its primary electricity box/panel and the circuit breakers used to control the flow throughout the home. These circuit breakers offer the primary surge protection for all appliances and general circuits to be found across the home. There will also be one primary fuse able to cut power to the whole building at the same time – this must ALWAYS be turned off before attempting any electric work, installation or modification. If the panel in place appears to be rather on the dated, worn or damaged side, it is highly advisable to consider arranging an upgrade, repair or full replacement for the safety of the home in general.

The main panel is also where the ground/earth wire can be found, which is used as a means by which the existing current can escape the circuit as and when any fault should occur. This usually connects to a copper bar which will go down into the ground below a good ten feet or so.

It is in the main panel that you will be able to set up both 240 volt and 120 volt circuits for the indoor garden you’re looking to establish, which will in turn demand the appropriate wiring and circuit breakers. Before doing so, you will need to carefully and accurately establish exactly how much power the project will need by compiling a list of each and every device to be installed, along with its power consumption in watts, volts and amps. A word of advice at this juncture – 240 volt devices are considerably more efficient that 120 volt products, therefore if looking for efficiency it is bets to always opt for the former and avoid the latter.

Power Glossary

Volt – A unit of potential electrical energy

Amp – Refers to the flow of the current

Watt – The measurement of energy consumption

in relation to time.

Important Formulas

Watts = Volts X Amps

Amps = Watts / Volts

Volts = Watts / Amps

EQUIPMENT INVENTORY

Now comes the time to document each and every piece of equipment you intend to use in your indoor garden, which in my experience is made massively easier by using spreadsheet software that can essentially do all of the hard work on your behalf. Plus, when using an automated spreadsheet, you can toy around with the configurations you have in mind to see which pan out the best and which are the most efficient. For this example, we will be looking at a flowering indoor garden with various fluorescent lights, pumps, fans, AC and so on and so forth. All devices you look to purchase will offer at least two of the above three measurements, therefore in all cases you will be able to work out the third.

As most of the products you will be buying are likely to be running round the clock, you should de-rate amp totals in order to come up with the ideally suited breaker size – this can be done by diving amp usage by 0.8 if the device is to be used in excess of three hours in a row.

 Appliance |  # Used |  Volts |  Amps |  Watts |  Total Amps |  De-rated Amps
 1,000W Light |  10 |  240 |  4.75 |  1140 |  47.5 |  59.375
 400W Light |  6 |  240 |  1.9 |  456 |  11.4 |  14.25
 5-Ton AC |  1 |  240 |  32 |  7680 |  32 |  40
 Fluorescent |  10 |  120 |  0.35 |  42 |  3.5 |  4.375
 Exhaust Fan |  2 |  120 |  3 |  360 |  6 |  7.5
 Oscillating Fans |  8 |  120 |  0.5 |  60 |  4 |  5
 Pumps |  5 |  120 |  0.2 |  24 |  1 |  1.25
 Duct Fans |  6 |  120 |  1.25 |  150 |  7.5 |  9.375
 Misc. |  2 |  120 |  1 |  120 |  2 |  2.5

ASSESS POWER NEEDS

Once you have assessed the amp usage of each of the devices to be installed, the time comes to figure out the circuits. Remember –all major device groups must be provided with their own circuits, which in the case of the above would demand the following:

* Circuit number one will be installed to provide

   60 amps and 240 volts for the lighting control

   system powering the ten 1,000 watt HPS lamps.

* Circuit number two will deliver 20 amps and 240

   volts to the lighting controller powering six

   400W MH lamps.

* Circuit three will provide 20 watts and 240 volts

   to the AC system. The final two circuits will both

   deliver 120 volts and 15 amps for other controllers

   and accessories.

 Appliance |  Circuit Voltage | Circuit Amperage/  Breaker Rating
 Lighting Controller 1 |  240 |  60
 Lighting Controller 2 |  240 |  20
 5-Ton AC |  240 |  40
 120V Accessories |  120 |  15
 120V Accessories |  120 |  15

EXAMINE THE PANEL

Of course, is it imperative that you ensure the panel in your property is able to handle the needs of the appliances before going ahead, which in this case would demand a 150 amp panel to be fitted with two single-pole breakers and three two-pole breakers. In essence, a good examination of the panel is the first essential step before putting any plans into action.

DETERMINE WIRING

Once you have established the breakers required and the circuit sizes, you will have to work out exactly what wire gauge/size is needed. It is imperative to select the most appropriate wiring for each of the circuits in order to prevent overheating and eliminate the risks of electrical fires. When looking into numbers, remember that a smaller gauge adds up to a larger diameter of the wire.

There are two factors to bear in the mind when determining the gauge of wire required - those being the level of the current that needs to be carried and exactly how far said current is to travel.

 Wire Gauge and Capacity |
 AWG |  Circular Mils |  Current Capacity (Amps) Under 75′ |  Current Capacity (Amps) 75’-150’
 1 |  83694 |  209 |  120
 2 |  66358 |  166 |  95
 4 |  41738 |  104 |  60
 6 |  26244 |  66 |  37
 8 |  16512 |  41 |  24
 10 |  10384 |  26 |  15
 12 |  6529 |  16 |  9
 14 |  4109 |  10 |  6
 16 |  2581 |  6 |  4

For the circuits in our example project, the wiring length will be below 75 feet and therefore will be calculated using 400 circular mils per amp.

* First Circuit – 240 volts, 60 amps and 65 feet

   of wire – 400 circular mils per amp X 60 amps

   = 24,000 circular mils. By looking at the above

   chart, you can see that the 6-gauge wire is

  the most suitable.

* Second Circuit – 240 volts, 20 amps and 65 feet

   of wire – The same calculation results in 8,000

   circular mils which in turn demands the

   10-gauge wire.

* Third Circuit – 240 volts, 40 amps and 5 feet of

   wire – 16,000 circular mils and an 8 gauge wire –

   perhaps 6 gauge for additional safety.

* Fourth and Fifth Circuits – 120 volts, 15 amps

   and 65 feet of wire – 6,0000 circular mils

   demanding a 10 gauge wire.

PIPING THE CIRCUITS TO YOUR INDOOR GARDEN

At this point, you’ll have decided the number of circuits you need to install, the capacity of each of the individual circuits and also the gauge of wire for the appliances to be installed. So, the next logical step in the process is actually piping said wires from the circuit box to the garden itself – or the area in which you plan to house the appliances. This step does not require an excessive amount of skill or expertise, though thorough advance planning is essential. When carrying out such a project, you MUST use Electrical Metallic Conduit.

EMT is basically the fancy term for the tubes that pipe electrical circuits around building, while offering excellent protection from all harmful external elements. You’ll be pleased to hear that it is also mercifully simple to handle and manipulate, just as long as you have the basic tools for the job. Never be tempted to substitute EMT for any other options or bargains you might come across, as none offer close to the same durability or long-term safety.

The first step in the process here is to determine exactly where you are looking for each of the circuits to terminate – i.e. where the power source will ultimately connect to the equipment. Once you have decided on this, you need to plan out the route from the termination point back to the panel. When doing this, it is always advisable to make the route as short and as simple as the garden and the property will allow, so as to minimise both the length of wire needed and also keep your workload down. Also, try to keep bends down to a minimum as every curve will make it more of a task to actually get the wiring through the pipes in the first place. There are plenty of specially designed clips and connectors available to mount and split the pipes as necessary along the way.

.

Once you’ve managed to mount the conduit along the path chosen from the box to the termination points, you’ll need to thread-pull the wiring through the pipes – this is where the less curves, the better!

Common Wiring Identification Standards:

* BLACK - 120 volt phase 1

* RED - 120 volt phase 2

* WHITE – Neutral

* GREEN – Ground

You’ll probably be pleased to hear at this stage that there is in fact a steel ribbon you can buy that is designed for the purpose pulling the wires through the pipes once in place. Of course, you need to make sure you buy enough of the stuff to actually fit all the way through the conduit with a length left over to work with!

This ‘fish tape’ should be threaded all the way through from where the circuits terminate back to the panel, making sure before you even set foot near the main box that the power is well and truly OFF! Once the wiring has been attached to the fish tape with insulating tape or similar, it is then a two person job to get the stuff to where it needs to be – pushing from one end and pulling from the other. Repeat this for each of the circuits you are looking to install and ensure enough cable is left at either end be wired appropriately.

If at this point you’re starting to feel as though the investment of time and effort is getting a little out of hand, don’t despair…you’ve pretty much covered all of the most difficult points already! 

CIRCUIT BREAKER INSTALLATION

Once the circuits are all in place and ready to be fired up, you can move onto setting up the circuit breakers. Don’t already have the breakers to hand? No problem, you can pick them up from pretty much any electrical store for pennies and in this instance will need:

* A 60 Amp Double Pole Breaker

* A 20 Amp Double Pole Breaker

* A 40 Amp Double Pole Breaker

* A 15 Amp  Single Pole Breaker

* A 15 Amp  Single Pole Breaker

The installation of the circuit-breakers will differ considerably depending on the age and setup of the panel itself, though in most cases will carry some similarities. There will be detailed instructions available in the service manual that came with the box itself, or failing this you will be able to find detailed diagrams and step by step instructions online. In all instances, it is recommended to secure the white neutral wire to the bus bar first, followed by the green ground wire and lastly the black and red.

Be sure to tackle each of the circuits one at a time following the same process beginning to end, rather than trying to install two or more at the same time. I also cannot stress enough the importance of attaching all neutral wires to the neutral bus bar and ground wires to the ground bar.

As soon as you are confident that all of the circuit breakers are securely and safely in place, double check that the wires are not pinched by any fittings or have been left over-exposed. It is also a good idea to triple-check your connections for accuracy.

If happy, you can replace the cover and close the box, but REMEMBER TO MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE IT SWITCHED OFF!!!!!

CIRCUIT TERMINATION

The final stage of the process is to actually terminate the circuits, which is something you have a couple of choices of how to go about. On the one hand, you can terminate the circuit by way of creating a new socket close to where the desired device is to be located, or on the other hand you can pipe the power directly into the device – as would be the case with most lighting controllers. As stated before, to actually go into the ins and outs of explaining how to terminate each and every circuit would be impossible in this guide, though suffice to say can prove to be the simplest part of the wiring process so far. It is simple a case of marrying up the piped cables with their corresponding counterparts in the new socket or the controller itself, depending on which route you decide to take. I would however advise that you pay closest attention of all to safety and accuracy here, as the next thing you will be doing will be to turn the power back on and you do NOT want to be taking risks at this point in time.

All of these steps may seem a little extreme to some who were just hoping to plonk a plant under a bedside lamp, but if you’re looking to set up a long-term indoor garden capable of delivering huge rewards, I cannot recommend setting up a strong and stable infrastructure higher. There is simply no way a bunch of extension cords and wires taped to the walls up and down the stairs will ever be able to deliver the goods, though will certainly put you and your family at risk from electrical fires. If the indoor garden is to become your new passion and a labour of love, you should be considering its power-source a top priority.

What’s more, if even the slightest of the above points baffles you, there’s nothing to stop you calling in the pros and letting them take care of it. After all, what might take you a day or two could likely be knocked up by the experts in a couple of hours – the price might be considerably steeper, but then again who can put a price on peace of mind? If in any doubt whatsoever always call in a professional.

GET GROWING

Ok, now that you’ve taken care of all the theoretical aspects of where you’re looking to build your garden and how you’ll be powering it, now it’s time to think about the provisions and supplies you’ll have to invest in to get it up and running. This basically – if basically is the appropriate word – comes down to working out how to deliver the ideal levels of light, air and temperature control in the grow space you’ve selected. This is one of those areas that are neither as difficult nor as easy as most expect, but instead requires a careful approach and attitude in order to hit the nail on the head.

The following serves as a basic introduction as to how you might go about setting up an indoor growing space without having to spend a small fortune, which will include both a 6 light and 2 light grow.

Of course, you’ll be able to work out for yourself that a larger room will need far more lighting and ventilation than a tiny room, but the key lies in knowing how to decipher exactly how much is needed for any given grow space. Thankfully – though perhaps not the most thrilling part of the process – there is a relatively exact science to determining this and demands the following considerations:

Room Size

Everything you need to guarantee the success or otherwise of your indoor garden is affected by how big or small the room itself is. As such, an immediate no-brainer is of course to measure the room as accurately as possible, taking down the height, width and length.

Example:
24 feet x 12 feet x 8.2 feet

Now, while it might be a little tempting to run straight down to your local supplier and begin fitting the room out with an whole world of lighting devices and other appliances, those looking to get started for the first time might be wise to think a little smaller – depending on the room size of course. In order to keep things as manageable and sensible as possible with the newbie in mind, we’ll split the example room into two and work with the smaller of the resulting divides.

Length by Width by Height
12 feet x 8 feet x 8.2 feet

Why is it a good idea to chop the room in two rather than flooding the whole thing with light and air? Simple – control and consistency, as the smaller the space you are working with (within reason!) the easier it is to keep conditions both ideal and constant.

There are thousands of material choices at your disposal to create this divide – wood, plasterboard, large curtains etc. – though suffice to say the higher the insulation, the better!

Of course, you might not feel as though your own skills are particularly suited to this side of indoor gardening, therefore there are always various types of indoor growing tents on the market designed for exactly these purposes – they really are Godsends! In fact, heating and lighting these purpose-built tents can be perhaps the easiest approach of all.

Lighting

Once you have noted down the exact room size in which you are to build your garden, you can work out exactly how much lighting you need with ease. High intensity discharge (HID) lighting is perhaps the most commonly used source for this type of gardening, not only for their consistency but also that they are usually on the mercifully cheap side of things! Both Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium lamps can be used in these types of installation, with the most common sizes being 400W, 600W and 1,000W. To keep it nice and simple, each is ideal for a particular amount of space:

1000W = 4-5ft (1.2-1.55m)
600W = 4-3.3ft (1.2-1m)
400W = 3.3-2.5ft (1-0.75m)

IMPORTANT – Something that never fails to go unaddressed by so many keen newcomers is the way in which the higher the wattage of light used, the bigger the distance required from the tops of the plants underneath. As such, if the room or growing space being used has fairly low ceilings, it is essential to only ever use low wattage lights to avoid damaging the plants as they grow.

A guide to acceptable distances follows:

1000W = 39-31 inches (100cm-80cm)
600W = 31-24 inches (80-60cm)
400W = 24-16 inches (60-40cm)

In our example, floor space measures in at 12 feet by 8 feet, therefore in order to make things as convenient as possible in terms of room for maneuver and maintenance, the best configuration would be for 2 lights of 1,000W each. It would of course be possible to squeeze in six of these bulbs and cram in as much as possible, but chances are you’d have an ongoing nightmare when it comes to even the simplest pruning or other daily tasks.

Ventilation

As stated earlier in the introductory chapters, ventilation is a two-part process which demands consideration for not just the input of fresh air, but also the expulsion of waste air. Waste air is removed from the growing space by way of extractor fans, while fresh air can make its way into the room naturally through air-vents or be actively forced into the room with separate fans.

Once the dimensions of the room are known and the lighting requirements have been determined, it is now time to address ventilation. Depending on where you might be living when setting up the garden, the inline fans on offer will be rated in cubic meters per hour or cubic feet per minute.

Extraction

A good place to start is with the extraction of the waste air, which calls for the ideal sized extractor fan. Now, as is the case with most other reasonably simple considerations there are thousands of different equations and formulae designed only to confuse and frustrate. In my opinion, the following is not only the simplest, but also the most accurate and easily workable by far:

Volume of active growing area (ft) x 1.25 = extractor fan size in CFM
(Volume of active growing area (m) x 60) x 1.25 = extractor fan size in m3/hr

When working out the volume of the growing space, this includes the room taken up by both the plants and the lighting fixtures and can be worked out by using the standard length multiplied by width multiplied by height formula. In the case of our example growing space, this equates to 262.4 cubic feet.

Now that the room’s volume has been established, you must multiply the figure by the number of times the air needs to be changed in a certain period of time. Generally speaking this is calculated as one change of air per minute.

Finally, it is important to remember that if you are to use a carbon filter or any similar system of filtration, this will significantly reduce the power of the fans by up to 25% and will therefore affect your calculations. This is not a fixed rule and the impact on the effect will differ, but if you take the 25% figure as a base point you will usually find it to be a good average. If needing to include a filter, increase fan size requirements by 1.25.

Required Fan size (CFM) = (Volume of Active Growing Area) x 1.25
(4 x 8 x 8.2) x 1.25 = 328 CFM

Required Fan size (m3/hr) = (Volume of Active Growing Area x 60) x 1.25
(1.2 x 2.4 x 2.5) x 60 = 432.
432 x 1.25 = 540 m3/hr

The resulting figure represents the smallest extractor fan size suitable for the growing space. If the garden is to be located in a basement or another room with superb and consistent insulation this will usually work out just fine. However, in any other area where there may be increased exposure to sunlight it may be a good idea to go 25% or so higher than you need. In most instances, you will have to work with what is on offer at the retailers anyway, so as a rule of thumb you’re better off going slightly higher than hedging your bets right on the exact power you need – never lower.

Larger Fans

Thousands of newcomers and indeed plenty of seasoned gardeners alike think that bigger fans are better fans and thus blast their growing spaces with all manner of enormous appliances. Sadly this is not the case however as if you look to extract all of the spent air as fast as possible, chances are you’ll also be sending the necessary humidity out with it. Larger extractor fans will generally contribute toward nothing other than stunted plant growth or worse.

There is also an all-too common habit of bumping up to larger extractor fans to combat an overly warm indoor garden, particularly in the summer months. Unfortunately, it often does not matter how fast you expel the air as the income fresh air could be too warm in its own right to make any difference at all. If heat it a problem, the only realistic options are air conditioning systems or cooled lighting systems.

Fresh Air

Everybody knows that a garden depends and thrives on fresh air, so you really must focus fair attention on its delivery. Essentially, you have only two options by which to achieve this, which are those of passive air vents or active fans.

If you choose to opt for the passive approach, you must first be sure that the source of the air to be drawn in is of good enough quality. There really is no point in filling a room with overly warm or stale air, no matter how much of the stuff you draw in. A good way of working out just how much ventilation is needed is to allow for air vents at least triple the size of the extraction vent. So, if your chosen extractor has a 9-inch vent, you’ll either need to keep open a window of around 27-inches, or install three 9-inch ventilation panels. What’s more, always ensure that these intake vents are located as far away from the extractors as possible, for obvious reasons. If in doubt, always go a little bigger with the intake vents as smaller vents can lead to quickly depleted fresh air content.

Urban gardeners who choose to install an active air intake will in most instances meet with much greater success than those relying on passive air intake. Not only does pushing more air into the room take a great deal of strain away from the extractor fan, but it also means that the gardener has direct control on exactly where the air is coming in from and its resulting quality. In the winter for example, it can be hugely beneficial to switch from pumping in the cold air from the outside to using that of another room of the house with a more ambient overall temperature. What’s more, pumping air from another room in the home is more likely to deliver increased levels of CO2 and therefore stimulate growth. If choosing to pipe in air from the outdoors, it is always a good idea to invest in a filter to ensure you aren’t inviting too many bugs and pests in.

In order to create the most effective and controllable growing environment, you should always ensure you are pumping in less fresh air than the extractor is removing. The resulting pressure in the room ensures that all spent air will be forced out through the extraction fan’s filter.

As a rule of thumb, opt for intakes fan or fan systems with power around 15% lower than that of the extractor to be used.

In order to establish the size of the intake fan needed for the growing space, take the size of the extractor fan and remember to account for the 25% drop in power resulting from the use of the carbon filter. If looking to extracts approximately 15% more air than is being pulled in, the output should be multiplied by 0.85.

2 light room:

Extractor size – 390 CFM (660 m3/hr)
Estimated extractor power with carbon filter – 390 x 0.75 = 292.5
Reduction to ensure negative pressure = 292.5 x 0.85 = Intake Fan Size 249 CFM (420 m3/hr)

6 light room:

Extractor size – 1000 CFM (1700 m3/hr)
Estimated extractor power with carbon filter – 1000 x 0.75 = 750
Reduction to ensure negative pressure = 750 x 0.85 = Intake Fan Size 638 CFM (1084 m3/hr)

When looking to install any active intake fans, it is essential to ensure that they are situated right on the opposite end of the growing space to the extraction fans. What’s more, in order to ensure that the air distribution is even it is always worth installing a T or Y junction, or perhaps an air sock to diffuse its output.

Movement of Air

It is essential that you never fail to consider and address the movement of the air around the growing space. In order to maximise the potential of any and all plants, a controlled breeze must be ensured at all times in order to refresh air supplies and dispose of excessive humidity and heat. What’s more, the higher levels in the growing space will always be at the greatest risk of increased heat and overly humid air, therefore it is essential that the upper climbs are fitted with fans in order to keep the air moving. Even the most basic of oscillating fans can be mounted on the surrounding walls to take care of air movement, which must be good enough to keep a gentle breeze going though never risk moving the plants or affecting the overall temperature. A good way of achieving this if using stronger fans is to point them at the walls or ceilings, so as to encourage natural diffusion.

Location of Equipment

You may of course be tempted to huddle all of your equipment together in the same space as your plants and lights, though to do so can be rather dangerous for the overall success of the indoor garden. The reason for this is the way in which pretty much every device and appliance you’re looking to install will generate its own levels of heat and could in turn wreak havoc on the carefully controlled environment you’re looking to create. As such, the best advice is to always locate as much of the electrical equipment as possible in a separate room.

Of course, this is also the very best advice for keeping electrical equipment away from moisture.

Nutrient solutions always do the very best if stored outdoors.

Summary

By using the above as a guide, you stand every chance of being able to transform any available space into a fully functional indoor growing area without ever having to shell out a small fortune, or even call in the cavalry for help. What’s more, once you’ve finished this fairly labour-intensive process and taken care of hydroponics, the real fun begins and you can start thinking about getting the plants themselves up and running.

EBB AND FLOW

Perhaps the most popular and forgiving system of hydroponics for the newcomer is Ebb and Flow, which essentially comprises a nutrient reservoir from which the payload is delivered to an upper tray by way of a submersible pump. This pump will be controlled by a basic automatic timer so as to be turned on and off at various times to suit, delivering new nutrient solution to the root systems and in turn washing away any spent solution remaining. Upon hitting its predetermined peak level, the nutrient solution drains back.

The Ebb and Flow hydroponics system is one of the lowest maintenance and simplest to control of all, demanding only the delivery times and durations are set up appropriately.

When deciding on the appropriate length of time for flooding cycles, it is essential to factor in the length of time it takes for the liquid to filter back. Generally speaking, standard 15 minute timers are not ideal as this may be too long of a flooding time. That being said, this depends on the system you are setting up and the size of the containers, but as a general rule the pumping should be cut off as soon as the solution reaches the maximum level. Thankfully you shouldn’t have to struggle too much with this, as all decent Ebb and Flow systems for amateurs are pretty fool-proof.

NFT

What Does NFT Stand For?

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) is the name given to a common system of hydroponics where the plants are positioned in a channel at a gentle slope. In these systems, the nutrient solution enters the channel at one and progresses down through the roots of the plants, subsequently being collected at the bottom and sent back to the reservoir.

NFT has proved hugely popular and effective since its creation back in the 60s, with today’s market offering thousands of refined and affordable products to set up such a system.

Why NFT?

Along with providing the roots of all plants with a truly perfect environment for development, the NFT hydroponics method is also known as one of the most efficient and ecological of them all. The circulation process can in many instances go on for several months at a time, meaning that every last shred of goodness is extracted from the solution being supplied. There is also very little needed in terms of equipment.

For newcomers and indeed those simply with little time to play with, NFT kits can be found on the market today that provide literally everything needed to get going with ease.

Stability Concerns

Concerns are often voiced as to how exactly the NFT system fairs against the likes of tomatoes and other plants with heavy fruits, though the results never fail to surprise. The mat of roots which forms at the base of the systems is so incredibly strong and dense that even tomatoes will be supported with ease. Of course, if the plants are heading to a particularly hefty height it might be advisable to install additional stabilisers, just as would be the case when growing by any other means.

Propagating

Indoor gardeners opting for the NFT methods will start their plants off in the normal way, with rockwool cubes being a particularly good media. Just as is the case with all other methods of hydroponics across the board, it is important to make sure that the roots have been given time to develop before housing them in the tank. In other words, rather than jumping the gun the very moment a few roots start making an appearance, always wait until an impressive mass has formed before transplanting.

NFT Tips for Newbies

Trial and error has long been the only route to perfection, so here are a few tips learned from my own errors to save you the time:

* When using rockwool cubes for

   propagation, always be certain to point the

   ridges on the bottom of the cube in line with

   the flow of the nutrient solution – horizontal

   ridges will slow or stop the nutrient flow.

* NFT gardeners must be aware that their plants

   are particularly vulnerable to extreme

   temperatures, therefore making it essential to

   keep the temperature of the nutrient solution as

   consistent and controlled as possible – 65

   degrees Fahrenheit being optimal.

* Keep tabs on the PH level of the nutrient at

   all times, aiming for as close to 5.8 as possible.

* Aim to drain and replace the solution being

   used at least once every 10 days in order to

   stimulate the biggest possible returns. Bigger

   tanks may lead to fewer nutrient solution

   refreshes, but larger plants will of course be

   considerably hungrier.

* Ensure that no light is allowed to creep into

   the roots zone and cover all plant bases to

   avoid the forming of algae.

* If looking to reuse an existing NFT tank, give

   it a VERY good clean before setting it up for

   its new tour of duty.

* Never, ever plant your blocks in the NFT

   tank until the roots are actually showing

   through…EVER!

* When your plants are just starting off, use

   a nutrient solution of a 50% lower strength than

   that the fully grown plants would demand.

* Ensure all plastic is fully removed from the

   rockwool cubes being used, in order to ensure

   maximum flow of oxygen.

* Keep the tank as quiet as possible by leaving a

   little overhang from the collection channel

   back into the tank.

* Give plants plenty of space as many growers

   are not quite prepared for how fast the

   NFT route can be…which is VERY!

NFT Consistency

What makes the NFT system so different from all others is the way in which it gives all plants the opportunity to take up nutrients as and when they need them on a permanent basis, as opposed to the set feeding times/regimes of other approaches. This is of course enormously beneficial for obvious reasons.

Planting

The first step in planting is to mark on the Correx sheet exactly where the plants are to be situated, allowing holes just big enough for them and never positioning any too close to the pump. Ensure that no light is able to leak through to the root layer. Once all is in place, the NFT system can be left to run 24 hours a day and 7 days a week with zero consideration for frequency and cycles of feeding, which is of course massively appealing for any gardener. You will in all likelihood notice significant root activity in less than 48 hours.

Root Development

There are few (if any!) approaches to growing that will ever reward you with quite the same fast and impressive results as those that come with NFT. Such is the speed and strength of the root growth that in isolated cases you might have to be careful that they don’t trespass and try to take over the pump! The tanks are easy to maintain and clean while producing the minimum of waste, which continue to make the NFT approach the favourite of millions of newcomers and amateurs worldwide.

To Summarise

It is impossible not to be won over by the NFT approach to growing after the very first encounter, though it is equally impossible to resist the temptation to overcrowd the tanks and trigger an explosion of roots. You’ll learn though…and second time will be the charm!

LOGGING AND LABELLING

If you’re not blessed with the most reliable of memories – which of course applies to about 99% of us – I cannot recommend highly enough the keeping of logs and the writing of labels to come in where your brain from time to time lets you down.

Of course, I can completely understand why so many would doubt the importance of writing things down or even question what exactly there is to be written down, so I will endeavour to explain. The best and perhaps the only way to ensure that future indoor gardening ventures are as successful as they might be is to look at all of your joys and failures of the past so as to come up with a golden formula for success. What’s more, keeping a log is also a good way of reminding yourself of the smaller though equally important tasks you might forget about along the way. All in all, it really doesn’t take much to keep notes on what you’re up to, but its value can be enormous.

First things first – stock up as well as possible on a range of essentials the likes of plant labels, all-surface pens, sticky notes, a good dated logbook and maybe even a computer spread-sheet if you feel so inclined. You should also think about a separate diary or perhaps a chart to remind you of feeding times and so on and so forth.

If it suits you better there are also thousands of apps and software packages for home computers and Smartphones alike, but for me none of these are as reliable as a few basic staples that never leave your gardening area.

A Simple Life with Labels

While it might seem a little OTT at the time of planting when they are all well and truly lodged in your mind, labeling your plants is the only way to ensure you don’t make a complete hash of it and mix them up in a matter of days. Trust me, it will happen! You’ve also no excuse, as plant labels cast next to nothing and you can easily keep a stockpile in at all times.

With regard to the actual details to be kept, you can be as brief or detailed as you see fit, but perhaps include the date planted, the variety and further details the likes of behaviour or sensitivities.

If you’re experimenting with several batches of the same plant, it might be easier simply to given them numbers or codes with full details then stored correspondingly in a logbook. You could even come up with a series of symbols rather than writing “Sensitive to X” 150 times on labels, just be sure to write a key in case you forget what the symbols mean!!

It is always advisable to make notes in a diary or logbook as to when the effective life of any equipment is likely to come to an end, particularly bulbs. If for example the bulbs you buy are known to last for six months or so, pencil in a replacement date a week or two before to ensure continuity. Also keep a note of the exact model number and where you bought it, just for convenience.

Logs

At the same time a labeling anything and everything across your entire working area, it is also a good idea to keep an ongoing log detailing the temperature highs and lows on a regular basis. You should also be doing the same for humidity if possible. It really doesn’t take long for patterns to emerge in certain growing environments when and where certain temperature ranges have had their own positive and negative effects on the overall size and strength of the plants, which is something you’ll never find out by casual observation alone. It can also be hugely interesting to take pictures of the plants on a regular basis and log these next to the information you are gathering, so as to offer a visual diary of exactly which conditions yielded which results.

However, the most important part of the log of all will be that of recording in vast detail the final crop or harvest once your efforts come to fruition. If you have been keeping such detail, you should consider recording your successes and failures on a plant by plant basis in order to pinpoint exactly what you did right and wrong along the way.

Logging costs in terms of equipment and electricity can also be of great importance, so as to eventually weigh up the final result against its overall costs.

I’m happy to admit that all of the above logging and labelling seems intent on sapping the fun and magic from the process, but I assure you this minimum level of dull red-tape has the potential to work wonders when it comes to enjoying the results further down the line.

GERMINATION OF SEEDS

Seeds have fascinated me for the whole of my life and will never fail to do so. What makes growing from seeds rather than cloning so magical is the way in which these little miracles can create plants that are 100% unique and unlike any others to have come before.

There are hundreds of ways to go about seed germination and each comes with its own unique charms and drawbacks. That being said, the vast majority of newcomers will always dive head-first into potting soil, though in my experience this has always proved ineffective due to its density and nutrition concentration. My advice is to always go for a medium that is porous, light and inert.

Coco coir – My personal medium of choice and unquestionably that of the seeds themselves – they really do take on a life of their own in coco. The air to water ration is pretty much right on the money and its versatility is immense.

Rockwool cubes – Slightly more demanding in terms of preparation, rockwool cubes must be buffered in water with a PH of 5.5 prior to being used, as the substrate is naturally neutral at PH7. Excess water must then be removed by shaking to leave a moist though light overall feel. The planting hole in the cube can be made larger by using any sharp and clean object, such as a toothpick.

Peat-based Plugs – Perfect for a variety of cultivation methods, peat-based plugs retain a good amount of water. The cubes should be soaked prior to use and squeezed out until modestly moist. Planting hole can be made larger as required.

Peat/coir pellets – Small discs of compressed coir or peat which are wrapped in a net and expand when soaked in water. The resulting plug should be squeezed until all excess water has been removed, leaving a moist though not soaking wet feel. A brilliant choice for soil growing and a very forgiving option for newcomers.

Oasis cubes and Steady Gro – While both of these substrates share the same brittle, sponge-like texture, Oasis is usually the preferred choice for soil planting. A light soaking is required as too much water is guaranteed to tear or damage the sheet.

Paper towel – I cannot recommend paper towel germination highly enough as to do so allows you to transfer successfully germinated seeds to any of the media listed above, without running the risk of a rotten or dud seed rendering a cube or plug useless. Paper towel germination is also perhaps the easiest to control in terms of atmospheric conditions. Just ensure that the towel is moist, rather than completely soaked through.

Seed Handling

It is imperative that seeds are kept in a cool and dry place, ideally in a sealed container and at no risk to severe atmospheric shifts. A good idea is to keep seeds in a sealed and light-fee container in the refrigerator, only to be brought out when ready to be used. When going about the germination process, you should carry out an inspection of every seed to be used so as to check for damage, cracks or disease likely to transmit to its neighbours.

What’s more, if any mould is visible, throw away the whole pack of seeds immediately!

Seed Soaking

There are thousands of seed varieties that can benefit from a period of pre-soaking, as their outer shells are hard and difficult to penetrate. These soaking times can vary from just a few minutes to several days, though will be detailed on their packs as applicable. A careful eye must be kept on the timings however, as while undersoaking can lead to germination problems, oversoaking can lead to rotten seeds.

Scarifying

There are also hundreds of seed varieties that must undergo a process known as scarifying. There are two ways that this can be achieved: by refrigeration of the seeds or by eroding the top layer of the seed’s shell. The latter of the two is the method by which a grower simulates the natural passing of the seed through the digestive system of an animal, which would naturally reduce the resistance of the seed’s surface and allow for simpler germination. In the case of refrigeration, this recreates a period of cold, wintery weather than would likewise weaken the shell of the seed naturally. The web is littered with helpful resources and charts where you will be able to find out at a glance which of your seeds need to be scarified, along with how to go about the process and for how long.

Depth of Planting

You can easily tell how deep to plant your seeds by simply looking at how long the seed it. For example, if the seed measures around 6mm across, it should be planted 6mm deep – simple as that!

Orientation

Seeds can be quite picky when it comes to preferred planting orientations and angles, therefore this is something you need to take into account and carefully read into by way of the packet. While some like to be planted vertically, others thrive horizontally. Large, flat seeds usually perform better if planted thin-side-down to prevent water build up, though again this depends on the particular species. If unsure, the best approach is to plant seeds on an angle of 45 degrees with the thin side pointing down, as regardless of the preferred planting method you’re technically half way there!

Light

The vast majority of seeds do not need any light at all to germinate, therefore at this stage in the process you will not curry any early favour by blasting the little blighters with the brightest growing lamps you can find. When moving onto the early stages of propagation, perhaps switch up to T5 fluorescent lighting with no more than two bulbs per tray. Never even think about placing your plants under high-intensity lamps until they are well into their vegetative growth stages.

Feeding

You do not have to provide seedlings with any food or nutrients at all, as nature has already taken care of this on our behalf. The best advice is to never introduce any nutrients until the first leaf pair begins to grow, after which you can begin to deliver a quarter-strength nutrient mix and gradually increase this as the weeks go by. At this stage it is also essential to be using excellent quality water which is filtered if at all possible. Bump up the nutrient concentration by a further 25% every three weeks or so until at full strength, which will in most cases yield plants that are able to live strongly and flowers generously, though remain at a sensible size for indoor growing.

Temperature

Each species of plant and therefore the seeds from which it grows has its own optimum temperature for germination and growth. This is another area that should be researched prior to kicking things off, though should be relatively easy with a quick web search. In the case of those needing constant heat, one of the best ways of supplying this is with a specially designed heat mat situated in the bottom of the tray. Ensuring a safe and consistent temperature is imperative in encouraging healthy growth and warding off a world of diseases.

Moisture Levels

Sure, letting your seedlings dry out will kill them all in no uncertain terms, but an even faster way of wiping them out is to drown them in the wet stuff. The overwhelming majority of all failures in the seedling phases of growth come down to nothing more than being too generous with water. One of the best ways of knowing exactly when the planter you are using does and does not need additional water is to keep a second identical planter to use as a control example. By measuring the weight of the seedlings planter against that of a control planter containing the same substrate, you can work out just how much of the water has been used up and when a top-up is required. On the other hand, you could make life much easier for yourself and invest in a good moisture meter.

Humidity

Seedlings thrive in conditions of high humidity, while sudden bursts of cold can send them into shock or perhaps even kill them off quicker than you’d likely believe. However – as is always the catch 22 with these things – too much humidity can also destroy your seedlings before they even have a chance to get off the ground. The key is to find a balance, with the standard method of covering trays with a propagating dome being the best way to kick things off in the first instance. After the seeds have shown their determination, the dome can be gently raised over the coming days so as to allow the seeds to get use to the changes in the ambient temperature without giving up and keeling over entirely.

DIY Propagators

One of the easiest ways of making your own DIY propagator (or a whole roomful of them!) is to take standard planters and pop them into large, clear plastic bags or sacks. The top should be closed off after making sure there is plenty of air in the bag, though be sure not to make the closure air-tight. Place the bag in the standard germination area and keep an eye on it over the coming days, gradually opening the bag to the outside temperature once the seeds have established.

Drawing the Line

Exactly where the line can or should be drawn between seedling and vegetative stages is perhaps the most contentious of all between growers new and old. The best way to approach the matter is to no overcomplicate things – your plants will always give you a few clear signs as to when they are ready for the next stage. As mentioned before, several species enter their vegetative state when their first leaves appear, though this is not considered an official transition point by any stretch of the imagination. Essentially, the vegetative stage begins when the plant has used up all of its own internal food reserves and required external contributions – this is when a plant essentially becomes a plant.

Again, an excellent idea is to seek specific diagrams and images if unsure as to the signs to look for with any given plant species you are growing.

How to Germinate Using a Paper Towels

* Collect all of the provisions you will need to

   get started, which include the paper towels,

   water, seeds and a plastic tray with a lid…a

   sandwich box or takeaway container is ideal.

* Soak the seeds in water

* Fold a few paper towels to the required size

   to fit in the plastic tray, wherein you must wet

   them gently by sprinkling them with water – not

   dousing or soaking them. If you think you’ve

   gone overboard, drain the tray or start again.

* Add the soaked seeds VERY gently to the top

   layer of the paper towels, trying if possible not

   to actually touch the towels with your fingers

   once wet.

* If looking to germinate several different species

   at the same time, draw a little diagram of what

   is where to avoid a world of headaches later on.

* Add further paper towel to cover the seeds,

   though some will in fact thrive if left uncovered –

   check specific seed packets/web resources

   for details.

* Fit the tray’s lid tightly so as to retain the

   moisture as well as possible.

* Position the tray near a gentle source of

   heat and await the results!

* Check on the seeds once a day but NEVER

   more – you do not want to risk upsetting the

   environment and seeing the whole

   endeavour end up in the trash.

* As soon as the first root has made its grand

   debut, the time has come to take the seed out

   and transfer it to its new growing environment.

   If the seed has become attached to the paper

   towel, cut around the seed/root carefully with

   scissors and never risk damaging the seed.

ORGANIC ENHANCERS AND BASE NUTRIENTS

I can pretty much guarantee in no uncertain terms that the first time you come across the bewildering array of plant products and foods in your local retailers you will wonder how on Earth you are ever going to make sense of it all. However, I can also inform you right off the bat that even if you know exactly what it is you are looking for, you’ll still have to battle your way through a myriad of weird and wonderful products and their claims of greatness. The truth is, any and all will most likely have their ideally suited purpose, therefor the key is to narrow down your search as much as possible before ever approaching the wall of pretty-coloured bottles and tubs.

Hydroponic Nutrients

Just in the same way that we human beings have a list of essential vitamins and minerals that we need in order to live and remain healthy, so too do all plants and living things across the board. In the case of plants, the list includes standards the likes of Potassium, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and so on, which will of course be your responsibility to deliver. Try not to think of plants as awkward and demanding, but rather hungry and in need of a balanced diet. After all, if you spend week after week feeding an indoor garden with little to no thought, you’re hardly going to be rewarded for your efforts…or the lack thereof.

In the case of base nutrient for plants, these contain all three of the above mentioned elements in one concentration or another. However, not all are the same when it comes to their composition or indeed the ways in which the manufacturers deliver the balance between the elements they contain. As such, the end results have the potential to differ quite significantly depending on the particular product chosen and the quality of its composition.

You will also find that these base nutrients come in a variety of forms, namely the powder variety, two-part liquid and three-part liquid. Thousands of gardeners remain adamant that there is no point in shelling out money for water when there is a perfectly good powder option available, but this of course is a matter of personal opinion and the subject of some debate. As per usual, a sensible approach is to research exactly what it is you are intending to grow and take tips from other growers with regard to the products they have used and their successes or otherwise. You will also probably find that branding counts for nothing in many instances, so don’t always be swayed by the big names.

There are also countless “premium” base nutrients finding their way onto the shelves at present, which is the result of gardening becoming more and more of an exact science every day, rather than a traditional pursuit or an art-form. The problem is, there really hasn’t been sufficient enough time as of yet to accurately and extensively weigh up how many of these new creations work, therefore while there is no room for disputing their claims and efforts, there are also few guarantees. Again, you’ll find the best advice always comes from your fellow growers with experience growing the same plants and you’re looking to invest your time in.

Organic Base Nutrients and Enhancers

It will probably come as little surprise to learn that once the most basic of nutrients have been accounted for, there are still billions of other beneficial compounds and elements that make both human food and plant food healthy. To put it in a human example for the sake of simplicity, a tomato can be just a tomato in its most basic and bland of forms, or it can be the most delicious tomato ever produced with an incredible concentration of vitamins and beneficial elements. The list of said compounds and elements is pretty much endless and in all honesty we’re not interested in what they are called or what they do – all we know is that we want them. Apply the same logic to the plants you grow and the result will be one of increased strength, flavour and overall concentration of internal goodies.

INTRODUCING LIGHT

Almost every living thing on the Earth is given life by the sun, with plants certainly being no exception to the rule. Plants perform a remarkable process known as photosynthesis, which refers to the way in which they use the energy the sun delivers to convert air into sugars – sugars which serve as the building blocks for plant growth.

The best way of thinking of light in terms of plant growth is as the engine, or a link in the chain which is just as important as the other essential elements plants require. Plants cannot survive without light and absorb the sun’s rays using chlorophyll, which is responsible for the green colour the majority of plants and their leaves display. Water serves as the fuel for the engine, which is used to convert air into sugar/energy, which is then preserved by the plants for use as required.

When there is no light, photosynthesis cannot occur which in turn prompts the plants to close as many pores as possible and retain the sugar/water supplies already held within.

In the natural world, all light is provided by the sun which emits light covering the whole of the spectrum, which is of course invisible to the human eye. That being said, we can certainly feel the effects of certain invisible rays from the sun, particularly when it comes to sunburn. Unlike us however, plants are 100% adapted to the rays of the sun and specifically make use of the spectrum from blue to red.

Over recent decades, extensive research has been carried out into exactly what kind of light best suits the needs of plants and how said light is used. We now know that plants depend on the light we cannot see with the naked eye and while there are some explanations as to why plants react to some forms of light in a certain way, there are still countless mysteries as to how the whole process works. It has been the goal of gardeners for decades to try and recreate the rays of the sun with artificial light sources, with assimilation bulbs proving to be the most accurate so far.

Plants are influenced by light in these ways:

* The metabolism of the plant is influenced

   by the light’s composition

* The plant’s growth is affected by the direction

   of the light source

* Plant height can be significantly impacted

   by the strength of the light

* A plant’s life-cycle and can be influenced or

   controlled by the duration and frequency of

   lighting periods

Light Quality

The wavelength of a particular source of light refers to the distance between the two highest peaks, with each visible colour having its own unique wavelength. These wavelengths change when light is filtered or reflected, which in turn causes the colour of the light to change. Wavelength is measures in nanometres, each of which is the equivalents of one billionth of a meter.

The light spectrum can be seen by the naked eye between blue and red – red light having a wavelength of up to 700 nanometres and blue light measuring in at 400 nanometres. As blue light moves faster than red light due to its higher concentration of waves, it also has greater energy levels.

At the other side of blue light comes ultraviolet light, or UV light, which has even greater energy levels still. Move even further and we begin to enter gamma radiation territory. With regard to the red end of the spectrum, move beyond the red and we find infrared, followed by long-wave radio radiation.

Despite the fact that photosynthesis is dependent on light that falls within the visible spectrum of 400 to 700 nanometres, it has been discovered that exposure to this limited spectrum only leads to a greater chance of disease and poor growth. As such, we now know that in order for plants to grow as rapidly and strongly as possible, we have to supply them with light covering a much larger spectrum beyond the limits of red and blue. In the early stages of plant life it has been discovered that blue light is of greater benefit, while blooming plants appear to benefit considerably from extra red light.

Blue light will lead to plants that are rather more thick, stout and sturdy. This is ideal for any plants to be used as mother plants for healthy cuttings, as the blue light will stimulate the growth of plenty of side branches with a sturdy, squat stem. If looking to deliver more blue light, metal halide bulbs are the ideal choice.

Light streams, lumens and lux

What must also be taken into account with equal importance to the composition of the light is its luminosity, also known as its light flux. Assimilation bulbs will often have their power detailed in the form of lumens, with a 600 watt bulb delivering up to 90,000 lumens and a 400 watt bulb offering up to 60,000 lumens.

Examples of Lux values:

Clear day: 100,000 Lux
Cloudy day: 10,000 – 18,000 Lux
Well-lit lounge: 500 Lux
Candle held 100cm away: 1 Lux
Full moon on a clear night: 0.25 Lux

The luminosity of any given bulb is not only determined by its power, but also how far away from the originating source of the light the measurement is being taken. Roughly translated, the larger the distance from the source of the light – the lower its luminosity.

Young plants that are not given enough light will soon grow tall and thin, with large distances visible between the branches on the sides. The only source of usable light in the natural world is the sun, which is exactly what all plants are looking for. If there is not enough light for the plant to survive or grow strong, it will begin efforts to outgrow anything around it and reach toward whatever light might be available. This will often manifest as a fast spurt of upward growth, which has the potential to sap every energy reserve the plant has and led to its death. Even if the plant survives, it will have to work much harder to transport water around its structure.

In short, good lighting leads to strength, health and greater resistance to disease.

You’ll probably notice by way of something of a trial and error approach that your plants grow either tall and thin or short and squat depending how bright your lights are – a great reason for the logging process mentioned earlier. However, regardless of how bright or otherwise your light sources may be, it is their quality and ability to deliver the whole colour spectrum that will determine you success or otherwise.

It is also essential to take into consideration any and all of the light requirements of the specific species you are looking to grow. For example, some will need at least 12 hours of complete darkness in order to ensure strong and full flowering, which others will not react quite as well to such conditions.

Direction of growth

Exactly where you choose to position your lighting fixtures will have a marked effect on your plants, which will naturally grow toward their primary source of light. In a working example, if you were to put your lights slightly to the left or the right rather than directly above, the plants would lean toward them. Blue light is particularly impressive as it provides the plant with all it needs to choose its own direction of growth – even penetrating right down through the substrate and delivering information to the roots.

You may or may not have had the pleasure of taking part in a rather neat little experiment during your school days, involving nothing more than a potato, a dark box and a source of light. If not, the experiment basically consists of a potato being put into a sealed box with only one source of light at the opposite end to the potato, with a number of dividing walls each with a hole in a different place. Over the course of time, the sprout emanating from the potato grows and curves so as to pass through all of the divides and reach the source of light, after which photosynthesis begins and the parts of the sprout start to turn green. The fact that the potato contains so much starch to be used as energy allows it to send the stalk in search of the light, despite the fact that the box is completely dark inside.

Pretty impressive at any age, if you ask me.

Light is the trigger that sets off blooming as the main growing points (the potato sprout in this case) can see/detect light than the human eye would never be able to see. This is also how seed sprouts are able to find their way to the surface when planted in earth.

There are three groups of blooming plants:

* Those that will begin to bloom regardless of

   the duration of the nights and days at the time

* Those that will only begin to bloom when

   the length of the day increases sufficiently –

   i.e. during the spring and summer months

* Those that begin blooming when the days

   become shorter and the nights longer.

I have always found the third group to be particularly interesting as these are the plants that will just continue to grow and grow without blooming, until the length of darkness they are exposed to reaches a minimum of 12 hours. Certain hormones are only triggered when the light and dark conditions are just perfect, which is something the indoor gardener has the ability to take full control of.

When gardening indoors, keeping the lights on for over 18 hours will make sure that the plants remains in the vegetative state and do not begin to flower. This essentially means that the plants will produce stems and leaves, but no flowers. Once the lighting is reduced to twelve hours with twelve hours of darkness, blooming tissue begins to appear in no time at all. During these early stages of flowering, the plant will be extremely sensitive to the duration of the light/dark periods and therefore exceptional care and control is called for.

Should the power trip out or a bulb fail for a short period of time during daylight hours, this is less than a disaster, thought the plant will stop blooming this time around.

Should your bulbs decide to give up and pack in overnight however, the situation can be rather more serious to say the least. The extent of the damage will differ depending on the colour of the light, as if for example a plant is afforded too much red light for even a few minutes, it may immediately switch to flowering mode.

Any disturbance during darkness can have dire consequences, particularly those that occur after around six hours in a dark environment. In fact, even a small crack of light coming through an ill-fitting door can wreak havoc. If the plants are not given complete and total darkness for the appropriate amount of time, the chances of them flowering strongly fall drastically.

In nature, plants exposed to a bright, full moon during the early flowering stages will always flower much slower than those sheltered from its brightness.

This is yet another factor that depends entirely on your choices of plants and flowers for the indoor grow space, where you can find clear guidelines and informative spread-sheets for free all over the web.

HEALTHY MOTHER PLANTS

Mother plants may exist for just the one purpose, though it is about as important a purpose as they come – to supply you with plenty of cuttings. If looking to grow plants known to be sensitive to certain lighting conditions as mentioned before, you will need to offer all mother plants a good 18+ hours of light each day so as to ensure they remain in a vegetative state. By doing this, the mother plant with grow, grow and continue to grow while never flowering – instead giving off cutting after cutting for pretty much as long as you can keep it going.

Needless to say, this is exactly what the mother plants are considered the most important pillars supporting the success of any indoor garden.

Nevertheless and indeed rather curiously, thousands of indoor gardeners find that their plans fall short for no reason other than their own neglecting of their important mother plants. The amount of times I have wandered around what appear to be well-run gardens only to find the most depressingly pathetic mother plant stowed away in a dark corner is incredible. There seems to be an all-too common consensus that it is enough to plop a mother plant into a large pot with any chosen growing medium and occasionally treat her to a feeding when she’s about to keel over and die. The theory here is one of keeping her alive at the most basic of levels, rather than actually keeping her strong and healthy.

My question is…how exactly can you expect the mother plant’s cuttings/children to be in any way strong, stable or health if she herself is entirely worse for wear?

Exactly, complete and utter nonsense that should be obvious to any gardener with a modicum of logic.

But, I shall digress…

Provide Good Space

In the case of professional or seasoned growers, you will usually find that an entirely room or at least a private grow tent is reserved exclusively for mother plants. The reason for this is that although this may limit other growing space or demand an expansion of operations, the abundance of strong and healthy cuttings more than makes up for the inconvenience. The biggest benefit of all when it comes to growing from cuttings is the way in which it will always be faster than growing from seed – always. What’s more, it is also possible to switch a cutting into flowering mode at any time you choose, whereas a seed would take considerable time to mature and develop. Seeds also seldom come for free and are difficult to predict in terms of their behaviour, therefore cuttings can save a gardener a small fortune in the long-run. Another benefit is the way in which an abundance of cuttings from the same mother plant will all behave and grow in exactly the same way, so it becomes easier than ever to learn lessons and put them to use next time around.

That is of course, assuming you make sure that the mother plant you choose is sufficiently strong, resistant and capable of a good yield.

Choosing a system

So, you now know that you simply must look after all of your mother plants and why. Plus, you might also have come across mother plants at one time or another being fed in the standard/manual way with a watering can or drip feeder. Sufficient perhaps, but if you’re looking for the very best possible results with each and every cutting across the board, you should consider giving a mother plant its own hydroponics system. There are hundreds of single top feed bucket systems on the shelves today that come in the form of complete kits and are quite generously cheap, though the reduction in workload is huge and the peace of mind priceless.

In fact, once you have added the clean clay pebbles to the top bucket, the only thing you’ll have to do is top up the nutrient solution every fortnight or so – that really is all there is to it! When using such a system, growth is incredibly fast and you’ll soon be swamped with more healthy cuttings than you know what to do with. Keep an eye on larger, well-developed mothers though as they have a habit of being rather thirsty!

Depending on the plants you are looking to grow, some suggest that increasing or decreasing nitrogen content in the nutrient solution will lead to faster and healthier growth – the specifics for different species can be found online.

Cutting Back

I can guarantee you will be so very astonished by the speed of growth and the strength of your mother plant that you’ll be tempted to let the bugger get completely out of control. This may be fun and interesting for a while, but you need to bear in mind that each cutting you take will trigger two to regrow in its place – leading to the mother of all bushy mother plants. In fact, it won’t be long until said plant effectively becomes a big round bush. When things start to get a little carried away, the best advice is to either go about some serious surgery by way of pruning, or perhaps taking the healthiest cutting you can find and starting again. I know, both will be painful following such an extensive labour of love, but you know…circle of life and so on…

Candelabra Shape

If you have the time, the skill and indeed the inclination to do so, the very best shape you can prune you mother plants into is that of a candelabra. The reason for this is the way in which the growth tips – or the candle-holders – are privileged to the most abundant light.

Lighting

Something you must remember at all times is the fact that although you might not be using many of the cuttings and so on that the mother plant produces, you still need to keep her at the pinnacle of health. Exactly how strong and healthy the mother plant is will be reflected in each and every plant grown from its cuttings, along with its eventual yield. One way of looking at the mother plant is as something of a pace-setter for all that will follow, therefore shove her in a dark corner of a room with a lackluster light source and you can’t really expect anything other than weak and stunted offspring.

Mother plants will for obvious reasons be considerable bigger that all other plants in their natural vegetative stages, which is why you must provide her with her own separate source of light. The usual staples taken on by pro indoor gardeners are 250 watt florescent bulbs with others opting instead for metal halide HIDs up to 400 watts. It is doubtful that anything larger will be needed unless the mother plant is to be grown to a truly monstrous size – that decision being yours and yours alone.

However, if you’re looking to grow a monster, I’d be more inclined to advise two slightly less titanic mother plants for a much simpler and safer approach.

Freshen Up

There will most likely come a time in months to come when the mother plant becomes so incredibly large, bushy and frankly untameable that getting any decent cuttings becomes nigh on impossible. It is not that you may have to consider putting her into early retirement and beginning a new mother plant from one of the best cuttings you can find. The added bonus of starting again is that as part of the process you can give the whole system and the area around it a very good clean and refresh. Use a specially formulated solution to clean out the hydroponics system and anything that might be harbouring pests or bugs, as anything untoward will not bode well with your new fledgling mother plant.

If you’re wondering how long any mother plant and her offspring will remain fully active and efficient for, the answer lies anywhere between a couple of months and a handful of years! It all depends on the species and the health of the mother plant, though as a rule of thumb, anytime you notice that the cuttings are appearing perhaps 50% less frequently than before, it might be time to think about bringing in some new blood and starting from seed once again.

Lighting Hours

The debate still rages this very day as to whether it is better to deliver 18 or 24 hours of light to a mother plant every day. In the case of the 18 hour option, this is not only much closer to Mother Nature but will also save you a fortune on your electricity bills – a double-headed bonus! On the other hand, some argue that 24 hours of life is not only far simpler to control and keep constant, but also delivers a better yield of strong cuttings.

Take your pick, but remember to log everything! 

Tips for Mother Plants

* If at all possible, give a mother plant its own

   dedicated area or growing tent. Install all the

   equipment required to keep humidity levels

   at around 60%, along with a constant

   temperature between 73 and 82 degrees

   Fahrenheit.

* Never be tempted to use coco coir for the

   growing of mother plants – the media has a

   habit of blocking nitrogen supplies over time

   and could therefore severely impede

   growth/health.

* Gently move or rotate all mother plants

   every now and again to encourage even grow.

* No matter how bushy she gets, keep a close

   eye on dead leaves and unhealthy vegetation.

* If the mother plants are to be grown in

   less-than enormous pots, keep an eye on the

   roots to ensure they are not being restricted

   too greatly. If there is evidence of this, you

   must consider going through the rather messy

   process of re-potting her as gently as possible.

* Hydroponics systems always deliver the very

   best results and are therefore highly

   recommended. Always ensure that the pH

   of the water is as close to 5.8 as possible

   and that nutrient solution is replaced every

   week or two.

* When choosing a grow light, opt for those

   delivering as much of the blue spectrum

   as possible.

* When using CFLs, they can be positioned

   much closer to mother plants than other

   lights as the heat they give off is minor.

CUTTINGS BASICS

Sooner or later, your mother plant will deliver a shining beacon in the form of a potential cutting the likes of which screams strength and beauty, even in its most delicate and fragile early stages. I have always found cuttings to be particularly exciting ever since I carried out a little experiment to see the difference for myself.

All I did was to take a few (quite random) cuttings from a mother plant and situate them bang next to a number of similar specimens I had cultivated from seeds. To say that the next few months were revelatory would be an understatement, as quite frankly I could not stop popping my head round the door of the grow room every few hours to see just what was going on.

On one side there were the usual, respectable that less than impressive and anything other than uniform contenders, flanked to the right by a mighty crop with a level of comparative uniformity I thought was reserved only for cartoons. The difference was astonishing and I genuinely could not believe the speed, strength and general prowess of the cuttings. Of course, I’m not taking anything away from the other bunch which did indeed eventually develop into decent specimens, but if speed, strength and consistency matters, the winners were clear from the very beginning.

All in all, this was all the proof I ever needed right before my eyes that genetics counts for pretty much everything when it comes to growing stunning plants.

This is something that has reiterated its importance do many times over the years that followed, as I learned conclusively along the way that no matter how big, efficient or expensive and indoor or outdoor garden is, you cannot grow a single plant better than its genetics will allow. Unfortunately, this is also why you cannot expect each and every venture you embark upon in your indoor garden will produce the same results and bewildering satisfaction, as if the genetics just aren’t there…bad luck.

You will always and I mean always have better luck cloning/using cuttings that growing from seeds…something I really wish I had known when I first got started. There are literally thousands of ways cuttings can be taken and I can guarantee you that everyone you ask for advice will tell you something different. But, as you’re already reading this I thought I’d share my own, perhaps unique method which has not only served me well for longer than a care to remember, but it also as simple as can be and cheap as chips.

Too many growers overcomplicate matters and add their own bizarre theories and opinions as to the ins and out of taking cuttings. In truth, the first and foremost thing to remember us that all cuttings taken from the mother plant will be well and truly dead in less than an hour if not preserved – common sense in its most basic of forms.

Thankfully, creating the perfect incubation chamber for your cuttings doesn’t require a degree from NASA, or even a remotely heavy investment.

You Will Need:

* A strong and healthy plant that has

   demonstrated excellent growth

* The sharpest knife you can find – craft

   knives and scalpels are ideal

* A basic propagator and seed tray

* Medium for rooting

* Nutrient solution of around 25% strength

* A lighting source – ambient will usually be

   sufficient in a bright room

Remember – always set up the perfect incubation area in advance as time is a factor. In short, the longer you leave your cuttings out in the open, the lower their chances of performing effectively.

Step one is to prepare the medium you are using for rooting – I personally recommend rockwool for the simple fact that they are probably the easiest to work with. With regard to size, I would avoid the very smallest cubes as I find that that can dry out a little too quickly, so go for something in the mid-ranges. The cubes should then be soaked in the nutrient solution of 25% mentioned above, for a least a couple of hours but overnight if possible. Remember, rockwool can have a pH level that is dangerous to plants, therefore ensure the solution you soak the cubes in is as close to 5.8 as possible.

If you are using a propagator with enough room for plenty of these cubes, my advice is to always arrange them in something of a chessboard configuration – i.e. at least one cube’s distance from each other on all sides. If you position the cubes too close together, chances are that the only thing you’ll be growing in abundance is mould! For first-timers, you might want to opt for a smaller propagator more suited to around six cubes or so.

On the other hand, you could always go the DIY route and use home-made humidity domes made from the bottoms of plastic drink bottles or round tubs, though results can and will vary.

As explained in the earlier sections, the medium you use must be moist be by no means soaking wet, therefore it is important to give the rockwool a vigorous shake or a gentle squeeze before situating them in your propagator. Once the cubes are moist and in their final positions, the time comes to dip your toe in the world of mother plant surgery!

Using the sharpest knife you can lay your hands on, take the cutting you have selected by slicing at an angle as close to 45 degrees as possible. The reason the knife has to be incredibly sharp is to avoid damage to plant tissues caused by blunt blades, or perhaps splits that could prove fatal. The angle of 45 degrees produces a wider surface area and increases the chances of strong roots forming. If the plant you are taking cuttings from has a particularly woody stem – perhaps due to the age of the mother plant – it will usually be fine to peel back or remover the outer bark before cutting the stem within.

You must also remember that in the world of cuttings, size does indeed matter! In my experience, I have found that the bets cuttings to take are those of around 3 to 4 inches in length and perhaps four leaves. You might find that smaller cuttings will work, but they can be rather too fragile, fiddly to handle and will take much longer to begin growing. If any particularly large leaves are present, these can be removed as most will die off anyway. As you will need a good inch or so of stem to be planted into the cubes, you must also be sure to remove any leaves and growth tips at the very bottom of the cuttings.

Optional though Useful

* Rooting hormone

* A small, clean container

* Thermometer with probe

* Rhizotonic

The next step is to dip your new cutting rooting hormone, which is an optional step though will in many cases lead to a much faster growth and a lower chance of disease. There are hundreds of gels on the market hat require no mixing or preparation, therefore serve as the very best choices for newcomers – and are also my personal favourite. However, if you do decide to opt for gels do NOT go buying a massive quantity for future use, as the gels have a rather short shelf-life and will soon become unusable. Another hugely important tip is to never dip cuttings directly into the rooting hormone gel container or its lid, as to do so is to risk contaminating the whole batch if the cutting is carrying anything undesirable.

A shot glass however works a treat!

When inserting the cutting into the cubes, be sure that the hole in the middle is of adequate size and free from debris. At this stage your do not want to risk damaging or breaking the stems, therefore check the holes in advance and consider widening a little if need be.

Always be sure to replace the lid of the propagator in-between each insertion of a cutting, as it is astonishing how quickly the little blighters will dry out otherwise. In fact, it is never a bad idea to give them a light spray with a mist-gun every time you take the lid off. When all the cuttings are in place and the lid is safely sealed, the whole unit should be moved to a warm location of around 25 degree Celsius, where it will not be exposed to disturbance or temperature changes. If any excess moisture has collected in the tray during the process, remove this before sealing the lid. The corner of a bright grow room will provide adequate light for the cuttings, though if this is not possible you can use a fluorescent tube above the propagator. Do not use any bulbs with a high intensity output.

If all goes to plan, the inside of the propagator should become misty rather quickly. If not, chances are that the environment is not warm enough or there is some dangerously gaping hole somewhere for the moisture to escape – both being fatal mistakes if not rectified immediately.

Keep an eye on things at least once a day, making sure to quickly remove any dead leaves along the way as they can be a trigger for countless rot and mould problems. Some gardeners swear blind that you should spray the cuttings with mist every now and again, but in truth this should be 100% unnecessary if the propagator has been set up, sealed and situated correctly.

And now it is simply a case of playing the waiting game. While some of the cuttings you take might start rooting in as little as a week, some will take well over twice as long. A steady hand is needed along the way as while it is important to keep checking your cuttings for signs of progress, you also need to make sure that you are disturbing them as little as possible. What’s more, you must NEVER be tempted to pull on one of the cuttings to seem whether the roots have started to form. When doing this, give the lid a wipe to remove any excessive moisture and check all cubes to ensure they are not becoming too dry. If they are, a little dip in some 25% nutrient solution will be more than enough – just be sure to gently squeeze out the excess WITHOUT damaging the cutting. If the environment is set up well, the cubes will be good for at least 4 days or so.

NOTE: It is vital to keep a close eye on the incubator toward the latter stages of the process, as cuttings that seemed to be inactive and rather lazy in the early days can suddenly become very VERY active and thirsty!

Toward the end of the incubation period, it is also a good idea to open any vents a little or maybe establish a small gap between the tray and the lid.

Some of the cuttings you take will develop their roots and begin to show strength far faster than others, therefor you will have to be prepared to keep re-moistening the cubes of the slower developers with nutrient solution until they catch up with their bigger brothers. Ideally, you should be looking to plant the cuttings all at the same time, for convenience purposes above all else. At each and every stage of the process sit should be at the forefront of your mind that these cuttings are quite incredibly fragile and sensitive, which must be carried over right through to their eventual removal from the incubator.

After all, you are taking them from the most controlled environment they will ever live in to one of considerable change in terms of temperature, humidity and light. To put it another way, expecting a fledgling cutting to perform well under a 600 watt HID light would be like giving a toddler a book on nuclear-physics – pointless and counterproductive. The trick is to either gradually introduce them to higher wattage bulbs by using a series of staggered options, or to position the lights further away from the plants at first to be gradually moved closer.

By following this guide as a whole, you should essentially be able to successfully clone plants from cuttings over and over again. The beauty of this kind of reproduction lies not only in the final quality of the harvest, but also the incredible control that comes with knowing almost to the letter how the plants will perform. What’s more, you can also control the vegetation times and general life cycles of cuttings with far greater simplicity than seed-grown plants.

Over time, you will come to know the clones you are growing like the back of your hand and thus have incredible grounds for experimentation and trying out new growing techniques. Using clones in conjunction with careful logging can be truly revelatory and lead to the kind of results you would never have thought yourself capable of. Clones allow you to play with the science of growing and refine things to a fine art form.

Remember – if you plant on using the same mother plant for an extensive period of time and hope to see her grown larger and strong, it is imperative that you give her a separate growing space with plenty of room for manoeuvre and a dedicated source of light.

GROWING FROM SEED.

If you have chosen to grow from seed, you have literally decided to start from scratch with only the most basic of building blocks for your chosen plants. One of the most important things to remember from the earlier chapters is to name and log each and every one of your germinated seeds individually, as chances are there will soon take on very different shapes, sizes and forms in the very near future – even if they came from the same packet.

Seedlings are best growing under 18 hours of light each day and 6 hours in the dark. In about a month’s time, the top of the resulting plant can be cut off and used as a cutting – being sure to transfer the label to the cutting in order to keep tabs on which is which. If the seedling looks big and sturdy enough, you might be able to take a couple or maybe even three cuttings from a single seed.

The next stage is one of huge contention and I’m confident that you’ll find differing opinions all over the place. Basically, you need to determine the sex of the seedlings which is where your logging and labelling will come in handy in a big way! Exactly which method represents the best way of sexing the seedling differs considerably depending on which type of plant you are working on, which involves a process of flowering off and identifying which to keep. There are comprehensive step-by-step guides on the web to sexing every type of seedling imaginable, usually with pictures to make the whole process a thousand times easier.

Once you have successfully sexed all of your seedlings, you will be able to select a clear winner to be promoted to the rank of mother plant, from which you will be able to generate only the most stunning results again and again!

An important note to remember is that you do not in fact have to only take cuttings when plants are in their vegetative state, as it is entirely possible to do so from a plant in its flowering stages. Simply take the cuttings as normal and give them 18 to 24 hour lighting in order to return them to their vegetative states. That being said, these kinds of cuttings will in most cases take a great deal longer to build their root systems and have a much higher chance of failure, so if at all possible it is advisable to take cuttings from vegetative mother plants.

What you will come to notice quite quickly is that although a cutting is of course technically as old as the mother plant it was taken from, it will behave like a brand new plant in the earliest stages of life. Evidence would also seem to suggest that there is no immediate or significant breakdown in the quality and the genetics when it comes to cloning plants, therefore even if you’re looking to clone several generations one after the other you should still come out with results as good as the first. Some have reported certain weaknesses forming further down the line, but I for one have experienced no such thing.

Taking care of mother plants is of the utmost importance as by their very nature and purpose they are susceptible to a wide variety of problems and pests. Even something as simple as a dirty knife used to make the cuttings can wreak havoc and perhaps even kill the plant off entirely. If there are any signs of emerging problems, the best advice is to take a cutting from a seemingly strong area of the mother plant at the end of a branch, so as to start again with a ‘clean’ clone. All branches will actively grow away from viruses and problems, therefore be sure to take the cutting from the end of the branch and away from the stem. If problems are left untreated, they will fairly quickly spread to every last part of the plant and render it useless.

As I mentioned before, my personal favourite method of cloning is to use rockwool cubes because of their simplicity, though there are other options on the table you might prefer. In fact, there’s nothing to stop you filling plastic cups with your desire growing medium and using those instead! Just as long as you keep the humidity high and the medium moist, you shouldn’t have any problems at all.

There are also plenty of ways in which you can produce the ideal ‘incubator’ for the cuttings to begin rooting, which include the following:

Water

The simplest of all by a long shot, simply fill a glass with the best quality water you can get hold of and throw two or three cuttings in. You won’t need any dome to cover the top and will never have to keep an eye on humidity, just put the glass in indirect sunlight or under a fluorescent light in a warm environment. It is also a good idea to remove any of the larger leaves present before going about the water method, changing the water every day in order to keep it as fresh as possible.

Bubbles

Propagating in bubbles can also be remarkable effective and basically involves the use of nutrient solution bubbles which surround the cuttings and deliver the ideally humid environment for growth. This is another method that doesn’t require any lid or dome, just as long as the area is free from significance temperature changes or draughts.

There are countless big names offering complete bubble propagation kits of various shapes and sizes, though for a bit of extra fun and to leave a little more cash in your pocket, there’s no reason why you can’t make your own!

You will need:

* A plastic tray with a depth of around 8cm or

   more – room enough for the roots to

   develop underneath the net pots

* Net pots of 4cm

* Clay Pebbles

* Corriboard

* An air pump delivering approximately

   320 litres per hour

* Air curtain

* Air line

Step one is to cut out holes in the corriboard to the appropriate size for the net pots. The tray must then be filled with nutrient-solution of around 25% strength, making sure that the pH is around 6.5 or as close as possible. Position the air curtain at the bottom of the tank so as to ensure that as much of the solution as possible will be moved when the air bubbles are introduced. Any cuttings situated along the sides of the tray or perhaps in the corners will be likely to demonstrate much slower growth than others, therefore ensure as much of the tray’s bottom as possible is covered with the air curtain.

Rather than using the net pots, some look to save literally a matter of pennies by cutting smaller holes in the corriboard and putting the cuttings directly through, to be held in place with something similar to rockwool. This can work but in most instance makes it hugely difficult to take the cuttings out without damaging them once the roots have started forming.

Have a look underneath the corriboard once a day to check that the bubbly supply is still doing its job and of course whether or not the roots have begun to form. Depending on the conditions, the water level may drop quite rapidly and should be topped up with plain water as required. The nutrient solution should be replaced in its entirety about once every five days.

If at any time the bubbles appear to have noticeably slowed down, take out the air curtain and give it a good rub and a rinse with distilled water. The root systems should be heading toward their prime within ten days or so, though you must be careful not to allow them to get carried away. Long and tangled roots can quickly become entwined and impossible to separate without damaging them, so beware!

I would advise that you think about taking the cuttings out one their roots have reached around an inch or so in length, though be sure to replant the whole thing in its new environment, as opposed to trying to take the cuttings out of their net pots.

All equipment should be given a very good clean before every project, using Liquid Oxygen to clean the net pots. When it comes to the clay pebbles, it is always best to replace them entirely – cleaning them is neither effective nor efficient.

If you happen to see any cuttings showing signs of ill-health or perhaps roots not looking as they should, these should be taken out immediately as diseases and illnesses can spread like wildfire. There are various additional treatment you can but to add to the water in order to help protect that plants against illness and rot – the ideal choice will depend on what you are growing. However, never be tempted to get carried away and turn the nutrient solution into an over concentrated elixir of health – it will have the opposite effect.  Harmful spores, bugs an bacteria.

Air Cloning

Yep, it really is possible to propagate cuttings without any kind of standard growing medium. With aeroponic propagation, the cuttings are supported toward the middle with the lower half being exposed to an ongoing mist of key nutrients and moisture. This is naturally a great option for promoting excellent root health, though can work out more expensive to set up and pretty much rules out the DIY approach.

10 TOP TIPS TO LOOK OUT FOR

1 – Underestimating Environment Quality

If you share the common mind-set whereby any decent lighting fixture hung above a plant will do, you’re in for a bumpy ride to say the least. The truth is that just as happens to be the same with human beings, plants will only ever grow as strong and healthy as they can if the environmental quality is optimum. This involves not only taking the light source into consideration, but also the relative humidity of the room and the temperature required for its specific stage of growth. All plants have different requirements, therefore never fall into the trap of assuming anything green will behave the same way!

Another hugely important consideration to bear in mind is the quality of the air in the room, in relation to its oxygen and carbon dioxide content. After all, nothing can live in a sealed room without the air it needs to breathe – plants included. The best way to ensure excellent quality of air at all times is to keep the air moving at all times, by way of extractor fans and air inlets/fans. It doesn’t have to be difficult to set up an effective air-flow system for an indoor garden, though to do so can make the most spectacular difference. Just be sure to filter any intake fans or vents in order to prevent a surplus of bugs, spores and bacteria making their way into your garden in the process – even an old pair of tights is enough to filter the air sufficiently!

Of course, if you really want to take things to the highest level you can invest in full control systems to monitor and engineer the atmospheric pressure, air quality and moisture right down to the finest detail. To do so might set you back a fair deal more, but the resulting harvest will be epic!

2 – Too Much of a Good Thing

When plants begin developing beyond their earliest stages, you will of course have to increase the levels of nutrient you offer them in order to keep them as strong and healthy as possible. As such, it is all too easy to fall into something of a “more is more” attitude, when in fact this really isn’t the case. As it happens, if you overload your nutrient mix with a thousand and one enhancers, additives and other goodies, you’ll end up with a cocktail that does far more harm than good.

If you are feeding your plants load of the good stuff and yet growth is stunted and leaves gnarled and unhealthy looking, chances are you can put this right by going right back to basics. The can be done by using nothing more than pure water to flush out the soup you’ve been pumping into the medium, to be replaced with a much simpler fertiliser and nutrient solution after a couple of days. If you want to add any further enhancers, do so one at a time and in small doses to avoid shocking the plant’s system too much.

If used carefully and with common sense, enhancers and nutrients can be wonderfully effective. The key often lies with choosing the compatible products of a single brand or producer and following their instructions to the later, rather than mixing your own weird and wonderful concoctions.

3 – Hand-Watering and Risky Transplanting

The majority of first-timers will always favour the basic hand-watering methods using trays and pots, though this can lead to a world of problems with both under and overwatering. If taking such a route, always start off by using smaller pots and keep transplanting the plants gradually. Always allow the roots to develop into a strong and solid ball before thinking of moving up to a larger container. To encourage this you will need to ensure you use a medium that the roots can make full use of and take over with ease. Never be tempted to take watering too far, but instead ensure you allow the soil to dry out a little before adding more. A good way of determining how much water is needed is to weigh the pots following the first optimum watering, so as to use the figure as a guide. Also ensure that water is able to run out of the bottom of the pot as freely as possible in order to allow spent nutrient to escape.

If you are to sit your pots in trays so as to avoid the ensuing mess, be sure to remove the water for the tray on a regular basis before it has time to go stagnant. Getting carried away with the watering of your plants in the early stages is the most common and ongoing way of running things before they even get off the ground.

4 – Neglecting Control of pH Levels

While adding fertiliser and other accelerants may indeed be beneficial, the nutrient solution needs to be carefully controlled in other ways in order to be effective. Of all the considerations to bear in mind, the pH level of the solution ranks right at the top of the list and must be kept between 5 and 7, depending on both the type of plant you are growing and its current stage of growth. There are also several contributory factors that can see the pH value of the solution rise or fall over time, which is why along with establishing a safe value in the first instance it is essential to keep a close eye on it. You don’t have to be entirely precise and to the letter in order to avoid disaster, as if you are looking for a pH value of 6 your will usually be fine to allow it to drift between 5.5 and 6.5. A pH level has the potential to be forgiving and very easy to control, as you really only need to make sure it doesn’t stray TOO far in either direction.

This can be done be keeping an eye on things with a good digital pH meter, being sure to test the pH of anything and everything you add to the nutrient solution too.

5 – Temperature of Nutrient

All growers at all levels know how important it is to keep plants at a sensible temperature and avoid exposure to sudden increases and decreases in heat levels, in order to avoid potential disaster. However, this doesn’t seem to stop most newcomers from watering their plants with ice-cold water or nutrient solution that stands to deliver the mother of all shocks to the root systems of the plants. Even the cold water straight from the tap can be enough to stung growth and encourage the development of problems. That being said, you also need to make sure you don’t overcompensate and add nutrient solution or water that stands to poach the roots once delivered. The very best temperature for water and nutrient solution is around the 20 degrees Celsius mark, which is the temperature at which the liquid can be most easily absorbed and made use of by the roots.

If you are using an irrigation system which circulates or reuses the nutrient solution may times over, it is important to pay close attention to any trays, pipes and other areas that may be susceptible to outside changes in temperature. Even the pumps that come supplied with many hydroponics kits can heat up like nobody’s business and see the temperature of the solution rise as a result. The key is to provide as much insulation as possible for all sources of heat and cold, so as to keep things well-balanced and stable.

Of course, keeping an eye on the temperature is fundamentally easy, with even the very best digital thermometers and probes now costing pennies.

6 – Supply of Oxygen

New growers often fail to take into account how important it is for the nutrient solution to contain enough oxygen. Plants and fish have a lot in common by way of the fact that they may live in the moistest of environments, though still need oxygen to survive. Plants use oxygen in countless ways, though perhaps the most important reason of all why a good and ongoing supply is needed is to ward off harmful and potentially deadly bacteria and fungus. As such, the soil or growing medium being used must be able to deliver a good supply of oxygen. One of the biggest killers of oxygen in nutrient solution is temperatures that are allowed to climb too high, while stagnant water will also suffer rapid depletion of oxygen.

There are plenty of kits available for keeping detailed track of oxygen content in the nutrient solution, but to be honest they are really not necessary – in my opinion anyway. If you look after your plants and your growing environment properly you should never have a problem with the oxygen content, though if you are concerned you can always pipe extra oxygen in with an air pump and stone – basically anything that results in fine bubbles.

It is also important to allow soils and substrates to dry out sufficiently between waterings and feedings, as to do so is to allow the oxygen depleted reserves time to dissipate and be replaced with fresh supplies.

7 – Quality of Lighting

To explain every single lighting type and requirement right down to the ground would take the best part of a multi-volume encyclopaedia, but thankfully you really don’t need to know it all by heart. There are a few basic principles that should set you off in the right direction, with specifics available online for the plant varieties you choose to grow. All you need to know as a blanket rule is that the position of your lights will affect that way your plants grow enormously, while the quality and appropriateness of the bulbs you choose really can make or break the whole operation. It is not simply a case of finding something nice and bright to hang above your garden, as the direction of the light, the heat it gives off, its power, light spectrum and proximity to the plants will all play significant roles in determining success or otherwise. The key is to never take lighting requirements lightly, though at the same time not to get confused by the thousands of options available.

Simply look up the tips for your chosen plants and you’ll find it really isn’t as difficult as you might have thought.

8 – Rein It In

Chances are that for a thousand and one reasons, you’ll be looking to make your first indoor garden as big and as crowded as possible. You’ll be expecting a few failures so you’ll want to plant extras to compensate, you’ll be unsure how big the final articles will be so you’ll go a little overboard and you’ll probably be so excited about the project that you won’t know when to stop. I ticked all of these boxes my first few time gardening indoors and can tell you in no uncertain terms that if you fail to take the available space into account and accept your limits, you’re in for the mother of all headaches in no time at all.

There might be some truth to the idea that bigger plants will offer bigger yields, but this is only the case when they are provided with enough space, sufficient light and perhaps atmospheric conditions. As your growing space becomes more crowded, all of the above become impossible to control and chances are you’ll end up with far less than if you’re started out a little smaller.

You might also find that you’re tempted to keep your plants in the vegetative state for as long as you can stand, so as to see them grow bigger and stronger by the day. Trouble is, one you offer them the ideal conditions to begin flowering, they will continue to grow for some time to come and might just end up completely out of control.

I would estimate the at least 75% of first-timers attempt to grow their plants way too big the first time around…or in my case the second and third time around too!

9 – Pest Control

Laziness when it comes to looking after your garden’s cleanliness and hygiene can be lethal. What’s more, never think for one minute it is a case of adding a treatment once and then sitting back for months on end without a care in the world – it isn’t. What makes this particular problem so lethal for newcomers is the way in which most fail to treat or care for their plants until they notice a problem. After all, why fix something that isn’t broken?

I’ll tell you why…because nine times out of ten, by the time you notice bugs or signs of illness it is too late to do anything about them – the case is a fatal one. At this stage, no matter what your spray your pants with which will in most cases inflict damage in their own right, the bugs will come back and you will be banging your head against a brick word…figuratively speaking of course. Just as is the case with us humans, prevention is massively better and easier than cure, therefore a proactive approach is required and you must ensure bugs and pests are never given the chance to set up home.

The very best way of all to rule out a world of common plant diseases and problems is to give the whole of the growing area a thorough cleaning in-between all plantings, simply by using a dilute bleach solution. It is also of paramount important to filter all sources of incoming air, as otherwise you might be inadvertently giving the little buggers a free first-class ticket to the resort of their dreams.

There are also thousands of products and treatments designed to work specifically with different types of plants, though some are known to be more effective than others.

One saving grace comes by way of the fact that most dangerous infestations will usually begin with just one plant, rather than infecting the whole garden at the same time. As such, this means that those keeping a really close eye on everything will have something of a warning before the whole operation is laid to waste. If bugs and pests are detected, immediately have a look at how far they have spread as you might only have to remove a couple of plants – if you act carefully and quickly! You must also be aware of the danger signs of bugs without actually having to come face to face with them, therefore consider studying a few images online depicting what you should be looking out for.

The truth about bugs is that keeping them at bay is an ongoing war you have every chance of winning, if you are willing to make the effort. However, at least for the plant in question, once you see they’ve crossed into your territory, this is one battle you’ve probably lost already.

10 - Observation

All growers at all levels like to think that they carry out close enough observation of their plants, but in my experience the vast majority do no such thing. If you think that popping your head around the door from time to time just to see if the lights are still working will do, let me be the first to inform you otherwise. You need to get up close and personal with your plants on a regular basis and for extensive periods of time. You need to examine them, feel them, smell them and take note of any changes you notice along the way. Look under, over and behind the leaves rather than just directly at them. Examine the growing medium to make sure it is of the desired quality. Take any damage or danger signs seriously for the sake of the rest of the crop. Don’t ever be afraid to sacrifice one stunning plant for the sake of another. In fact, I personally recommend investing in a cheap magnifying glass and getting closer to your new babies than ever before – good observation is step one, two and three when it comes to controlling and treating common problems.

Now you are armed with everything you need to start on the path of successful gardening. So make a start and take pleasure in the tasting of the fruits of all the hard work – most of all…….. ENJOY IT!!

PLEASE HELP GENUINE AUTHORS

Have you ever purchased a book on Kindle based on reviews only to be completely disappointed by the poor quality content and completely bewildered by the rating the book achieves? I know I have.

These types of books have been overinflated by unrealistic reviews in order to obtain better placement within the kindle ranking system and to gain more sales.

This damages genuine independent authors who have been given the opportunity by the likes of Amazon to get their work seen and hopefully enjoyed by readers who would have otherwise never been reached.

I would ask you to help in policing the kindle market place by giving honest reviews to books you purchase. This way we will see equilibrium restored with good books rising to the top and poor quality books being put in their place.

I would therefore encourage you please to take a minute of your time to leave an honest review of this book and my work.

Many thanks

Table of Contents

Copyright

WILL ANYTHING GROW HERE?

ELECTRICAL CONCERNS

GET GROWING

EBB AND FLOW

NFT

LOGGING AND LABELLING

GERMINATION OF SEEDS

ORGANIC ENHANCERS AND BASE NUTRIENTS

INTRODUCING LIGHT

HEALTHY MOTHER PLANTS

CUTTINGS BASICS

GROWING FROM SEED.

10 TOP TIPS TO LOOK OUT FOR

PLEASE HELP GENUINE AUTHORS