BEGINNER'S CORNER
tA king char ge:
by Kathleen Marshall
Things You Need to Control in the Growroom
Being a successful indoor gardener means providing your
plants with all of the right growing conditions they need to thrive.
Here are four things they require on any given day.
Temperature
The average plant does well in daytime temperatures around
65-75°F. However, some plants prefer cooler or warmer
temperatures. For example, tomatoes and peppers prefer hot
weather and do best if the temperature is around 80°F during
the daytime. Cool-weather crops, like lettuce and spinach,
prefer cooler temperatures and thrive in temperatures as low
as 45°F. This means if you are using an unheated spare room
as your growroom, you may not need added heat if you plan
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Maximum Yield USA | December 2015
to grow cool-weather vegetables. However, if you plan on
growing fruiting vegetables, you will probably need an additional heat source. This may be as simple as adding a heat
lamp to the mix, or as complex as using a portable heating
or air-conditioning unit. Your choice will depend not only on
personal preference, but also on your budget. Another consideration that goes with maintaining optimal proper temperatures is insulation. Without adequate insulation, you will
require more energy to keep your growroom warm enough
in the winter and cool enough in the summer.