It’s probably no surprise that
adequate illumination tops our list of
indoor growing essentials.”
Clean any tools you plan to bring indoors too. There’s a
difference between cleaning and sanitizing your garden-
ing tools and other gear. If you’ve had a disease-free
summer in the garden, you may be able to get away
with giving your implements a soak and light scrub with
liquid detergent. If you’ve had fungus or other problems,
sanitize your tools after cleaning them. This will help
ensure you aren’t preserving pathogens along with your
plants. Here are a number of sanitizing products are
popular with gardeners:
BLEACH - One of the least-expensive options is a soak in
one-part liquid bleach to nine-parts water for a dwell time
of about 30 minutes. Most people have bleach on hand, so
this is convenient too. Concentrated or long exposure to
bleach can cause reactions in metals like stainless steel
and aluminum, and bleach may also react with nylon and
some other plastics. If you have high-end tools and testing
equipment to worry about, keep that warning in mind.
Otherwise, your trowel will probably be okay after a dip in
a mild bleach sanitizing solution.
ALCOHOL - Both isopropyl alcohol and ethanol can
be used to sanitize tools and pots. They have a slight
advantage over bleach in that a quick wipe down instead
of a long soak will do the trick. Prefer a 70 per cent solution
or better. Alcohol is flammable, so use caution too.
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE - Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is
used as a sanitizer in the food service industry and for
some hydroponic applications, but the concentrations
are higher at 35 per cent compared to the three per cent
solution you’ll find at your local drug store. At lower
concentrations, hydrogen peroxide is less effective than
either bleach or alcohol. You can source concentrated H 2 0 2
through either a local hydroponic supply outlet or food
service goods wholesaler.
There are also prepared products like pine cleaners you
can use as disinfectants. They are better at killing patho-
gens than soap and water but are not as effective as sani-
tizers. Whatever you choose, work outdoors to minimize the
risk of inhaling fumes and avoid mixing ingredients, which
could cause unexpected chemical reactions.
Evaluate Your Indoor Space
Once you identify your “commuter” plants, find a compatible
place for them indoors for the duration. Plants that go
dormant during winter need very little attention beyond
moving them to a cool, dark, and dry location, so we’ll move
on to plants that will need regular care over the winter
months. These will probably be the bulk of your collection,
and they will require adequate light, stable temperatures,
and increased humidity. Matching plants with the best
indoor environment you have available is the key to helping
them acclimate successfully. There are some important
things to consider:
LIGHT - You know light is essential to a plant’s survival, so
it’s probably no surprise that adequate illumination tops our
list of indoor growing essentials. Most plants need at least
six hours of light a day. Unobstructed sunlight reaching
plants should be bright enough to cast a shadow on the floor
when you interpose your hand, which, in winter, can be a
tall order if you’re relying solely on natural light. The days
are shorter during winter and the light itself is less intense.
All other things being equal, a south-facing window will
provide more light than an east-facing window, which, in
turn, will provide more light than a north-facing window.
You may have to juggle plants around a bit until you find
the best situation for them.
For a more accurate take on the light intensity you have to
offer going forward, invest in a dedicated light meter. There
are also a number of light meter apps on the market that may
work with your smartphone or other device.
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