Row by Row Episode 139: Using Indoor Grow Light for Seed Starting
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Benefits of Using Indoor Grow Lights
When it comes to growing indoors under grow lights there are many benefits that will make gardening easier for you. An important benefit is the quicker harvesting cycle that can be caused by using LED lights which enables you to change the daylight hours to maximize overall plant growth. Another benefit is growing healthier plants when using LED lights they aren't putting off harsh heat or other elements that will make the plant feel like it's overworking itself. You are also saving a lot more energy and water on growing vegetables indoors which is an overall plus any gardener.
Kitchen Garden Grow Light Kit
The Kitchen Garden Light Kit was developed to allow you to grow your own salads and microgreens in your home or office. This grow light kit is ideal for growing lettuce and herbs such as arugula, basil, garlic chives, Italian oregano, thyme, and many more. You can easily sit this grow light kit in the window seal and begin to have herbs and microgreens at arm's length in the kitchen homestead.
Indoor Seed Starting Grow Light Kit
The Indoor Seed Starting Light Kit allows you to grow your own vegetable transplants indoors. This kit can be used to grow any vegetable, herb, or flower transplants. You can densely plant lettuce or greens in the base tray so plants can be cut and harvested multiple times for a continuous food source inside your home.
Grow Light Growing Instructions:
- Step 1: Fill the trays with seed starting mix and wet the soil so the entire tray is moist.
- Step 2: Sprinkle seeds on top of the wet seed starting mix and lightly press the seeds into the seed starting mix.
- Step 3: Use a light dusting of seed starting mix to cover the seeds.
- Step 4: After seeding, gently water over 1 to 2 times a day with a spray bottle. You should continue to do this until seeds sprout and produce roots that extend to the bottom of the tray.
- Step 5: Once seeds germinate, turn on the lights and lower the light canopy so that it sits a few inches above the plants. As the plant begins to grow, raise the light canopy so that it sits a few inches above the plant vegetation. Maintain a daily light schedule similar to your outdoor conditions. (Morning= Lights On, Evening= Lights Off)
- Step 6: Once roots are established, you can use the reservoir tray and wicking mat to "bottom water" the trays. Wet the wicking mat and place it between the platform and trays, black side up. Keep the water reservoir full so that the wicking mat can draw water from it. The plant roots will obtain as much water as they need, which will prevent over-watering.
Show and Tell Segment
On the show and tell segment this week, Greg and Mrs. Hoss share what's happening in the greenhouse and in the vegetable garden. Greg mentions that he is behind in the garden due to all the rainfall we've had in the South recently. He wasn't able to plant potatoes on time this year and he just now getting watermelon transplants going in the greenhouse. Although, we are running behind we are pushing forward in the garden and hoping for some better weather conditions in the future. Mrs. Hoss has her raised beds ready to go once the weather is nice for spring planting. She has harvested all of her carrots, beets, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts. They discuss some new varieties that have just been added to the site this week. The first new variety is a hot pepper known as Trapio Serrano Pepper which is a hybrid that produces abundant yields of extra larger peppers. The next new variety is Grenade Squash which is a hybrid zucchini squash that produces egg-shaped fruits on prolific plants. Another new variety is the Flatso Pumpkin that produces unique oval-shaped pumpkins that are great for eating or decorating. Two of the newer bean varieties we just added are the Roma II Bush Bean and the Pink Half Runner Bean which are both productive old heirloom varieties. Another new heirloom variety is White Acre Pea that produces compact plants with small green peas with a creamy texture and nutty flavor profile.
Viewer Questions
For the Q & A segment this week, the guys answer some viewer questions about trellising tomatoes, soil testing, and growing peanuts in the garden. Most of the time Greg and Travis prefer to do the " frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen> ">Florida Weave method in order to trellis tomatoes in the vegetable garden. If you have four 30 x 35' plots with 10' runways, you should be fine taking one soil sample in order to get an accumulative test done. As of right now, Greg's garden is not set-up for growing peanuts in the garden.