Tips for Indoor Farming with Growlight Gardens

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Indoor Farming with Growlight GardensGrowing fresh is easier than ever!
The perfect all-in-one home garden to grow fresh herbs, produce and microgreens all year round, using either conventional T5HO Full Spectrum lighting, or LED Full spectrum lighting

 

Indoor Farming with Growlight Gardens

  • Getting Started

Fill your seed trays with loose soil. We recommend adding a little Perlite or Vermiculite to the soil for aeration and water retention, plus organic fertilizer (follow instructions on the package). Or, you can simply use a good quality organic growing medium which has the ideal mixture already prepared (including organic fertilizer). We recommend PRO-MIX Organic Vegetable & Herb Mix.

Next, slightly moisten the soil and add seeds following the directions on the seed package or small plants, sowing and spacing your seeds and plants according to the instructions provided. Mist your soil with water once your seeds have been planted. Make sure there is moisture in the soil before you leave your seeds to germinate.

  • See the results

Over the next few days you will notice your micro greens sprouting, and transplants developing more leaves. Once that happens you can now fill the base reservoir with water and wet the Wicking Mat before you put it in, black side facing up. Now you can place your seedling trays on top of the wicking mat and turn on the Grow Light Garden light fixture.

  • Watering

From here on, maintaining your plants is simple. Always make sure the base reservoir on the Grow Light Garden is full of water. The roots of your plants will soak up as much water as they need, which will prevent over-watering.

  • Day & Night

Keep your plants on a regular daily schedule by turning the light on in the morning and turning it off at night, before going to sleep, or place your Grow Light Garden on a timer for 16-18 hours a day.

  • Harvesting
Indoor Farming with Growlight Gardens

Indoor Farming with Growlight Gardens

Harvesting your herbs and micro greens depends on each individual plant. Micro greens are usually harvested once the leaves become full and the stocks have three or more leaves. To harvest, cut the shoots just above the soil with scissors.

Many herbs and micro greens will regrow and can be cut several times. Sprouts are single crop harvests and require you to restart the growing process once you harvest.

  • Storage

When stored properly in a plastic container, fresh herbs, micro greens and sprouts will keep for up to 6 weeks in your refrigerator.

Wicking – How it works

Place your growing trays on top of the watering platform. The wicking mat will naturally absorb and draw water across the length of the watering platform. The water reaches the roots of your plants through the holes in the bottom of your growing trays. This ensures optimal water distribution and no worry of over watering, as your plants will only soak up as much water as they require. The base is your reservoir, fill part way and check to maintain a good supply of water for your plants.

Light Adjustment – How it works

Once your garden is assembled, use the height adjustment collars to support the canopy at the desired height above your growing medium. You may have to start with the canopy quite close to the plants and then move up gradually as the plants begin to develop.

Practical Growing Advice

To grow successfully from seed, there are three key ingredients: food, light and water. Food and water can be supplied by you, while the Grow Light Garden provides the missing ingredient, thanks to the full spectrum light provided.

Once plants develop and become established, they will benefit from the addition of a liquid fertilizer. For dosage rates, please refer to the user instructions provided by the manufacturer.

When you initially plant your seeds, the canopy can be positioned at its maximum height. Once the seedlings sprout, lower the base of the canopy to about 6 cm from the sprouts. This keeps the seedlings short and stubby rather than long and skinny. As the plants continue to grow, keep moving the canopy, maintaining the distance of 6 cm.

It is important to remember that darkness part of the natural growing cycle for plants. Give your plants a rest by turning the lights off for a period of time each day. Most vegetables, herbs and garden flowers are “long day” plants, and thrive with an average of 16 hours of light per day. Consider using an automatic timer or simply switch off the lights when you go to bed.

Growing Trays

We recommend rotating the Growing Trays once a week as the is more intense in the centre of the unit than at each end.

Having extra sets of Growing Trays allows you to start the germination process before the final harvesting of your current crop. Keen gardeners can also get a “head start” by raising early season seedlings for the garden or greenhouse. The four individual growing trays allow for easy succession planting.

You can purchase extra sets of Growing Trays here.

Wicking Mats

The Wicking System provides a capillary movement where it draws water from the base reservoir, via the wicking mat and carries it to the tray bottom. These trays have been specifically engineered to allow for just the right amount of water to enter the growing medium. Once the plants have germinated and beginning to sprout, place them on the wicking mat.

No guesswork as to how much or when to water, we done the work for you. The trays design also allow for proper air circulation between the wicking mat and the tray bottom providing good air movement and helping to keep the root zone healthy and happy. A lack of air flow may cause a fuzzy growth to appear on the mat. A little desk fan blowing gently across the trays will prevent this, as well as warmer room temperatures.

The wicking mats can be washed with a bleach solution and air dried. Using two tablespoons of household bleach in one gallon of water, wash the mats thoroughly, rinse in clear water, and do not wring out but hang to drip dry.

If the Wicking Mat does need replacing you can purchase extra Wicking Mats here.

Grow Lights

The Grow Light Garden provides 6400 Kelvin light bringing the perfect balance of white, red, blue, green and yellow light for your plants. What is more, that is provided all year round, even during the dark winter months. We recommend cleaning the Grow Light tubes as needed, as dust can significantly reduce the light output.

Each standard T5HO Grow Light Tube can last for up to 10,000 hours, but there may come a time when it will need to be replaced. Always turn off the power to Grow Light Garden when inserting, adjusting or removing light tubes. Replacement T5HO Grow Light Tubes can be obtained here: 24-inch for regular Growlight Gardens, 12-inch for Micro Growlight Gardens,

If you purchased a GrowLight Garden with LED lighting, you may never need to replace the light tubes. Their estimated life is approximately 50,000 hours, or 11 years with average usage.

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