Exotic plants can grow year-round in a closet grow room.
Growing vegetables, herbs and flowers in a closet is a convenient way to keep them alive year-round, regardless of the weather outside. Indoor growing also allows you to grow your favorite, non-native plants that may not survive in your climate. Before you start planting, you need to design your closet grow room to provide plenty of light, air and heat to your growing plants. In proper conditions, your indoor garden will flourish. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Paint the closet with white reflective paint. If you prefer not to repaint, cover the walls in aluminum foil. Other wall covering options include Styrofoam, which may help in cold rooms, as it heats up the closet; and Mylar, which professor Kent Kobayashi at the University of Hawaii recommends.
2. Place Styrofoam sheets on the floor for insulation.
3. Install an exhaust fan in the closet for ventilation. Install the fan in the doorway, where it can suck air from the main room and circulate it through the closet.
4. Purchase fluorescent lights to hang directly over the plants. If your closet is too small for the common 4-foot light fixture, look for a 2-foot fixture.
5. Arrange the plants in pots. Place them on a shelf or table with slats in the bottom in the closet. The slats allow light from the Styrofoam floor to return to the plants and warm the roots.
6. Hang the fluorescent lighting fixture from the ceiling or a shelf, adjusting the length so the lights hang a few inches above the plants. As the plants grow, shorten the chains accordingly.
Tags: closet grow room, grow room, lights hang, plants grow, your closet
