Indoor Gardening Read Online Free Page B

trays from pets, children and spills. To provide it with the light that the seed requires, you can use grow lights. If you do not have access to these specialized lights or can’t afford them, you can make your own with the help of white and natural daylight tubes or  two ‘cool white’ fluorescent tubes. These will ensure that the seeds get just enough light. Remember the light should be just above, preferably at a height of 2-4 inches above the tray. Keep the light on for about 12-16 hours.
    One other very important aspect that contributes to the healthy germination of your seeds is the heat at the bottom of the seed tray. Owing to the moisture content the temperature could drop by at least 5 degrees Fahrenheit. To ensure that temperature stays comfortable, use special heating mats designed for this purpose. A word of caution – if you are using a timer for the lights you installed above the seedlings, do not plug the heat mats into the same source.

W ATER AND F ERTILIZER
    The potting mix should be maintained moist for the seeds to germinate well. The best is to use a gentle spray to add water daily. However, you could also add water carefully while ensure that the mix is drained well. You do not want to rot the seeds.
    You do not need to fertilize the potting mix; the readymade potting mix has all it needs. However, once the seedling has acquired a few leaves, it will be good to add a weak general purpose water-soluble fertilizer mixed one-fourth strength every week. Add water as required for the rest of the week.

T RANSPLANTING T IME
    Once the seedling is strong enough with leaves and a strong upright stem, it is time to move it into its own container. You still need to mark it for it is yet to look anything like the mature plant it is intended to be. Lift seedlings by the root-ball, using a spoon or plant tag for support if necessary. Never hold the seedling by its stem, as you may crush it, or harm the growing tip. Crushing a leaf does not matter much for the plant will soon get a new leaf; however, if the stem is damaged, your plant might die or grow badly and you do not want that.

C HAPTER 6. P LAYING G OD – H OW T O C ONTROL T HE C LIMATE F OR Y OUR I NDOOR G ARDEN
    There are three major aspects that would control the climate necessary for your indoor gardening: (1) temperature, (2) lighting, and (3) humidity. Each one of these aspects is critical to the life of your plants and their development. It may look and sound very complicated to ensure the perfect climate for your plants, but it is not. Of course, you need to initially research the plants you plant to grow and their requirements. Once you have that down, regulating indoor climate is not that difficult with the modern appliances available today.

T EMPERATURE
    Most plants are happy with a temperature of 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Plants consume more energy when the temperature is warm than when it is cold. They will definitely adapt to a cooler room – for example rooms with air conditioner - but it will stress out the plants because they need warm temperature in the daytime and cool at night.
    Air conditioning (making the room cold in the day time) would confuse the plant and interfere with its ability to carry out photosynthesis. The plant will start photosynthesis at night (when the temperature rises) and there will be no light to help it produce food. The result will be a sick plant which will soon die if the climate is not corrected. It’s okay to run your air conditioning if you have house plants in the summer! Just make sure that it’s not below 65 degrees and that your plants aren’t directly underneath a cold vent.
    For best results you should provide at least a 10 degree fall in temperature at night (this will most likely happen naturally unless you’re running air conditioning 24/7). Pay special attention to this aspect in the summer when the temperatures tend to remain high even at night. If the climate is not corrected, the plants