How to Start Your Garden Indoors

How to save money by starting your vegetable and flowers yourself.

Step 1: Lights & Set Up

1. Find a space to set up tables and lights. I used a section of my basement. My husband enclosed the back corner and put a door on the room, so I can keep the heat regulated and be able to get in and out easily.

2. I use 2 heat lamps and on LED red and blue light I got off of amazon for $20 dollars. Hang them above your tables. I used nails/hooks in the beams of the basement ceiling. My lights are on a timer, so it acts like the sun until i place them outside. My timer is set up to turn on at sunrise and turn off at sunset.

3. Next I lined the tables with cardboard and then used old plastic feed bags on top of the cardboard to keep the table dry. I use any tables/shelves, old doors I can find. I keep adding more and more each year. I am going to need another light soon.

4. After the lights are up and the tables are covered. I lay out my planters.

Step 2: Planters, Soil and Seeds

1. I clean my planters every year with soap and water. I set them on top of the tables in the order I am going to plant.

2. I use a 5 gallon bucket to hold my soil and bat poop mixture. I mix it up well and start to fill up my planters.

3. Next, I sort my seeds by planting times. Some seeds I have saved from the season before and some are from other organic places/shops

4. Then, I use sticks and write out the plants names on the stick and place it in the planters. I have used labels but they always wash off/come off.

5. Last I plant the first set of seeds in the planters I have labeled.

Step 3: Heat & Water

1, I have a heater mounted on the wall and a gage to tell me the heat and humidity.

2. I keep the room about 78-82 degrees using the heater and lamps.

3. I water the garden when it needs it. The biggest mistake people make is over watering. So make sure your planters have a drain.

4. I have a standing fan that helps circulate the air.

Step 4: Waiting, Fertlizing and Replanting

1. Usually within a few days of light, heat and watering the seeds start to sprout.

2. After a few weeks I plant the next set of seeds, and so on for a few weeks until I have everything in my planters in the grow room.

3. During this time I am always checking to make sure everything is growing, if not, I replant again.

4. I also make my own fertilizer to use while the plants are growing in a spray bottle..

*One is 1 gallon of water and one tablespoon vinegar mixture. I spray that once a month on my plants/soil.

*Another one is 1 gallon of water 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ammonia, 1 tablespoon Epson salt, mix well and spray three times a month.

Step 5: Transition Plants Outside

1. Harden off plants for a few days..... outside during the day and bring in at night.

2. Then leave outside day and night.

3. Transplant flowers and plants to your garden and flowerbeds at fraction of the price of buying them at a nursery.

4. Water the plants everyday until they take to the flowerbed/garden.

5. Last, enjoy your new plants!

Step 6: Garden

1. Water

2. Enjoy!