If your thinking of building an indoor setup for your winter pepper projects, or as a controlled breeding grounds to work on your newest interesting crosses. But dont really know where to start.Look no further as I plan to make this a sticky thread full of information, reviews, trials, errors, links to much-needed data, threads, and other test about growing peppers indoors. But first a basic walkthrough of the ground level information for success.
FIRST THING TO ADDRESS.
Your grow area what are your options. More area to cover more money to spend. Tent, homemade grow box, cabinet, closet, or room. As this will directly affect your whole setup so map it out first.
Tents: Can be very cheap to high-dollar, Depending on your personal budget and preference. Cheap brands include iPower and LA Garden range from $30-45 for small sized -- $110-130 for a large sized. Medium brands like, topogrow and Apollo will run $50-80 for small sized -- $170-230 for large sized. Higher brands like vivosun and gorrila grow range from $80-100 for a small sized -- $220-340 for larger sized. What I'm referring to as small is the 2x2x4 Large sized being 8x4x7. They come in all sizes and prices fluctuate according to more or less grow area.
Closet and Cabinet: Space is free of cost and usually a a cheaper route not given the size of your wife walk in closet it could get rather expensive. These setups capitalize on saving space, not consuming much energy, using small lights, and not cutting large chunks out of your pocket book.
Homemade grow cabinet or box: This is for the handyman or craftsman style approach to build your own you will need some materials tools and skills but I have personally seen some amazing results from people's hand-built setups also another thing about handmade setups is your building it so you can accommodate all of your own needs. Costs vary on availability of tools, materials, personal preference, and skill.
SECOND TOPIC I WILL DISCUSS
Now that we know the size of your grow area you're going to need adequate lighting to properly cover everything evenly. Optimal watts per spare foot for hps,mh,led 25-40 watts for low light plants such as herbs, lettuce, and leafy greens. 40-70 watts per square foot for high light plants peppers, tomatoes, flowering, and fruiting plants. Here are a few of your choices of grow lights.
LEDs: (varies, but usually heavy blurpurple or pink) *Low to med heat*
---
High pressure sodium: (low in blues usually paired with metal halide) * high heat* ---
Metal halide (low in reds) *high heat* ---
Dual Arc (Balanced) hps/mh combo bulbs
*high heat* ---
CFL and T5 (WILL require bloom and veg bulbs). *low heat* --
() is light spectrum info.
is heat output
cost to run
Hps,Mh,and dual arc also require a ballast. = more $$$$.
THIRD WILL BE
Ventilation: Grow area will need to be well ventilated. Here's why grow lights no matter what kind all produce heat. Light produces heat point blank. Even if your LED lights have cooling fans this will not be adequate ventilation. First, you need a fan above the lights pushing or pulling out hot air as it's rising. Second, a fan pulling in cooler air from outside the tent. Third, a oscillating fan to give the plants stems and branches rigidity and the nice Tropical Breeze they all desire. Plants naturally uptake CO2 to grow. If your grow room is not adequately ventilated CO2 levels will drop and your plants will not grow as well. Also circulating air helps control humidity too much humidity can cause large amounts of evaporating water to condensate on the roof of your grow area and rsin down on your lights and equipment. Also, leave everything to wet too long and you're inviting In pests molds mildews diseases and a soppy root system. Ideal humidity for pepper plants is 40-70% during veg and 40-50% in flowering.
SET UP THE SET-UP
Now that you have mapped out your area, calculated needed Watts,light coverage, and airation. Picked up appropriate lights, ventilation, thermometers, hydrometers, and timers it's time to set everything up fans, lights, hydroponic set-ups, timers, thermometers, hydrometers, reflective background, waterproofing bottom if needed. Then run overnight doors closed amd periodically check temps and humidity levels as you may need to adjust before you put in any plants. You wouldn't want to get an area setup for your prize plants to throw them into a LED conventional oven. If it is a homemade set up from things made in the old shed out back, or a setup in the old shed out back. Spray appropriately for pest before setting up then add extra preventive measures by spraying the outlying areas of the area. Make sure no electrical cords plugins or components are on the floor work supposed to run off water, high humidity, or heavy misting. Would hate to fry that new led or yourself none the less.
LAST AND MOST IMPORTANT
Put in the number of plants your area will accommodate. Begin regular feeding schedule and monitor closely for the first week. Make sure to keep adequate spacing to maintain light penetration and air flow.I strongly advise to train indoor plants to thier grow environment via multiple methods. Low stress training, Topping, FIMing, Scrog, and manifold or main lining. But do not Top or Fim during flowering.
EXTRA IN GENERAL TIPS
Finished plant size vs pot size
(Average roughestimates)
24" 2-3 gal
48" 5-7 gal
60+" 10gal+
Ideal soil ph for peppers 6.0 - 8.0
Hydro ph for peppers. 5.8-6.3
(Ppm of 400-700 for veg and 800-1400
for flowering/fruiting)
FIRST THING TO ADDRESS.
Your grow area what are your options. More area to cover more money to spend. Tent, homemade grow box, cabinet, closet, or room. As this will directly affect your whole setup so map it out first.
Tents: Can be very cheap to high-dollar, Depending on your personal budget and preference. Cheap brands include iPower and LA Garden range from $30-45 for small sized -- $110-130 for a large sized. Medium brands like, topogrow and Apollo will run $50-80 for small sized -- $170-230 for large sized. Higher brands like vivosun and gorrila grow range from $80-100 for a small sized -- $220-340 for larger sized. What I'm referring to as small is the 2x2x4 Large sized being 8x4x7. They come in all sizes and prices fluctuate according to more or less grow area.
Closet and Cabinet: Space is free of cost and usually a a cheaper route not given the size of your wife walk in closet it could get rather expensive. These setups capitalize on saving space, not consuming much energy, using small lights, and not cutting large chunks out of your pocket book.
Homemade grow cabinet or box: This is for the handyman or craftsman style approach to build your own you will need some materials tools and skills but I have personally seen some amazing results from people's hand-built setups also another thing about handmade setups is your building it so you can accommodate all of your own needs. Costs vary on availability of tools, materials, personal preference, and skill.
SECOND TOPIC I WILL DISCUSS
Now that we know the size of your grow area you're going to need adequate lighting to properly cover everything evenly. Optimal watts per spare foot for hps,mh,led 25-40 watts for low light plants such as herbs, lettuce, and leafy greens. 40-70 watts per square foot for high light plants peppers, tomatoes, flowering, and fruiting plants. Here are a few of your choices of grow lights.
LEDs: (varies, but usually heavy blurpurple or pink) *Low to med heat*
---
High pressure sodium: (low in blues usually paired with metal halide) * high heat* ---
Metal halide (low in reds) *high heat* ---
Dual Arc (Balanced) hps/mh combo bulbs
*high heat* ---
CFL and T5 (WILL require bloom and veg bulbs). *low heat* --
() is light spectrum info.
is heat output
cost to run
Hps,Mh,and dual arc also require a ballast. = more $$$$.
THIRD WILL BE
Ventilation: Grow area will need to be well ventilated. Here's why grow lights no matter what kind all produce heat. Light produces heat point blank. Even if your LED lights have cooling fans this will not be adequate ventilation. First, you need a fan above the lights pushing or pulling out hot air as it's rising. Second, a fan pulling in cooler air from outside the tent. Third, a oscillating fan to give the plants stems and branches rigidity and the nice Tropical Breeze they all desire. Plants naturally uptake CO2 to grow. If your grow room is not adequately ventilated CO2 levels will drop and your plants will not grow as well. Also circulating air helps control humidity too much humidity can cause large amounts of evaporating water to condensate on the roof of your grow area and rsin down on your lights and equipment. Also, leave everything to wet too long and you're inviting In pests molds mildews diseases and a soppy root system. Ideal humidity for pepper plants is 40-70% during veg and 40-50% in flowering.
SET UP THE SET-UP
Now that you have mapped out your area, calculated needed Watts,light coverage, and airation. Picked up appropriate lights, ventilation, thermometers, hydrometers, and timers it's time to set everything up fans, lights, hydroponic set-ups, timers, thermometers, hydrometers, reflective background, waterproofing bottom if needed. Then run overnight doors closed amd periodically check temps and humidity levels as you may need to adjust before you put in any plants. You wouldn't want to get an area setup for your prize plants to throw them into a LED conventional oven. If it is a homemade set up from things made in the old shed out back, or a setup in the old shed out back. Spray appropriately for pest before setting up then add extra preventive measures by spraying the outlying areas of the area. Make sure no electrical cords plugins or components are on the floor work supposed to run off water, high humidity, or heavy misting. Would hate to fry that new led or yourself none the less.
LAST AND MOST IMPORTANT
Put in the number of plants your area will accommodate. Begin regular feeding schedule and monitor closely for the first week. Make sure to keep adequate spacing to maintain light penetration and air flow.I strongly advise to train indoor plants to thier grow environment via multiple methods. Low stress training, Topping, FIMing, Scrog, and manifold or main lining. But do not Top or Fim during flowering.
EXTRA IN GENERAL TIPS
Finished plant size vs pot size
(Average roughestimates)
24" 2-3 gal
48" 5-7 gal
60+" 10gal+
Ideal soil ph for peppers 6.0 - 8.0
Hydro ph for peppers. 5.8-6.3
(Ppm of 400-700 for veg and 800-1400
for flowering/fruiting)
