New Plant Setup
I decided that today was the day to upgrade my indoor garden. The previous setup was on the floor, with a sawhorse over the plants, and a 400 watt metal halide lamp dangling from underneath the sawhorse over the plants. The problems with that situation mostly stem from the fact that it was too close to the ground.
It was hard to keep clean and it was difficult to keep moisture from damaging the hardwood floor. It also allowed for no storage space, so the usable plant space was limited by the bottles of fertilizer, packets of seeds, extra pots, etc. Finally, it wasn’t as appealing to the eye. The plants were down low, when they should be high up and visible.
To remedy the situation, I took an old table we were no longer using, attached a piece of plywood to the top to make it a little longer, a little wider, and to provide a durable surface that I could drill into. Then I extended the legs of the sawhorse to get the light a little higher. I put the sawhorse up onto the table, screwed it down to the plywood, and rehung the light. Now I had the entire surface of the table for plants, and the underside of the table for storage. If I ever decide to set it up a notch, I’ll be able to move the storage to the side (maybe build some little shelves down there?) and then hang some small lights underneath the table for seed starting.
To celebrate the new setup and increased space, I planted sugar snap peas, green peppers, columbine flowers, basil, chives and dill. Hopefully in time we will have fresh veggies around once again. Food is much more satisfying when it includes things you grew yourself. Even if you just keep a few pots of herbs on a windowsill, its a nice feeling to be able to add a few leaves of fresh basil or chives to your meal.
Monday 28 Apr 2003 | Sam | Uncategorized