We need a trillion more indoor plants.

[freeztar]

At 50 cents a day, that's still 90 bucks for 180 days. For a few pepper plants, this seems to be a show killer for me (right now anyway).

Perhaps it makes sense to start out smaller, maybe with just a single 50w setup with some other type of food plant that requires less light. Suggestions are welcome.

[JMJones0424]

Lettuce and other leafy greens can be grown in reflected light in a window sill with supplemental lighting from cheap fluorescents.

If you have an aquarium, you can rig up a little aquaponics setup with the lettuce too.

I actually prefer to grow lettuce indoors, as I hate having to wash away all the aphids that get on the leaves in my garden. Another bonus is that these plants have a quicker harvest time, don't require as much planting media, and produce a larger percentage of edible biomass than higher vegetables.

The key to using fluorescent lights for growing is to keep them CLOSE to the plant. The light itself is very low intensity, and the inverse square law means that even one foot away, the light is practically worthless.

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by freeztar

In an effort to follow through with this thread's proposal, I'm thinking about growing several plants in my basement. I seem to remember some nice self-contained grow boxes on the market years ago, but I'm having trouble finding one now.

I have quite a bit of room to work with, but only 2 electrical outlets (one of which is reserved-so one outlet). I'd like to grow some peppers, but I realize that I'll need some good lighting and some kind of contained setting. I'd like it to be as low maintenance and cheap as possible. Any recommendations?

Sorry I missed this for some reason. I don't know much about hydroponics beyond my little dabbling here and there. JMJones covers that pretty dang well. But if you aren't going to go the hydroponic route, using an amended soil with char, mycorrhizae, vermicompost, etc. will definitely help boost productivity under less-than-desirable conditions.

I might even recommend growing edible mushrooms, like those you can get from Paul Stamets's site (Fungi Perfecti), since 'shrooms don't need no stinkin' light.

[Chacmool]

Sadly, I cannot even keep a cactus alive indoors. At least the outdoor plants can count on some rainwater every now and again, and that's probably why they have a much better survival rate than the ones that depend solely on me.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by maikeru

I might even recommend growing edible mushrooms, like those you can get from Paul Stamets's site (Fungi Perfecti), since 'shrooms don't need no stinkin' light.

Great suggestion!
I drool at Paul Stamets's catalogue.
Fascinating stuff.
All banned i would think by our feral customs (some ajoining States can't even "import" some plant material from a sister State).

PS added later

Originally Posted by Chacmool

Sadly, I cannot even keep a cactus alive indoors. At least the outdoor plants can count on some rainwater every now and again, and that's probably why they have a much better survival rate than the ones that depend solely on me.

I don't think it would be possible to keep a cactus alive indoors. Maybe in a tanning-bed perhaps-or short visits indoors say for the peyote ceremony.
ISTM they are deigned for searing 18 hour sun and low low, low humidty
There are lots of things like lower light-like rainforest understory plants. I like cymbiduium orchids. Very hardy here, when they finish flowering you toss 'em outside until they get the urge again.

Getting a reputation as a "good gardener" comes from killing fewer plants than you buy or propagate or steal. Everyone -and most live things- kills plants! Heck plants even kill plants!

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

Great suggestion!
I drool at Paul Stamets's catalogue.
Fascinating stuff.
All banned i would think by our feral customs (some ajoining States can't even "import" some plant material from a sister State).

PS added later

I don't think it would be possible to keep a cactus alive indoors. Maybe in a tanning-bed perhaps-or short visits indoors say for the peyote ceremony.
ISTM they are deigned for searing 18 hour sun and low low, low humidty
There are lots of things like lower light-like rainforest understory plants. I like cymbiduium orchids. Very hardy here, when they finish flowering you toss 'em outside until they get the urge again.

Getting a reputation as a "good gardener" comes from killing fewer plants than you buy or propagate or steal. Everyone -and most live things- kills plants! Heck plants even kill plants!

It's not even possible to buy edible mushroom kits in Australia?

[Moontanman]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

I don't think it would be possible to keep a cactus alive indoors. Maybe in a tanning-bed perhaps-or short visits indoors say for the peyote ceremony.
ISTM they are deigned for searing 18 hour sun and low low, low humidty

Actually if you have a relatively sunny window or a well lit sun room many cacti can indeed live indoors. Some do better than others and indoor humidity suits cacti quite well. Indoor growth is largely slow and spindly compared to growth in full sun. Now for the record Peyote is a rather special type of cacti and has unusual needs in light, humidity, and soil composition but we are just talking about cacti in general... right?

[Ganoderma]

agreed, many cacti will grow indoors, especialyl epiphytes and tropical species. even peyote will grow well indoors but sepcies like that are from different cliamtes and will grow tall and skinny adn tend to rot easier than normal.

if you want easy to grow indoor cacti try christmas cacti, orchid cacti and others along those lines. they do quite well indoors by windows, even in northern countries. If your looking to hold a peyote ceremony, best be thinking about a greenhouse lol.

[Chacmool]

Thanks for the cactus advice, Michaelangelica, Moontanman and Ganoderma! Maybe I just had the wrong type of cactus. It gets very hot where I live, so the climate shouldn't be a problem.

Have you ever tried growing cacti from seeds? I recently got some cactus seeds, but I wonder how long they'll take to grow and how successful the endeavour will be.

[Michaelangelica]

It's not even possible to buy edible mushroom kits in Australia?

I have only ever sen two varieties of fungi-in kits- sold.
Our import/customs rules are very strict.

Have you ever tried growing cacti from seeds? I recently got some cactus seeds, but I wonder how long they'll take to grow and how successful the endeavour will be.

No, i imagine it could be difficult.. Then again if you convince the seed that the 'good times' are here (water) they may sprout- like 'hairs on a rats back' as the OTs say. . I would imagine seed might have a hard coat. This might need filing
I did purchase some peyote seeds from ebay (or the Lucifer-the-light-bearer, side of my personalty did).
The Michaelanglica side, promptly lost them.
BUGGER!!!