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Year round gardening is a very simple, and easy to use method for growing your favorite vegetable varieties in a greenhouse or indoors all year long. The key to gardening year round is in your lighting, which will be the first step discussed in year long gardening. The second step being your temperature and humidity control. Finally, you will be given a few simple tips to ensure your success.
YEAR ROUND GARDENING: LIGHTING
Prepare your garden by adding at least 25 watts of cool white fluorescent per square foot(more or less as needed, less for greenhouses, more for completely enclosed gardens). The idea is to keep continuous lighting on your plants. For greenhouses, you can cut your lights off during a particularly sunny day. Lights, with all other needs met, is your only real gardening limitation. With supplemental fluorescent lighting you subsidize your cloudy days with nice healthy vegetative growth. At night, when the sun is down and most other plants are in a dormant state, your plants will be in continuous growth. Indoors you can add as much light as needed for your garden, although I wouldn't suggest anymore than 70 watts of light per square foot. Then, when the plants reach the height at which they would normally begin to fruit, you recreate the lighting that the plant would have at the time of year it fruits. For example: You have been growing tomato clones, in an indoor area, for 1(one) month under 45 watts per square foot, continuous lighting. They have reached a height of 30"-36". Now, assume you live in an area where tomatoes grow from April until September, and they usually begin showing their baby tomatoes growths from July until early-mid September. Then calculate the average amount of light during the day, during those months. In the Southeast U.S. it adds up to about 13 hours of light and 11 hours of darkness per 24 hour day. So, after your 1(one) month of continuous growth,(24 hours a day, 7 days a week)you would switch your lights from 24/7 lights, to 13 hours of light, and 11 hours of darkness per day.
*For an herb garden, leave the lights on your favorite herb plants continuously until they reach their desired height, aroma, texture, and flavor.
TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONTROL
Temperature and humidity are usually very easily controlled. Humidity is controlled by an installed ventilation fan, connected to a humidistat(available at Radio Shack). The humidistat should be set at about 50% humidity. For temperature control you can connect a space heater to a thermostat,(also available at Radio Shack) during cold conditions. To cool the room connect your thermostat to an installed ventilation fan. Keep your temperature range from 75-90 degrees farenheit. For your convenience, you can buy a humidistat/thermostat combination and connect to a single ventilation unit for climate and humidity control.
TIPS FOR YEAR ROUND GARDENING SUCCESS
1) For completely enclosed areas, make sure you have enough lighting for your plants growth. Atleast 25 watts of light per square foot.
2) Make sure your plants are at the usual height they begin to first bear fruit, before you switch from continuous lighting.
3)For an abundant herb garden harvest, simply leave your lights on continuously until they reach their desired harvest point.
4) Ensure your humidity is kept at 40%-60% humidity(50% being optimal) by installing a ventilation fan attached to a humidistat.
5) By adding a thermostat to a heater(for cold conditions) or ventilation fan(for warm conditions) you can optimize your rooms temperature to 75-90 degrees farenheit.
6) For added convenience install a combination humidistat/thermostat to a single ventilation fan to control hot, humid conditions.
7) Monitor your plants growth and experiment a little to begin with. With practice, you too can grow your favorite vegetables indoors year round.
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