Growbox in an apartment building

Nearly one third of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic live in panel apartment buildings — that is approximately 2.7 million. We don’t have a count of how many growboxes are in those apartments, but from the statistics above we concluded that the following practical tips and information could be useful to many of our customers and readers.

Whether you live in a classic panel apartment or in a brick building, even a small flat can, thanks to modern grow tents allow you to harvest herbs, fruit or vegetables several times a year! Of course ornamental and houseplants are also a given, but today we will focus mainly on how to look after a home indoor garden economically and efficiently and how best to adapt it with regard to your neighbors and electricity consumption...

Choose a dark, cool corner

The basic prerequisite is the right choice of location for your homebox so that it does not get in the way of you or other household members and, most importantly, so that the plants have optimal conditions for healthy development. Choose a place that does not receive direct sunlight during the day. Discharge lamps — most commonly used as an artificial light source inside a grow tent — themselves generate a considerable amount of heat. Tents are often black, which, as you know, attracts light, but even if they aren’t, you certainly don’t want them to be passively heated from the outside, which is doubly important in summer. In winter, apartments are often overheated, exposing plants inside the grow box to the same risk. A smart solution, if the layout allows, is to place the grow box in a pantry, closet, wardrobe or even in a cellar, provided it is maintained and not too humid. A grow tent can also be placed in the kitchen without problems... For example, Homebox Vista models, finished in white, with their overall construction and attractive design, are practically made to find their place right in the kitchen! If you also have an unused corner of a room, a white tent with a triangular shape, like the one shown in the picture, fits perfectly.

HOMEBOX® Vista Triangle

Light source

As mentioned above, inside grow tents we most often encounter metal halide (MH) or sodium discharge lamps. However, it is worth investing in more modern artificial lighting sources for indoor growing, such as CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) or popular LEDs. You may pay a bit more than for ordinary discharge lamps, but the reward will be savings on electricity and, more importantly, better yields and higher-quality produce thanks to a full light spectrum that simulates natural sunlight for plants. And that’s why you started doing this, right? If it makes sense to you, we also warmly recommend CMH / LEC lighting, which combines the advantages of high-pressure discharge lamps and LED technology.

Discretion above all

A sufficiently quiet fan supported by a quality odor or carbon filter ideally combined with soundproofed ducting creates a combination that allows you to be completely at ease in an apartment, spare it for other residents of the building, and enjoy frequent happy harvests throughout the year. You will agree that there is no need to unnecessarily draw neighbors’ attention to the scent of your fresh herbs, and the discreet operation of silent fans will help maintain good neighborly relations and household comfort. Every apartment will also appreciate odor neutralizers for fresh air, and they don’t have to be used only for your harvest.

And one last tip. Did you know that with the help of an air ionizer you can easily create a mountain-like environment even in a panel apartment?

We hope this article helped you avoid unnecessary complications when indoor gardening in small and large flats, and if you want to ask us anything, feel free to write to us at the usual address info@higarden.cz.

- Grow tents (growboxes)
- Homebox Vista
- Lighting
- Ventilation
- Growbox kits