The Outdoor Growing Season Is Ending … But Your Cultivation Doesn’t Have To!

Autumn has a bittersweet quality for growers. The outdoor harvest is approaching, and we will finally be able to enjoy the fruits of our labour. On the other hand, many of us will miss growing during the winter. Yet it does not have to be that way at all. Indoor growing, that is, growing plants indoors under artificial lighting, makes it possible to harvest all year round. Are you hesitant to try it? In the following lines, we will convince you that starting with indoor growing is not difficult.

There was a time when setting up an indoor growing operation required weeks of preparation, months of saving and years of perfecting the right technique. Over time, however, this method of growing developed from a questionable hobby into a lucrative industry. Today, artificial lighting is used not only to grow exotic plants, but also tomatoes, strawberries, herbs—in short, a large proportion of the food on the shelves of our shops. Modern indoor growing equipment is much more advanced and considerably cheaper than it was years ago. Virtually anyone can get started.

What indoor growing involves and what you need to get started

Anyone who paid attention at school knows that plants need water, nutrients, air and, above all, light to live. Without it, they would not be able to photosynthesise, that is, convert light energy into sugars, which they use to power their metabolism. The foundation of every indoor growing setup is therefore a light source that replaces the sun. 

In the past, high-pressure discharge lamps were used for this purpose, similar to those you know from old public street lighting. Pioneers of indoor growing discovered that these had the right spectrum for plant growth. However, discharge lamps had several disadvantages. They were expensive and inefficient, wore out quickly and could explode. In addition, it was necessary to alternate between growth and flowering discharge lamps during the growing cycle.

In recent years, discharge lamps have largely been replaced by LED grow lights. LED grow lights are more efficient, last much longer and are safe. In addition, LEDs have a better light spectrum, similar to natural light, so a single light is sufficient for the entire growing cycle. Last but not least, working with LED modules is easy, and anyone who can operate a switch can learn to use them.

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In addition to grow lights, you will need a grow tent – growbox in which to place the plants, light and other equipment. In theory, it is possible to grow plants under artificial light in a darkened cupboard or garage, but this is often impractical. It is easier to maintain complete darkness in the enclosed space of a tent, which is important. Many plants need the right day length and an uninterrupted night in order to flower.

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Another indispensable pillar of every growing setup is the ventilation system, which maintains the right climate inside the tent. An extract fan positioned in the upper part of the growbox expels air outside so that it can be replaced with fresh air. Without an extract fan, moisture would accumulate in the tent. Circulation fans are placed inside the tent, where they circulate the air.

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In addition to the light, tent and ventilation system, you will need a few other small items: timer, several metres of ducting, cable ties, odour filter, pots, growing medium and fertiliser. If you are just starting out with growing or simply are not technically minded, do not worry. We have put together complete indoor growing sets for you in various price categories, which only need to be assembled and connected. You do not need to choose or plan anything. Plug them into the electricity and start growing!

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And the price?

How much does it cost to purchase and operate an indoor growing setup? The total price and electricity requirements will depend primarily on the size of the tent and the power of the light. The larger the growing space and the more powerful the light, the higher not only the yields, but also the purchase price and operating costs.

The price of the cheapest sets with a growing area of up to 1 m² is around CZK 5,000. In such a box, you can grow one to three small plants. Standard-sized growing sets with a growing area of 1 to 2 m² cost approximately CZK 10,000 to 15,000. The most expensive growing sets cost tens of thousands of Czech koruna.

The basic rule of indoor growing is that the higher the power of the lights, the higher the expected yield. On the other hand, this logically also means that the growing setup will consume more electricity. To give you an idea, we have prepared an overview of the estimated operating costs of our sets. (For this approximate calculation, an electricity price of CZK 6/kWh was used.)

For a simple calculation of your own, allow for 18 hours of light per day during the vegetative phase and 12 hours during flowering. This works out at an average of approximately 15 hours of lighting per day for the entire cycle. Add approximately 20% for ventilation and other consumption. Please note that this calculation does not take into account the operating costs of air conditioning, a dehumidifier or heating.

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Has indoor growing caught your interest and would you like to learn more? You can find more guides and advice for indoor and outdoor growers on the Higarden blog.