Top 5 must-have gadgets for indoor growing

Indoor growing is an art that can take many years to master. While you can learn the basics from books, some tricks you have to discover yourself or pick up from more experienced colleagues. We asked seasoned growers what must not be missing from their equipment, and we also selected five top tips that will take your growing to the next level.

pH and EC meter – When growing indoors it's very important to pay attention to the quality of the water you use to water the plants. pH meters are used to check the acidity of the irrigation water, which affects the uptake of nutrients by the plants. An environment that is too acidic or too alkaline prevents plants from absorbing essential nutrients. An EC meter (conductivity meter) is indispensable for correct fertilizer dosing. With this device you can find out how many dissolved salts (nutrients) the water contains. Investing in a pH and EC meter will save you a lot of trouble and money. Incorrect pH or over-fertilizing with mineral nutrients can easily cost you the entire harvest.

You might be interested in: What you need to know about the water you use for irrigation

Heating – Stable and controlled temperature is key to high yields when growing indoors. Too large a difference between night and day temperatures or a temperature a few degrees lower will affect the plants' metabolism and, above all, how quickly they absorb nutrients. Tube heaters are useful mainly in the winter months, but you can also use them to equalize temperature differences when lights are off and on.

Dehumidifier – Too high humidity in the growing area is a frequent source of problems when growing indoors. In a humid environment molds and many pests thrive and the plants cannot transpire sufficiently. Dehumidifiers are especially useful in the second half of the growth cycle, when plants consume large amounts of water and at the same time need drier conditions for ripening.

You might be interested in: Advanced climate control – VPD and transpiration

Support nets – Less experienced growers often misjudge how much their plants will expand after switching to flowering. When the tops are already almost rubbing against the grow lights, it's often too late to bend or trim the plants. In the best case overgrown plants can mean the loss of the best yield, in the worst case a fire hazard. That's why our sellers often advise customers to buy a support net with a new growbox, which gives the grower greater control over plant growth. Support nets also serve as support for ripening tops weighed down by flowers.

Sprayer – Many growers regularly wet their plants with water or treat them with preventive sprays. If you are just starting with indoor growing, the idea of regular treatments with a small handheld sprayer may not seem like hard work. Experienced growers know, however, that an investment of a few hundred crowns in a quality pressure sprayer will pay back many times over in saved time and effort.

Just starting to grow and looking for tips on basic equipment? Check out Buying a growbox from A to Z and other articles on the Higarden blog, where you will find everything about indoor growing under artificial lighting.