DIY Grow Box

Grow boxes are like tiny greenhouses.

Grow boxes are a great way to grow plants during the dark winter months. Grow boxes have built-in lights that mimic the sun's rays, allowing you to grow plants inside or during the dark months of winter. All you need are a few simple supplies and you'll soon have yourself a little indoor garden.

Things You'll Need

• 3 gallon tub with lid
• 1 string of white or blue LED Christmas lights
• 1 string of red LED Christmas lights
• Drill with 1/4-inch drill bit
• Hot glue gun

Instructions

1. See how many lights are on your string and determine a grid that will work on lid. This grid is where you will place each bulb on your string of lights, so make sure it is evenly distributed across the entire lid. For instance, if your string had 35 lights, you could do five rows of seven bulbs each.

2. Mark your grid out on the lid, making sure to cover the entire thing. Drill your holes.

3. Check your lights before assembling your box. You might need to get a new string of lights if they look a little dim. A string of 50 lights should produce 4 watts. Aim for producing between 9 and 12 watts.

4. Once your lights have been checked, glue each bulb into the holes, alternating your white/blue and red lights. The red lights should keep your plants from getting leggy.

5. Place your plants inside the box and watch them grow. You can have your plants planted in small pots or DIY newspaper pots (which can transfer directly into the ground later). Remember to water when needed and your plants will flourish.

Tips & Warnings

• If necessary, you may drill more holes along the top quarter of the tub itself to fit more lights in.

References

• Cheap Vegetable Gardener: Cheap LED Grow Box
• Holiday LEDs: How to Calculate Energy Savings of LED Lights