How to Grow Organic Vegetables Indoors With Grow Lights

Small vegetable plants and cultivars succeed in potted situations.

Outdoor vegetable gardens produce bright, lush growth and valuable harvests but take space, time and the appropriate seasons. Gardeners who want to keep their vegetable plots manageable and convenient grow the plants in pots and containers, inside or on a patio. Indoor growing requires the proper pots, soil and water, but it succeeds with natural and artificial light. Plant indoor organic vegetables and use standard light bulbs to encourage growth, bloom and fruiting.

Things You'll Need

• Lamps
• Light bulbs (cool and warm white)
• Pots
• Quick-draining potting soil
• Organic compost
• Fertilizer
• Fans

Instructions

1. Set up the growing site. Use standard lamps and warm- and cool-white light bulbs. Warm-white light bulbs encourage flowering, while cool-white light bulbs encourage vegetative growth. Use an equal number of both for healthy plants. Give 20 to 40 watts of light per foot of plant in an indoor garden.

2. Prepare 5- to 10-gallon pots and containers with drainage holes for growing. Mix quick-draining potting soil and organic compost in equal parts to build a planting medium, and add organic fertilizer or bone meal throughout. Follow manufacturer labels in regard to fertilizer amount. Read the labels when you're mixing soil to make sure that only organic materials are being employed. This mixture gives potted plants long-standing nutrition and moisture retention, with vitamins and minerals to start their growth. Fill the pots and containers three-fourths full of the soil mix.

3. Plant small vegetable plants and cultivars such lettuce, broccoli, beets, carrots, cherry tomatoes, beans and cauliflower. Smaller plants do better in pots and indoor growing situations than tall, bushy plants such as okra and corn.

4. Place the pots under the lights. Fill the pots with water to nourish the plants. Leave the lights on for six to eight hours a day. Water the plants every three to four days, and use to circulate the air for growth and pollination.

Tips & Warnings

• Feed vegetable plants on variety-specific calendars, with fertilizer appropriate to the variety.

References

• North Carolina State University; Container Vegetable Gardening; Larry Bass
• Ohio State University Fact Sheet; Container Vegetable Gardening; Karen Demboski, et al.
• The Growing Edge: Beginner's Growing Tips
• The Growing Edge: Light