7 Steps to Growing Food in Your Home!
Did you know you can grow food in your home year round? And its not very difficult, you could be set up and enjoying your own produce in less than 90 days. In this article, I'll walk you through the 7 straightforward steps to growing food in your home in 90 days or less!
1. Choose your plants
First you pick the plants you want to grow. Leafy greens and herbs are a great option, especially when you first start. They grow quickly, fit well in small spaces, and thrive in most home environments. Though with the right setup you can grow just about any crop indoors!
2. Choose a location
Once you know what you’re growing, you need to choose a grow location. When growing indoors, we want to create an environment that matches that which the plants naturally grow in. For example, leafy greens prefer a temperature between 60 and 75 degrees F and relative humidity between 40% and 60% (similar to many homes!). Basements often work great, but an extra room, closet, or even a garage can work well.
3. Build your hydroponic system
Hydroponics is the key to growing crops indoors. It allows for high yields in a small space and doesn’t require dirt. Choose a hydroponic system design that is productive, low maintenance and works well for the plants you want to grow. Check out our free guide to building your own hydroponic rail system, which is very effective for growing leafy greens, herbs and other plants.
4. Find a light source
For growing indoors you will need a light source. In some cases sunlight may be an option, but generally you will need a grow light. Grow light technology has come a long way in the past few years, especially with LED grow lights. For more info on choosing a light source, I wrote an article laying out some great options for grow lighting.
5. Set up support structure
Once you have your hydroponic system and a light source, you need a support structure. This can be as simple as using a sturdy table with hangers coming down from the ceiling for the light. Shelving systems work great as well and allow you to have multiple systems stacked vertically.
6. Start growing
At this point you are ready to grow! Plant seeds and add to your system. Once your plants start growing, you’ll add nutrients to the water in your hydroponic system. Nutrient management can seem intimidating, but in most cases it is very straightforward, especially once you have a rhythm down.
7. Enjoy fresh produce whenever you want
Last comes the fun part: harvesting! Since you are no longer dependent on seasons or weather, you can have fresh produce available anytime. With limited pests, your produce can be larger and tastier than anything you’ve ever grown. And you are immune from recalls or produce shortages!
Check out our free guide to building a hydroponic system and get started with your own setup! We’ve helped growers just like you go from an empty spot in their house to a productive mini farm.
