Photo by Arthur Lambillotte on Unsplash
As many of you are aware we are currently experiencing a horrific energy crisis that is costing most of us so much in heating that our houses are perpetually freezing cold. So what does this mean for those who are growing indoors at the moment? It’s not good news I’m afraid but there are ways that you can save money and energy without having to sacrifice your crops. These cost-cutting measures cover reducing your energy prices, making the best use of your growing space, and reducing costs of equipment. So you’re totally covered while you struggle to even heat your home this winter. Let’s have a look at some of the things you can do to cut costs and cultivate beautiful plants during an energy crisis.
Equipment
First of all, let’s have a look at where you can be saving money with the equipment you use.
Energy Saving Lights
This is a bit of an obvious one but still a fantastic idea. Energy saving bulbs are a must have for your home and for your grow space this year. The best option is usually a type of LED grow light, which many prefer for their plants regardless of energy costs. They can save you a lot of money in the long run as well so definitely a good investment. Another reason that many growers swear by LED lights is that they don’t emit heat, so they won’t alter the carefully adjusted temperature of your growing space.
Insulation
This is going to be huge in the winter especially in colder climates. The last thing you want to be doing is spending a small fortune to make sure your plants stay warm. It makes more sense to invest in insulation for your grow room which will keep the heat in and the cold out. This is especially important in attics or basements. You probably want to go for higher quality insulation if you can because the better the quality the more money you will save in the long run.
Variable Settings On Equipment
Going for equipment that doesn’t just have on or off settings is definitely a must. If your equipment just has single settings it is likely to use far more electricity over time. You need something that allows you to control the voltage as well as being able to perfectly time when the equipment is needed as well as having different settings for different stages of plant growth. Types of equipment that usually have variable settings are fans, heaters and lights. While we are on fans you should also try to make sure you get the most efficient extraction fans that you can as these will be on almost constantly and can build up a lot of electricity charges.
Grow Space
There are a few different changes you can make to the grow space itself to ensure that you are growing in an energy efficient way.
Soil Free
Interestingly enough most growers suggest staying away from soil if you want to save money setting up your grow space. Buying good soil can be pretty expensive and isn’t necessary for creating healthy crops. A hydroponic system is recommended as you can circulate water, you only have to pay for the system once, and actually it can be better for your plants. Purifying and recycling the water can save huge amounts of money in your system whilst also being better for the planet.
Natural Light
If you can allow some natural light into your growing space it can really save money. Of course, natural light when growing indoors can be tricky. If you have a balcony, a large window, maybe sky lights in your growing space you can use natural light on sunnier days and save your electric lights for cloudier days.
Vertical Growing
If you are low on space and want to get the best out of your setup you might want to try vertical farming. You can fit so many more plants into your grow space without having to get more lights or fans. This will work especially well if you make sure you have plenty of reflective material on your ceiling, walls and floors, to ensure all of your plants get plenty of light.
Growing
Nutrients and Supplements
Of course, nutrients and supplements can be an important part of growing the best possible plants. They can also be extremely expensive, especially if you overdo it. There are many ways to grow happy and healthy plants without having to purchase extra nutrients and supplements. If you carefully choose your strains as well as monitoring your growing environment you should be able to save some money in this area and still grow outstanding
plants.
Strains
This is a huge part of saving money while you’re growing. There are so many different types of strains available and you need to consider the local climate before you start growing. Let’s assume for this particular article that you are growing in a cold climate. Purchasing a strain that thrives in hot climates means you’ll have to spend way more on heating and light in order to make sure that it’s happy. However, if you get a strain that thrives in cold weather you can keep your heat, light and bills a lot lower. I recommend one of the strains that goes a dark pretty purple colour when they get colder.
Roots
To ensure that your plants thrive while you’re saving money you really need to focus on the roots. They are a vital aspect of heating and cooling during various growth periods. If you look after the roots properly your plants will be able to withstand the cold better. In turn, this of course means that you will be able to keep the room temperature lower to save money. Some growers recommend a geothermal setup to keep the roots warm even if the rest of the room is cooler. Heating the space around the roots will cost you a lot less than heating the entire growing space.
Written by Tasha Porritt
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