Indoor Gardening–Prevention

Indoor Gardening:

An Ounce of Prevention

Ever the optimist, I often find myself spreading the indoorgardening gospel without giving much lip service to its potential pitfalls. Even looking through past articles, it’s clear I have a tendency to soften the rough edges and paint a more pristine picture of growing your own food than what lends itself to reality. Gardeners in white lab coats, surrounded by spotless hydroponic systems, logging light intensity readings, while wearing surgical gloves are simply not the norm. The average person just doesn’t have the time, resources or attention-span to turn their basement into a full-fledged commercial-grade food production facility. Real life is much messier.

We hastily water when we’re scrambling to get the kids off to school in the morning, sloshing soil onto the floor. We leave stacks of dirty pots and containers sitting around, promising ourselves that we’ll wash them in the driveway “on our next free weekend.” We “forget” to clean our pruning shears until they reach a state of filth so horrifying that they must be replaced entirely. For the most part, cutting corners here and there doesn’t evolve into anything more than a bigger mess to clean up later, but it does present an opportunity for pests and pathogens to creep into our gardens. Therein lies one of the most significant, and yet frequently glossed-over, challenges to growing your own food indoors.

Managing harmful insects, bacteria and fungi is nothing new to the gardening world but introduce these bad guys to an indoor space devoid of natural predators, and the risk of full-on infestation rises exponentially. While hundreds of products promote their success at fighting outbreaks, the best solution always begins with prevention. Acknowledging that we all are human, though, what are some basic steps we can take to limit the risks to our plants without requiring a massive commitment of our time or energy?

First, and most importantly, keeping your plants healthy is the best defense. Sick or weak plants are more susceptible to pests and

pathogens because they often lack the inherent strength to ward off attackers. Then, it’s a matter of controlling the environment in a way that makes it difficult for invaders to stake their claim. Maintaining temperature and humidity levels appropriate for the variety of plants you’re growing is a solid starting point, but the greatest danger zone occurs when humidity levels are consistently higher than necessary (i.e. >70%). High humidity combined with cool temperatures is a recipe for mold spores to thrive, while high humidity mixed with warm temperatures is an opportune breeding ground for insects and bacteria.

Avoiding stagnant air is another critical component in minimizing threats to our plants. If you are growing in a tent or closed room,

oscillating or wall-mounted fans can assist in circulating the air, keeping leaves and branches in a constant state of motion. Not only will this make it harder for pests to find a resting spot, but it will prevent pockets of stale air from forming and homogenize the cool air near the floor with the warm air near the ceiling. Bringing fresh air into your area is also important. In a wide-open basement or sideroom, this likely isn’t an issue as long as you have central air/heat being forced into the space and a return vent to allow its exit. In a tent or un-ventilated space, in-line fans can be employed to force cool air into the area and exhaust warm air out, with a full exchange occurring at least once every three minutes. To avoid bringing unwanted critters or microbes into the area, an activated-charcoal filter placed just prior to the intake fan, via ducting, can reduce the chances.

Dirty water is also a source of contamination for an indoor grow. Tap water from the city has been pre-treated to remove harmful microbial life, but if it lingers in buckets, totes or hydroponic systems for too long, the risks that a fungal spore or bacteria is introduced after-the-fact goes up. Cool, fresh water is always ideal. If you’re using water from an untreated source such as a well, be sure to have it tested regularly at a lab. A charcoalfiltration or reverse osmosis system can be added to help eliminate pathogens if they’re present.

Lastly, limit hiding places for pests and pathogens whenever possible. Keep your tools, watering cans, extra soil, containers, etc., in an area away from your indoor garden. Introduce them only for limited periods when they are in use. Dead and dying leaves also make ideal habitats for all sorts of nasties, so quickly clipping and removing one or two each time you water your plants can make a big impact.

Even if you do everything right, there is no guarantee you’ll never encounter a pest or pathogen in the life of your garden. That’s not a realistic goal. The true intent is to minimize the potential for an infestation and simultaneously improve the chances of eliminating one if (and when) it occurs. Taking a few proactive measures today will put you on the path to avoiding some major headaches down the road.

Debris-free and clean growing environment makes for healthier plants.

JASON MISPAGEL Indoor Gardener

Jason Mispagel is the co-owner and operator of Year-Round Garden, a grower’s supply center serving both home and commercial customers since 2016. To contact Jason, call 816-216-6917 or jason@year-roundgarden.com.