Indoor Gardening

Beyond The South-Facing Window

It starts with an uneasy, nervous sway, followed by the tiniest smirk. Then a raised brow. Then a widened gaze. And finally, a fullon, giddy smile…bursting with possibility. It’s a pattern that seems almost too predictable, yet it never tires and has the power to energize everyone fortunate enough to be in its presence. Participating in this daily ritual is a gift I count as one of the many blessings in my life. It’s the joy and excitement fueled by

the realization that ANYONE can grow their own food ALL YEAR LONG!

Without a doubt, I’m a plant person, but it wasn’t always that way. Growing up in the Denver suburbs, I was spoiled with access to a myriad of outdoor activities, hardly taking a moment to account for their value. It wasn’t until I worked as a golf course greenskeeper and landscaper that I began to develop a true appreciation for the natural world around me. I’ll admit, right up front, that the medical cannabis market in Colorado peaked my youthful interest in two things…plants and money. So, I pivoted from growing turf to growing “medicine.”

Unbeknownst to me at the time, I was teaching myself to transfer centuries-old horticultural concepts into a small, indoor, production environment. Fast-forward a decade (or two) and factor in some massive technological improvements. What once made sense only for the most dedicated gardeners or cannabis cultivators, has become practical for all of us. We can now grow

edible plants, indoors, anywhere in the world, and not break the bank!

Peppers, tomatoes, squash, lettuce, kale, strawberries, dill – whatever your taste buds desire. If you can dream it, you can grow it indoors. Yes, even potatoes or peanuts.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a south-facing window for my houseplants and even for starting seeds before spring planting. Where the world of indoor growing turned a real corner was with improvements to lighting technology. In the “olddays” grow lights were so expensive and electrically inefficient that only a large-scale commercial facility or cultivator of high-value plants could afford them. Today, you can purchase an LED grow light for $150 that will last approximately 10 years and cost less than $5 per month to run. That one light can produce two gallon-sized bags of loose-head lettuce every week!

Crossing the threshold in lighting was akin to miniaturization in computing that allowed the average Jane or Joe to harness a warehouse full of power in the palm of their hand. It opened the door

to complete control over lighting spectrums designed specifically for certain types of plants and their different stages of growth. It allowed small bookshelves and closets to become home to happy, healthy microgreens and herbs without worry of prematurely cooking them under a hot bulb. It expanded the universe of potential gardeners to include anyone with an interest and an electrical outlet. It was the one roadblock holding us back from growing our own food all year-round without a greenhouse. Everything else we needed already existed in some form or fashion: quality seeds, well-draining containers, soil, fertilizer, etc.

About once a week, someone mentions to me that they were inspired in their youth by the “Living With the Land” exhibit at Disney’s Epcot theme park in Orlando. They light up as they start describing its intricate design and thought-provoking organization. Built in 1982, it’s a 40-year-old testament to soilbased and hydroponic growing methodologies, reminding us that even papaya trees can produce de-

licious fruit indoors. That exhibit has a luxury most of us don’t possess, though; an unlimited supply of Florida sun, bursting through a greenhouse roof, 12 months of the year.

But thanks to advancements in horticultural lighting technology, we may have finally found the great equalizer to the Florida sun. The excitement we felt and the possibilities we once only dreamed of at a theme park are now realities in our own home. Aeroponic swish chard, deep water culture cherry tomatoes, watermelon vining its way out of an organic soil – our imaginations are the limit.

Pictured left to right, Cherry tomatoes, bibb lettuce and yellow squash are just a few of the indoor gardening possibilities.

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.