I always look forward to planting my indoor garden just after the new year. This time around, I have a wonderful window in my living room that is large enough to provide tons of sunlight streaming in to give my plants the essentials they need.
As a permaculture enthusiast, I am always looking for a better way to live in harmony with the planet. I place a high focus on sustainable ways of living. Yes, I could use grow lights, but I would prefer to take the natural resources given and maximize them in ways that make sense.
Self-aerating containers are useful for composting indoors. I make mine out of 25 gallon totes from a local general store. I personally use this composting system to learn about decomposition and additional permaculture processes. I currently have one bin of compost that is being broken down by about 500 red wigglers, and another one that is composting naturally.
Last year, I ran an experiment on growing plants indoors in a room that didn’t receive much sunlight. I was able to glean a little understanding by observing the plants and seedlings. It was interesting to watch them adjust to conditions that aren’t typically ideal for growing most plants. Of course, reviewing these notes in preparation for my garden this year got me wondering if cannabis can be grown in low-light conditions.
I was able to find out that, as with most plants, cannabis would thrive best on “18 hours of sunlight” while growing, though some varieties might be able to do so with as little as six. In my low-light indoor grow space, I considered running grow lights overnight to see if this might be beneficial.
Wasting energy when there are other options to test first goes against my beliefs about sustainability. I do believe that nature will make a way, so I read on for further guidance.
Jimmy from WeedMaps has a wonderful point. He recommends “doing as little as possible” when planting the first time. There is no need for extra investments starting out. It is recommended to only make adjustments as issues arise. Trust your plant and trust your instincts. It’s as simple as that.
For now, we will take the natural atmosphere in our grow space into account as we get going, but we will make adjustments along the way.
Of course, recreational cannabis is still illegal in Texas. Our garden will mostly consist of seeds that we harvest from fruits and vegetables that we consume. I look forward to adding cannabis plants to our garden once it becomes legal here.
As always, be sure to follow your local rules and regulations on cannabis legislation.
