indoor garden questions, mainly about power

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jason87x Shawnee Mission, KS Oct 26, 2010

When I move later in the year, I will finally have the chance to eat healthy like I've been wanting to (leaving college and parents and getting job etc). I'm interested in experimenting with vegetable growing, and maybe mini fruit trees and non-tree fruits like strawberries. And later perhaps rare plants. I will hopefully be at home all the time, maybe from a telecommuting job, so will be bored and able to watch over the plants.

I've heard HPS (high pressure sodium) lights are the best, and provide the most lumens per watt, but they say to use one 400 watt bulb per 3x3 ft area, or 2500 lumens per square foot. Aren't most circuits only rated for about 1800 watts or so? How do you save on power to not overload circuits? Or can you use less than 2500 lumens per square foot? I will be in an apartment so setting up solar panels may or may not be practical? Do they produce much power anyway? Though I will have a deck or patio for any apartment around here.

Are there other creative ways to generate electricity at home?

How many hfs or metal halide lamps have been people been able to put on just one standard circuit say in a house or apartment? The raw math would say four but is there a way to actually use more than that? Are other lights possible? I have two walmart "grow light" flourescent bulbs/fixtures (the 24 inch kind). They have it listed as 17 watts, with "75 watt light output", whatever that's supposed to mean in terms of lumens. It also draws 300mA according to the label. I haven't used them yet but are things like that at all useful?

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heathrjoy Silsbee, TX(Zone 9a) Oct 27, 2010

How much are you planning on growing indoors? This sounds extremely complicated for wanting to grow veggies, fruit trees and strawberries. Most folks use shop lights...plain old flourescent shop lights...not even grow lights. They are good for the plants, good for the electric bill, easy and cheap to come by, easy and cheap to set up, and fit well on most stands that folks use for plants.

The other thing I'm wondering is if you're planning on doing this much indoor gardening that you're worried about having this much wattage you are going to also have to worry about creating a greenhouse atmosphere in your apartment. In other words, you're going to need to install a pretty good ventilation system unless it's ok with you and your landlord if the paint starts to peel off the walls because of the humidity that's created....especially if you're talking about a major amount of fruit trees and/or large amount of large vegetable plants.

Maybe instead of investing in such a high tech lighting system you should look into a cheap greenhouse...you can even build your own out of PVC pipe, heavy weight plastic and a few tools.

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