New grow chamber

In order better control growing conditions for indoor gardening I have constructed a new grow chamber in the basement. Effectively I have created about twenty square feet of gardening space with ideal growing conditions.

As seen in the top photo the chamber will accommodate four systems; primarily I will be using three ebb and flow systems and one modified aeroponic system. For lighting I have installed a six tube T5 fluorescent light with 6400K tubes and a 90 watt UFO LED with red/blue/orange LEDs. The lights are mounted with adjustable hangers and the height can easily be adjusted. At plant level in the ebb and flow systems I have measured the light level at slightly above 2,000 footcandles, which is adequate for anything I will be growing.

The lower front panel is removable providing ample storage space for supplies, and behind the systems there is an access port for electrical and airlines, and for servicing the systems. The access port also serves to provide air flow, as the heat from the lamps will cause the air to rise drawing in fresh air from the bottom. A small fan, timed with the lighting cycle, will circulate air within the chamber.

As seen in the lower photo the growing chamber can be completely enclosed, and the interior is lined with Mylar reflective film to utilize every photon of lighting possible. Timers control the lighting, ventilation and nutrient delivery systems, and I have placed a remote sensor on the back wall above the access port to monitor the temperature in the growing chamber.

To launch my new growing chamber I have started arugula, tatsoi and some exotic market garden variety lettuce plants.