Indoor Gardening

If you happen to live north of 30 degrees latitude (or the southern hemisphere equivalent), chances are your growing season is pretty limited. Why not take it indoors? You could be enjoying fresh tomatoes year round, not to mention some skunk weed and maybe a mescaline containing cactus or two. It's a pretty simple process. First off you need a suitable location. A 6ft x 6ft storage room would be perfect. A 400W Metal Halide would fill this space perfectly, but would also work in a 4ft x 4ft room. That's pretty much all you need, but don't forget a fan for ventilation. 6ft x 6ft is about 12 square feet, so that means you could grow 12 different kinds of plants in there and maybe some fresh basil and tyme on the shelfs.

How much is it going to cost? Let's investigate further.

- 400W Metal Halide Kit (Bulb, reflector, ballast) - $220

- Xmas light timer from Canadian Tire ~$5

- Fan (the kind that sit on the table or floor) - You probably have one

- Energy to run this light 16 hours a day, 365 days a year.
0.4 kwh x 16 = 6.4 kwh/day
6.4 x $0.08 (price of electricity in alberta) = $0.512/day
$0.512 x 365 days = $186.88

$186.88 a year. Not to bad, but call it $200 because your going to be running a fan as well.

Don't waste your money on that certified organic stamp, grow it yourself and you'll know what went into it.