How to plant an indoor garden

[george]

I've got a small garden going over my sink on a shelf that was probably intended for showing off trophies or knick knacks. I have some tomatillos, peas, and a miniature rose bush growing right now, but I'd like to add some herbs.

I'm on a diet, so I've been using a lot more spices to fool my taste buds into enjoying low-calorie foods. It's a lot easier to get rid of cheese and BBQ sauce on my baked potatoes when I can sprinkle on some rosemary, dill, and sage. But, I'm going through a lot of herbs and rapidly depleting my spice rack!

I'm going to start with chives, garlic, dill, lavender, basil, and rosemary. I found seeds and a plastic grow tray at the dollar store. Plus, my town offers bags of potting soil made from mulched tree limbs and lawn clippings.

My kitchen doesn't get a lot of natural light. To compensate, I installed 4 grow lights (desk lamps from Goodwill). If the plants don't grow well, I can always add more lights. I keep the temperature in the 50-70 range, and plan to water the plants every other day.

Are there any pitfalls I should watch out for?

[CaliforniaDreamer]

You might want to use a a surge protector. That way, you can turn the lights on and off with a single flick of the switch. It's also handy for getting more lights per power outlet.

What kind of light bulbs are you using? If you're using incandescents, it's time for a change. Low-energy CF and LED grow lights cost a bit more up front but they reduce power use by a lot. If you use those, a surge protector is also important for protecting the expensive bulbs from power spikes.

I like the CF bulbs because they use very little power (15w produces about as much light as a 75w incandescent bulb) and they don't get quite as hot as incandescents. The LED bulbs are even more efficient but they're pricy.

Put in a bunch of incandescent grow lights, and you're likely to get a visit from SWAT looking for pot plants:
Tech Army Blog Forum: Cops raid fake drug grow house

[george]

Thanks! I picked up some CF bulbs because they use a lot less power. I like the idea of double power savings - one of my biggest electric costs is air conditioning during the summer. Since these bulbs don't waste energy by turning it into heat, I win twice!

[Luna]

How about compact fluorescent grow lights? I hear they're better for organic herb gardens, readily available and inexpensive? Not to mention providing a full spectrum lighting. Not sure about how much power they use. I'd like to save up on energy and money myself.