- Canada’s Growing Zones Are Changing 2024 - January 12, 2024
- Attracting Wildlife To The Garden - May 16, 2023
- How To Garden Near A Septic Tank - May 9, 2023
Choosing A Pot For Indoor Gardening
When choosing the perfect pot for indoor gardening can be a difficult decision to make. There are a few things you want to consider when choosing an indoor pot. In this gardening in Canada article, we will be looking at how to choose a pot for indoor growing.
If you are new to this blog my name is Ashley and I am a soil scientist. I am located in a Canadian Zone 3 and a USDA Zone 4. I write articles, make YouTube videos, Instagram posts all designed for Canadians and Cold Climate gardeners using science-based methods. If you are looking for anything specific be sure to let me know in the comments down below.
In this article, I chose to use GardenSoxxs. If you want to grow your own check out this link.
The Pot Height
One of the first things you need to look for when deciding on a container for indoor gardening is height. The lower the height of the pot the better. This is because you’re limited by the height of your grow lamp or grow tent.
It’s important that the plant does not grow past the light. This means you have to take the height of your container into consideration. The wider and shorter the container the better. For example, if you were to grow a tomato plant indoors you want the height of the light to be 12” from the canopy of the tomato.
The GardenSoxx provides the perfect solution. While the Soxx may be short in height the volume of soil it holds is high. This is due to the wide nature of the Soxx which in turn increased the volume of soil it holds. The large volume of soil means it will support plant growth with no issues.
Aeration In Pots Is Key To Indoor Gardening
In an indoor gardening situation, you may notice that the airflow is restricted. This is especially true if you’re growing in a grow tent without ventilation. This means in order to prevent the growth of harmful fungi and bacteria you will need aeration.
The lack of aeration can harm both the soil and the plant itself. For example, soil that is waterlogged without any access to air may become anaerobic. This anaerobic soil can then cause root rot in your plants. Root rot is deadly and therefore we need to prevent it.
How To Choose A Pot With Good Aeration
The aeration of a pot comes down to the materials made out of it. When looking for a well-aerated pot you will need to aim for something made out of nylon or cloth. The nylon or cloth material will allow for air exchange between the soil and surrounding air masses.
This will help prevent the buildup of any harmful fungi or bacteria. The GardenSoxx is made out of nylon material so it is ideal for aeration. The nylon material will allow for better airflow when compared to something made out of a cloth container.
The obvious downfall is that with the increased airflow the soil will dry out faster. The process of a faster dry out is the lesser of the two evils and is easy to remedy. This brings me to my next point.
Water holding capacity
The water holding capacity of the soil is important. When it comes to the soil volume in an indoor gardening scenario it is unlikely to be adequate. This means the volume of soil will not be able to carry enough water if you are able to water every day.
With the GardenSoxx, you are likely to have enough water holding capacity for smaller crops such as leafy greens & herbs. But with larger-sized plants such as tomatoes or cucumbers, you may need to consider some adjustments. This is simply because the affinity for water is very high in plants with a large volume of biomass.
The best way to counteract this is through a bottom watering method. Because in an indoor setting we do not have access to sprinklers and timers we need to improvise. This means we need to work with the capillary action of the soil.
Bottom Watering With An Indoor Grow Setup
The container that is best suited for a bottom watering scenario is the GardenSoxx. The Garden Soxx has a nylon material which once again allows for both air and water movement. This means we can simply place the Garden Soxx into a basin. As the plant needs water it will wick the excess water from the basin into the soil.
This can take place with a Garden Soxx because of the nylon material. Nylon material allows the soil to come in contact with the surrounding water. This will give the plant access to water on a continual basis.
GardenSoxx Low Pressure Irrigation
Keep in mind if you have the ability to run a hose in your basement you can just use the irrigation kit the Garden Soxx come with. The irrigation kit is easy to set up and is designed to be a low-pressure drip method. This is done through a regulator that comes in the kit. Because it is not a pressurized watering system and simply is dripping into the garden sock it is appropriate for indoor use. If you want to see what the irrigation system looks like check out the video below.
I’m expecting to see success when using the GardenSoxx indoors. If you choose to purchase a Garden Soxx kit for indoor use keeps in mind these were designed for outside. This means you will want to consider what set you want to do this summer. I will be moving my garden socks outdoors in the spring. This means I plant my garden sock kit size based on what I want outside. If you want to learn more about using Garden Soxx outside check out this blog post.
I’ve only taken a few of the nylons from the kit to make an indoor setup. Some of the options you have or a 4‘ x 4‘ kit or an 8‘ x 8‘ kit. Both of these kids include the irrigation setup.
Let me know in the comments down below if you were going to give GardenSoxx a try. I would love to know if you’re going to use them indoors or outside.
