Low Profile Grow Station?

[bohmars]

I'm starting college in August and want to get a couple of plants after I get back from my summer vacation- the plants are going to go with me to college.

I was wondering what my best bet for a low profile, possibly closet, growing station would be.
A few desk lamps with CFLs for sure, but other than that, what will I need?

[Gorlax]

Same stuff you need to grow tomatos.

[Arcygenical]

2 plants, 2x 26w CFL bulbs, some soil, large pots, and a humidity tent per plant (2L pop bottle).

[bohmars]

awesome, thanks Arcy.

[Mr.Salvia]

get 26w "daylight" instead of soft or warm white. i've noticed my plants grow alot faster under "daylight" than my plants under warm light.

[Arcygenical]

Yep, 5500k-7000k bulbs make salvia grow much faster. Daylight is around 5500k, and daylight deluxe is right around 6100k.

[Bayrat]

Funny, mine seem to like the warm 4000k bulbs. I have some daylights and they "look cool", just not sold yet on them being better.  I am using both now though.  Title says "low profile" so any bulb will work.  Bluer penetrates farther for tall plants.

[Cheveyo]

So you're saying if I have a blue fluorescent light on at night it's good for it? What do you mean bluer light penetrates farther?

[Arcygenical]

I'm not sure of the penetration of blue vs reddish light, but I know that blue light stimulates vegetative growth in most plants. Grow 2 seedlings, one under red light and one under blue light. The red one will be stocky and small, the blue one will be bushier and thicker.

[Bayrat]

Red is usually tall and lanky, blue is bushier but can also grow as tall.  I don't know though, it all went out the window with mine growing very bushy under red.  Red is usually better for flowering, blue for veg.

[bifster]

I'm bringing mine to college in August too, and unless you live in a state where Salvia's illegal, I wouldn't bother trying to hide it in a closet.  I know very few people who actually know what a Salvia plant looks like (except for others who grow it, of course).  Let her have some fresh air!  I'm going to use the same thing I use now:  just a window with some good indirect light, my little plant stand, desklamp with a floodlight, and my wicking system (which you could use, but don't need to).  If you get a small enough pot, you can even just set it on the windowsill.

[bohmars]

Its still legal here, and its not a matter of hiding it, but rather space, but if i have plenty of space, I'll show her off.
I'll just have to see when I move in, but I doubt I'll make a wicking system.
However, how easy is it to make and set up a wicking system? If its going to be easier and cleaner, I'll look into it.

[bifster]

Ah I gotcha.  Setting up a wicking system is really easy.  Set it in when you're transplanting into the soil.  I used 100% polyester rope that I actually found in the fabric and sewing section of Wal-Mart (they didn't have 100% polyester rope at Home Depot or at Lowes!), a clean plastic bathroom size trashcan set on top of a sewing box (you can use any sort of bucket or bottle that reaches close to the bottom of the pot), and then just some tap water.  I've been told you're not supposed to use tap water because of the chemicals, but honestly I've had no problem with it, and when you're filling a bucket of water and you want to change it regularly like me, it'd be way too expensive to buy distilled water for it and too time-consuming to boil all that water each time.  I have used rain water though, which is obviously free, but it got dirty kind of quickly and I had to change it after a few days.  There's a guide somewhere on here on setting in a wicking system, I'll link you up to it.  But after a very long winded answer to your simple question (oops), I think if you have room for a wicking system--and you probably should--it's way easier for indoor growth as opposed to watering regularly and having it drain onto your floor!

[bifster]

here it is:  http://www.salviasource.org/forum/advanced-techniques/automated-watering-system-using-a-'wick'/0/

You will need a good bit of rope, but I think it's worth it.

[bohmars]

Thanks a million, bifster!