![]() I wanted to put it in the bin but didn’t want to stress it out by repotting. I had a plant in a bark, soil, perlite mix that needed rehab. I was under the impression that anything organic (bark, peat, potting mix, etc.) would grow mold and start rotting right away. I was exclusively using inorganic gritty mixes or pure perlite at first. Originally, I thought you HAD to use inorganic growing mediums in humidity bins. This is useful for smaller plants or cuttings that need brighter light. I can stack two of the smaller ones on top of each other and they still fit perfectly underneath my table. There are larger ones as well, for those of you that have the space for it. They had many clear bin options, but these were the only ones that also had clear lids. I purchased the bins from my local Home Depot. piece of wood, I’d gladly sacrifice some brightness for a larger grow area! I’ve also used stacks of saucers or empty pots to get certain plants closer to the light, as needed. Having two light levels to choose from has been very helpful, allowing me to find a suitable spot for a range of plants. My lights overlap in the center, which means that the two bins in the middle get twice as much light as the two on either end. Since I am running 8 light strips, the dual outlet is crucial: I have the lights running as two groups of 4 and all of them are controlled by a single timer. Depending on your light manufacturer, the on/off switches can only be connected to 4-6 lights at a time. The outlet timer is key if you ever plan to leave home. The lights are plugged into an outlet timer which runs from 6am-10pm every day. You do not need special grow lights, these work very well. ![]() I chose the 6500K temperature because the blue end of the light spectrum is said to be better for leafy, compact growth. After more than a year, the lights are still going at full strength with no issues. Their great customer service has earned them this unsolicited shoutout. I was missing one set of mounting clips and they sent me TONS of extra ones immediately. I bought the Kihung brand and they have been excellent. led light strips directly to the underside of the table. You can see in the photo that the bins come very close to touching the lights. I found out months later that they are the PERFECT height for me to fit the 70 qt. Originally, I made this table to help me fit more plants right by the window. Honestly, I got SUPER lucky with these table legs. piece of wood and some 28” hairpin legs that I purchased on Amazon. Note: I am not claiming that these are the best products to use, I just want to show you the EXACT items I am using to provide a reference. Not only will they be growing all winter long, you’ll be getting some of the best growth of the entire year! Life is always a little bit brighter when your plants are growing, isn’t it? Lastly, I would say that this is the perfect place for your favorite plants to spend the winter season. Maybe some airflow would benefit the plants, but all I can say is, they certainly do well without it. Everything is growing well and I haven’t had any issues with fungus, mold, or rot. Now I only open the bins for watering or when I see large beads of condensation forming on the inner walls. Then I tried opening them only when it was time to check for watering. I started opening the bins only a few times per week and everything was fine. I even used the lids to fan the plants and get any excess humidity to clear out and to bring in a fresh supply of air. I made sure to remove the lids at least once a day to air the bins out. When I first began experimenting with these bins, airflow was a major concern. I run my lights for 16 hrs a day and the plants grow nonstop. Your plants will do much better with 12-16 hrs of artificial lighting than they would with a few hours of natural light. ![]() Now, IT IS POSSIBLE that some direct sun would be fine during the colder months, BUT the amount of light per day at that time of year is not conducive to optimal growth. On the hottest days of the year I just needed to remove the lids for a few hours to keep temps favorable. In the summer months, I had some cheap thermometer/hygrometers inside some of the bins to make sure they always stayed below 90F. My lights are practically touching the bins and I have zero problems with heat buildup. That is why led lights are such a great option they use little energy and put out very little heat. The sun can cause excess heat buildup within the bin, which will literally bake your plants. These bins are not suitable for use in direct indoor lighting conditions. Some important details about light and heat: ![]()
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