Hello Professor Lee,
I have decided to use a grow tent for my first electric garden. Up till now I’ve really grown in windows with a couple of small lights to extend the hours when needed. I want to know the best way to clean and santize it between crops. I don’t want to use anything too harsh or hazardous to my health. What would you recommend?
Thanks,
Lex
Hello Lex,
Keeping your garden clean and sanitized is always the first step to preventing pests and fungi from infesting the space. A dirty garden invite problems. Stay in the practice of keeping your garden free of leaves and/or soil at all times. A small shop style vacuum cleaner makes quick work of spilled dirt and debris. Next clean up any visible smears or stains with a sponge and soap and water.
If practical, remove any lights and equipment and give them a wipe down with environmentally friendly cleaning agent. I like to use a strong cleaning vinegar in a spray bottle and a towel to do this but there are plenty of commercially available sprays made with things like citrus. Some people like to use a bleach water spray (1 part bleach to 2 parts water) to clean with, but it’s possible that the bleach can fade or stain the tent. If you think you may want to use a bleach mixture, test it on a small section of the tent first before deciding.
Once the equipment is cleaned the interior of the tent is next. Using a one gallon pump sprayer makes this job a lot easier. By using long overlapping strokes you can get 100% coverage of the tent. Pay special attention to seams and vent openings as these are entryways for contamination. Spray and wipe down one section of the tent at a time starting with the ceiling then the walls and finally the floor. Once the tent is dry you can reinstall the equipment and get back to growing.
I recommend giving a garden a thorough cleaning between each crop to prevent problems.
Hope this helps
Professor Lee