• Many types of plants can be cultivated in a grow room.tulips in interior image by araraadt from Fotolia.com
  
  An interior grow room is a wonderful amenity for gardeners. The room can be used to cultivate annuals and sensitive perennials. Temperature, light and humidity can all be controlled in a grow room, allowing plants to flourish. Very little is necessary for a grow room beyond standard heating and air-conditioning, and all grow room equipment can be purchased at a local garden center or on the internet.
  
  

Grow Light

• Almost all plants need moderately to well-lit environments to thrive. The standard incandescent bulb does not provide enough light across the spectrum, so other types of bulbs and fixtures are necessary for plants to grow.
  
  There are three types of light fixtures that allow plants to thrive indoors. Each has different light signatures, so it is beneficial to use them in combination to provide adequate light.
  
  Metal halide is a light type that provides great amounts of light in the blue and purple bands of the visual spectrum. However, the fixture also produces adequate light in other bandwidths of color.
  
  High-pressure sodium lights are an excellent source for the yellow, orange and red bandwidths of light. As with metal halide fixtures, adequate light is also present in the other bandwidths, but use other types of light fixtures to round out the spectrum.
  
  Both metal halide and high-pressure sodium lamps give off a lot of heat, so keep these lights in a cool location. When planning for either of these lights, assume every 100 watts from the fixtures will provide adequate light for 6 square feet of garden. Therefore, a 300-watt fixture will produce enough light for 18 square feet of plantings.
  
  A third type of light is the fluorescent fixture. Although standard fluorescent bulbs produce light across the visual spectrum, specialized plant grow lights should be used for a grow room. These fixtures produce excellent light across the spectrum and can provide enough light for 1 square foot for every 10 watts.
  
  These three light types are the most efficient grow lights available. They should be fixed at least 4 feet from the plane of the indoor garden. Incandescent grow bulbs are available, however they are very inefficient and produce too much heat.
  
  

Humidifier

• Grow rooms that are heated and air-conditioned tend to have a relative humidity around 50 percent. Humidifiers are excellent pieces of equipment to provide greater humidity, depending on the needs of the gardener. However, be careful with humidity--too much moisture can harm certain plants and promote mold.
  
  In rare cases, a space my be too humid. In this case, a standard dehumidifier can be used. Nevertheless, most plants prefer high relative humidity; only use a dehumidifier if the high moisture content may affect the grow room's equipment operation or structure.
  
  

Planting Surfaces

• The grow room must have adequate space to support the interior garden. Although the plants can be placed in floor containers, some gardeners may prefer to use shelving or tables to lay out the plantings. A simple table can be constructed with plywood supported by 2-by-4-inch boards on saw horses; however, any structure or surface must be able to support the load of the plants, containers, soil and water. The weight of the plants and containers are approximately 100 lbs. per cubic foot.
  
  

Water Access

• Obviously, the plants in a grow room must be watered often. Provide access to a faucet or hose bib to supply water to the interior garden. Although they may be cost-prohibitive, mechanisms for automatic watering are available online.