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IRON MOUNTAIN -- The winter months certainly aren't for gardening, and with short growing seasons, it's difficult to get the plant production you desire. Residents in the Upper Peninsula have found an easy alternative to beat the cold with indoor hydroponic gardening.

Hydroponics doesn't use soil, making it a cleaner process. The pots are filled with clay balls that retain water and release it on a needed basis.

Dave Fraser of Grow Maxx tells us not only does it allow you to jumpstart your spring planting, but growing indoors has an increased growth rate of 40 percent.

“Iron Mountain has a very short growing season so when you garden indoors, you can start much earlier...we started our plants a month ago already,” says Dave.

Another benefit is avoiding pesky critters, like insects and deer, that can sabotage your garden.

“When you're gardening outdoors, you have things like deer, rabbits, pests, bugs…things you have to contend with,” Dave says.

If you have a favorite plant that's reaching the end of its photosynthesis, there's a way to keep the good roots growing by taking a cutting of your favorite plant, infusing it with a rooting hormone, and cloning it. The cloning process is easy and only takes one to three weeks depending on the plant.
 
Hydroponics can be pricey for the initial process, but once you begin the process, it can average as low as $20 a month to have your garden year-round. You may not be able to control Mother Nature, but indoor gardening enables you to cheat the seasons all year long.