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Welcome to The Indoor Earthworm!
Home to local options for:

St Louis Hydroponics

and Indoor Grow Store Equipment and Materials

We are open from 9AM-6PM Monday through Saturday

As our name implies, Indoor Earthworm in O’Fallon IL is an indoor grow store, selling all the hydroponic supplies and soil supplies you need to grow vegetables, herbs, and other plants indoors.  Our inventory includes but not limited to: LED grow lights, odor control devices, nutrients, mushroom kits, seeds, containers, tools, and furniture from top brands such as Nectar For The Gods, Kind, Botanic Assassin, Down To Earth, and Big Foot.

The Indoor Earthworm in O’Fallon IL has everything you need to grow healthy plants indoors or outdoors, with or without soil. For over six years, The Indoor Earthworm has been the O’Fallon IL hydroponics headquarters and is one of the only independent St Louis hydroponics stores that you can come and visit in person. Unlike larger garden stores with only a soil garden section, as a hydroponics store, we can help you select the best hydroponics system for your needs along with a great soil selection.

But The Indoor Earthworm is more than a hydroponics store or indoor grow store. Since healthy plants are our passion, we also carry organic soils and fertilizers, seeds, starter plugs, and grow tents.

FEATURED PRODUCTS

Biochar and Bokashi

Biochar and Bokashi: The Indoor Earthworm

Boosting Plant Growth in Summer with Biochar and Bokashi Summer is here and outdoor plants are working hard to grow during extreme conditions. That makes this a good time to incorporate soil amendments such as biochar and bokashi into your routine to add essential nutrients back into the soil that

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down to earth

Down To Earth

Down To Earth Down To Earth™ is another one of the premier plant and garden care lines headquartered in Oregon we sell at The Indoor Earthworm, your premium indoor grow store for the St. Louis metropolitan area. In 1977, Down To Earth™ established its roots in Eugene, Oregon to meet

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mushrooms

Mushrooms

Mushrooms As your indoor grow experts, The Indoor Earthworm wants you to grow whatever you want with confidence. That is why we now offer a full selection of mushroom growing kits and spores, including Lions Mane, Maitake, Brown Beech, Yellow Oyster, Blue Oyster, and Pink Oyster. Mushrooms have been gaining

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khuva

Khuva

KHUVA $44-$79 As your #1 retailer in the St. Louis area for Southern Cascade Organics plant nutrition, including SLF-100, The Indoor Earthworm now wants to introduce to you KHUVA, a patent pending probiotic nutritional supplement for human digestion. This liquid herbal supplement helps with multiple digestive tract issues including heartburn,

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Frequently Asked Questions:

Hydroponics is a way to grow plants, especially vegetables, fruit, and other plants without the use of soil. The technique was invented in 1699 by Sir Francis Bacon and relies on water-based solutions and solvents plus a growing medium to feed the plant, such as clay pebbles, peat moss, coconut fiber, or Styrofoam. This allows people in areas with poor soil or no space to grow leafy greens, herbs, and other “non-root” veggies such as tomatoes, cucumbers, or peppers.  An example of some of our popular products are KHUVA and SLF-100.  This product is used to help maintain healthy microbial growth in your hydroponic system and it is an excellent product to add to your system to help reduce the build up of calcium and other minerals that may clog your system.

Hydroponics is a specialized method of growing plants. Therefore, you need a specialized store. Indoor Earthworm O’Fallon IL hydroponics is staffed by people that understand hydroponics. Whether it’s choosing between tables for greenhouses or a grow room to put in your basement or garage, or figuring out what the best medium is for the plant you want to grow, our staff will guide you without pushing you into a design that doesn’t work for your space or budget. Special equipment, such as air stones, air pumps, nutrients, and sensors are available at an indoor grow store.

Not all hydroponics systems work the same, and not every vegetable can grow hydroponically or with every hydroponic setup. That is why The Indoor Earthworm is the premier St Louis hydroponics retailer that can work with you to design the best system to fit your needs.  Stop by to learn more!

The Indoor Earthworm has everything you need, whether you are getting into hydroponics for the first time or looking to upgrade to a new setup. Our team will work with you as you expand your hydroponics endeavors or soil growing techniques. Tell us how much space you have, what you want to grow, and what your budget is and we will recommend a hydroponic system kit or a soil system kit.  We will help customize one to meet your specific needs for you as well as provide you with print or digital resources to take home and continue learning about your hobby.

Hydroponics and indoor soil gardening is an excellent way for anyone who has poor outdoor growing conditions to have fresh herbs and garden vegetables year-round. Poor growing conditions can include anything from rocky or sandy soil to too much shade to living in an apartment with no permission to grow plants or no deck or patio for potted plants. Hydroponics is also a good way to control the nutrients the plant gets as well as control the temperature and light. No more worrying about extreme heat, too many cloudy, rainy days, or unwanted insects eating your plants.

Many hydroponics kits grow vegetables vertically instead of horizontally, making it an excellent way to grow a large amount of vegetables or herbs in a limited amount of space. There are even hydroponics units that attach to the wall or hang from the ceiling instead of sitting on the floor. In addition to taking up less space, hydroponics also uses less water because the water is absorbed directly into the roots. Because the weather is not a factor when growing indoors, you can have healthy produce at the tips of your fingers all winter long.

Depending on how much money you want to spend, The Indoor Earthworm indoor grow store can sell you a system that takes all of the thinking out of the equation, with timers for lights, watering timers, and even apps for your phone telling you when you need to add fertilizer, water, or nutrients. If you don’t mind having a low harvest at the beginning, you can do everything manually, checking the pH of the solution, playing with different types of food, etc. Whichever route you choose, O’Fallon, IL hydroponics has the right materials for you.

The Indoor Earthworm indoor grow store loves its outdoor gardeners who like to get dirty just as much as our indoor grow customers. We sell soil, fertilize, insecticides, trellises, and heirloom seeds to make sure you have just as high a quality plants outside as you have inside.  Many of our products are utilized by amending the existing soil to help with improving the nutrient density.  Outdoor soil every year needs to have soil amendments to help restore the nutrients that are removed by the plants throughout the year.  One of our highest sought after items is Fox Farm Soil.  This soil is in high demand, and it seems like every time we have it in stock, it never stays long.  We have other comparable products that we suggest trying like our Nectar For The Gods #4 Blend, which is a power house for nutrients.  Check out one of our articles comparing the different soils.  Keep in mind that our stock of soils will vary depending on the supply chain!  Will it be Nectar for the Gods or FoxFarm?  Be sure to check out our soil products in store or contact us and ask more!

The Indoor Earthworm hosts events in both our indoor and outdoor showrooms for our vendors to come and answer your questions about their products. The Indoor Earthworm believes an educated customer is more likely to stay involved in hydroponics or soil gardening.  The educated customer will know how to tackle all of the hurdles associated with growing and they will keep coming back to us for nutrient, and good friendship!

Testimonials:

What is so special about St Louis Hydroponics?

As climate change affects the temperature and rainfall across the globe, hydroponics is a way to grow needed produce and plants without worrying about too much or too little rain, not enough sun, and extreme temperatures. Combined with the economic crises and environmental pressures, our food chain stability is at risk.  St Louis hydroponics allows anyone who is willing to learn a little about chemistry and biology to grow their own vegetables and beans for year-round healthy eating when other food sources are scarce.

History of Hydroponics

Hydroponics, also known as aquaculture, nutriculture, tank farming, or soilless culture, is growing in popularity as a resource efficient way to grow nutrient dense vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers year-round in a variety of climates. Although hydroponics has been around since the Aztecs, it has only gained widespread attention since World War II to grow vegetables in areas where soil was poor or unavailable.

Types of Hydroponics Systems

Hydroponic systems are available in two different categories: solution culture types and medium culture types. The simplest systems for beginners are the medium culture types that include the ebb and flow (for potted plants and plugs) and deep water cultures (for vegetables). 

Hydroponics also allows fresh produce to be grown in urban areas, reducing the need to transport goods long distances from farm to consumer.  Many urban areas have little or no access to produce.

Below are ten ways hydroponics can be an environmentally friendly way to grow your favorite fruits, veggies, and more:

Efficient Use of Water

Hydroponic systems use up to 90% less water than traditional soil-based agriculture. This is because the water is recirculated through the system instead of sprayed on the soil until it is absorbed through the roots.  Hydroponic systems also allow plants to be grown in drought prone areas and areas where the soil is depleted of its nutrients or too sandy/rocky.

Reduction in soil degradation

Since hydroponics does not require soil, it reduces soil erosion, degradation, and depletion. Growing can take place anywhere without having to clear, till, or plow the land for crops.

Reduced pesticide use

Hydroponic systems are enclosed, so pests are less of an issue. Natural pest control methods such as introducing beneficial insects to eat the unwanted insects eliminates pesticides that harm beneficial insects, birds, fish, and non targeted plants as well as cause health problems such as stinging eyes, rashes, cancer, birth defects and more in humans.

No use of synthetic fertilizers

Natural fertilizers, such as fish excrement, replace synthetic fertilizers in hydroponic systems, which are less harmful to the environment.  The nutrient solution drips from channels into a reservoir that can be used indefinitely until they are depleted.

Energy-efficient

St. Louis Hydroponic systems require less energy than traditional farming methods, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There are no tractors or plows to work the land, and food can be grown in the area it will be eaten. This also cuts down on the emissions that come with trucking food across the country.

High crop yields

Hydroponic systems can produce higher crop yields per unit of land, reducing the need to clear more land for agriculture. Elements such as light, water, nutrients and pH that control plant health are monitored and controlled better with hydroponic farming than traditional farming.

Year-round production

Hydroponic systems can produce crops year-round, reducing the need for transportation of produce from Florida and California or even other countries.

Space-efficient

Hydroponic systems can be designed to fit into small spaces, reducing the need for large tracts of land for farming. Because the plants are densely packed and can be grown vertically on tubes instead of along the ground. A hydroponic system will yield more product than the same size field plantation.

Reduced transportation emissions

Because hydroponic systems do not need as much land, they can be located closer to urban centers, reducing the transportation distance of produce to market.

Better use of resources

Hydroponic systems allow for precise control of nutrient delivery and light, reducing waste and improving resource efficiency. Nutrients are recycled through the system until they are depleted and replaced, no water waste, and no clearing of valuable forests for farmable land.

St. Louis Hydroponic systems do have quite the learning curve, but The Indoor Earthworm has everything beginners need to start growing their own plants, including nutrients, growing medium, natural fertilizers, lights, grow tents, and more, plus knowledgeable staff to help you become a self-sufficient gardener.

 

The Indoor Earthworm is now happy to announce that we are now a licensed U-Haul Dealer. We chose to begin offering UHaul O Fallon IL trucks and trailers to our loyal customers because we only offer the best products and services to our customers.