Simple Indoor Gardening Tips
Grow Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs and More! An indoor garden can be a great way to have fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs year-round. You can also grow an indoor flower garden, or an array of pretty houseplants.
If you want to grow your own food or herbs, there are many varieties that can be grown indoors. Vegetables such as peppers, lettuce, spinach, and onions can do well indoors, as can many others. Certain herbs do especially well, and even some taller plants like tomatoes and beans can do well if you have enough space. Personally, I've had success with things like small banana peppers, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, chives, parsley, basil, and cilantro, to name a few. I've also done well with herbs such as lemon balm, catnip, and peppermint, which can be dried and made into wonderful teas. Other plants that may do well indoors include carrots, garlic, peas, radishes, and strawberries. Growing your own food can save money at the grocery store, and there's nothing like the taste of fresh fruits and veggies. In addition, you know exactly where your food is coming from and exactly what has been used on it when you grow your own.
For flowers and houseplants, African Violets, Orchids and Ivy can be gorgous, as can many others. Regardless of what you decide to grow, an indoor garden can add warmth to your home, and it can be fun!
To start an indoor garden, you'll need seeds, potting soil, containers, and an area with good lighting. You may also want to consider methods of pest control.
Starting Seeds
How to Start Seeds for an Indoor Garden
Choosing and Preparing Containers
When choosing and preparing containers, you need to make sure that the container has good drainage. If you're using a ceramic pot with no drainage holes, place a smaller pot with drainage holes inside it. You can then take out the smaller pot while watering the plant, or simply remove it from the larger one temporarily to empty out any water. When preparing the container, you may want to add a layer of small rocks or pebbles before adding the soil, which will also aid with water drainage and will prevent the plant from getting too much water. Mixing some peat moss in with the soil can help with this as well.When you first start your seeds, use inexpensive peat moss cups or small seed-starter plastic trays. Peat moss cups can be good to use because as the plants start getting bigger, you can just place the plant in it's new container while still in the peat moss cup, which lessens the likelihood of damaging the plant during transfer. Transfer the plant to a larger container when it has about three sets of leaves and a good stem base. You can use plastic containers, ceramic containers, or hanging pots. Two liter soda bottles also work well temporarily. Just cut off the bottom half of a two litter soda bottle, put four to six small holes in the bottom of it for drainage, and place it on a plate or disposable aluminum pie tin to catch any water drainage.
Photo Courtesy of PDphoto.org
Starter Containers and Gardening Books
100% Organic Biodegradable 2" Seed Starting 60 Pots
Made with all natural materials, these starter pots can be placed directly into the soil or larger pot, and the plant will grow right through the container. No waste.
PLANTATION PRODUCTS P960 SEED STARTER TRAY 96 CELLS
Well made seed starter tray that can be used more than once.
Fresh Food from Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting
This book descibes how to garden in small spaces, and discusses methods for organic and sustainable gardening. Buying and building containers, lighting, transplanting, and growing methods are covered.
The Edible Container Garden: Growing Fresh Food in Small Spaces
Book discusses how containers can be used for small garden spaces, as well as watering techniques, methods for handling pests, and more.
Lighting
Natural Sunlight and Artificial Lighting
Seed packages normally state the lighting requirements for the particular plant. If the package states that the plant needs full sunlight, then you may want to place the plant near a sunny window and use artificial light to supplement for a lack of full sunlight. If it states that the plant only needs low to moderate lighting, then placing the plant in a sunny window may provide enough light to sustain the plant.
Growing Indoor Plants With Artificial Light
Indoor Plant Lights from Amazon
Pest Control
Choosing Pesticides and Pest Control Methods
Pest Control Management Resources
- Organic Pest Management
- Discusses natural methods for pest management
- Organic Garden Pest Control
- Offers tips and suggestions for managing pests naturally
- Making Your Own Natural Pesticides
- Offers three different concoctions for home-made natural pesticides using common items
- Companion Planting: Using Herbs to Deter Pests
- Discusses how to plant certain "pest detering" herbs around other plants for pest control
More Resources for Indoor Gardening
Here's a few lenses from other Squids that I highly recommend-
Organic Gardening Videos
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Videos on organic gardening or urban homesteading. How individuals or communities are using organic techniques to garden, to grow their own food.
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Grow a Kitchen Garden
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Kitchen gardens are back in fashion. A kitchen garden is simply a home garden where you grow your own vegetables, herbs, seasonings and fruits that you'll use in your kitchen. Growing your own can save you time and money. Nothing tastes better than...
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