If you live in an urban area and love to garden, you may be lamenting your lack of space, but you do not need a huge plot of land to grow your favorite plants and flowers. You do not need any land at all to enjoy your gardening hobby.
Indoor gardening allows everyone, no matter where they live or what type of home (or apartment) they have, to enjoy the abundance of nature. Indoor gardening may be a bit different than its outdoor counterpart, but the basic concepts are much the same. Here are 10 smart tips to make your first indoor gardening experiment a success.
1. Invest in a humidity gauge. Humidity levels are more critical with indoor gardening, so buy a good gauge and try to maintain optimal moisture levels for all your plants.
2. Be careful with watering. Overwatering is a real problem with indoor plants, so pay careful attention to soil moisture and water only when necessary. You'll need pots with drainage holes.
3. Start an indoor compost bin. You do not need a big space to start composting; kitchen composting is an excellent alternative for apartment dwellers and urban residents. With a simple composter, you can turn kitchen scraps into an endless supply of rich potting soil.
4. Choose appropriately sized containers. The size and makeup of the pots you use is critical, so choose those containers with care. Repot growing plants early so they do not become root bound.
5. Grow herbs on your windowsill. An herb garden is the epitome of indoor gardening - useful, easy and ultimately delicious. You can buy a ready-made herb garden, complete with seeds, or make your own with some basic supplies.
6. Give your sun-loving plants a northern view. Growing sun-loving plants indoors can be tricky, so choose their location with care. Giving these plants a northern exposure will maximize the amount of sunlight they receive. Veggies will need at least 4-6 hours of sunlight while fruits will need at least 8-10 hours each day.
7. Monitor the health of your plants. Watch for signs of trouble, including yellow leaves that could indicate a lack of necessary light. Indoor grow lights can bring those sun-deprived plants back to life.
8. Choose humidity-loving plants and flowers for the bathroom. The typical bathroom is a high-humidity environment, so choose plants that love the extra moisture.
9. Experiment with different varieties. Not every experiment in indoor gardening will be a success, so purchase plants that will grow best in your home. Once you know what works best, you can weed out the poor growers and double down on your successes. Some delicious options to start off with are scallions,
radishes, carrots, broccoli,
spinach, tomatoes or
strawberries.
10. Protect your plants from drafts. Drafty windows and air from under doors can really do a number on your plants, so pay careful attention to their placement. Consider sealing leaky windows and doors to give your plants a better growing environment - and yourself a lower heating and cooling bill.
You do not need a lot of land to be a successful gardener, and you can enjoy your favorite hobby no matter where life takes you. The 10 tips listed above can help you become a master indoor gardener, so you can have an endless supply of fresh plants and flowers all year long.
0 comments