No Backyard? Try Planting Vegetable Gardens Indoors!
Nothing beats the fresh wholesome taste of vegetables
freshly picked from your own garden. Planting vegetable gardens can be a
challenge if you don’t have a backyard, but you can still grow vegetables indoors.
Just follow a few simple garden-smart guidelines.
Choose Appropriate Vegetables
Different plants have different requirements
and with indoor gardens the major restrictions tend to be available space and
available light. If you want to grow fruit bearing plants, these will require
large amounts of sunlight. Salad greens like lettuce, miniature cabbages, Swiss
chard, and spinach require less light and do quite well indoors so do small vegetables like peppers and cherry tomatoes.
The size of your pots will also determine
your choice of plant; choose containers big enough for the plants full growth.
Small root crops such as radishes and onions are great choices, and there are
even small root carrots available. Herbs are a popular choice because they are
compact and do not need much space. Miniature varieties of tomatoes, peppers,
and eggplant can also thrive inside when given the proper care.
Find the Perfect Spot for Growing
As mentioned earlier, lighting is an
important consideration for an indoor vegetable garden. A bright south-facing
window is your best bet, but any spot that gets a minimum of 5 hours of
continuous light can be used. In addition to natural light, you can set up
supplemental artificial lighting if you are really serious about growing
healthy plants.
Traffic flow is also another important factor
to think about. Vegetables in general bruise easily so you want to choose
fairly quiet spots so minimize accidental human contact. If you have small
children or pets at home, you may want to locate your garden well out of their
reach. It is also important to think about proximity to your gardening tools
and easy clean-up if things get messy.
Optimize the Microclimate
Plants grow best in high humidity and
moderate temperatures. Indoor gardens usually suffer from low humidity and these
needs to be addressed. Container grown plants tend to dry out faster and will
require more frequent watering. However, it is important not to let the plants
get waterlogged as this may cause root rot. Make sure that there is good
drainage by raising pots with a pan of gravel underneath. Evaporation from
these dishes also improves humidity so they serve a dual purpose.
Another great way optimize your microclimate
is to group plants together. You can mix your vegetables with more decorative
houseplants to create groupings that are not only beautiful but also
functional. Temperature is actually easier to control inside the house, as it
is easy to provide more shade by simply drawing the curtains. Just make sure
plants are protected from drafts.
Get Good Potting Soil
Potting soil for indoor gardens should drain
well and contain the nutrients required to support growth and development. You
can purchase premixed potting soil that already incorporates the proper amount
of fertilizer. If you prefer to go organic, you can get organic potting mixes
from your local garden shop. Add nutrients with caution, as fertilizer buildup
is quite common in containers.
I started growing tomatoes few months ago and the problem I had was selecting potting soil, then I find out about Advanced Nutrients providing a perfect mixture level for indoor vegetable gardening. But now I need to work on optimize the microclimate and frequent watering for better cultivation of crops.
ReplyDeleteHi Sean thanks for posting. I am glad to see you found a solution to one of your problems. To best optimize your indoor micro-climate, you should check these three things, lighting, humidity level and temp. Do a little research on the best micro-climate for growing tomatoes indoors and adjust your micro-climate accordingly. I will do a post later this week concerning indoor micro-climates.
DeleteGood luck,with your future tomato crop.