Indoor Gardening for the Constrained Gardener Articles | Interior Design

By: Darren Williger

If you’re a gardener who hates the fact that the onslaught of winter puts a halt to your gardening or if you’re an apartment dweller who has yard but wants to plant, then indoor gardening may just be what suits you nicely. Indoor gardening brings in a bit of the outdoors into your home or apartment and provides you with color all year round. Indoor gardening may be different from outdoor gardening but in the true nature of the word, the same principles apply. With some know-how about the difference between indoor and outdoor gardening, you should be well on your way to growing in no time at all.

It’s a well-known fact that plants get rid of the carbon dioxide in the air and replace it with oxygen. This is very beneficial to your health and it is a reason for you to want to learn some indoor gardening. Other than this, plants also remove toxins and pollutants from the air. Not only is this healthy for you it helps you get rid of some of the dust and allergens that are found in the air, which can cause problems for you.

Because lighting is essential in the life of a plant and needed for growth as well, it tends to be a major consideration whenever you’re starting indoor gardening. The amount of light that comes into your home naturally and how much it has will help in determining which plants will be able to survive. Plants that require medium or low light tend to do well in homes except you plan on using artificial lighting. Another thing that is important is for you to condition your plant after it has been purchased. Because your house has a limited amount of light filtering in, you can slowly adjust your plant to cope with this condition by providing maximum lighting for it and decreasing the amount of lighting over the period of several weeks until you attain the needed condition. This also energizes the growth pattern of your plants. Another thing to note is that if you watch you will notice that a plant tends to turn towards the sunlight. Unless you want your plant pointing in a particular direction, rotate it on a very regular basis.

When you heat up your house during the winter, the internal humidity in your home will also decrease. Plants need a lot more moisture in the air and during these months you may want to increase the humidity levels in your home. You should use a humidifier or spray the leaves of your plant with water in order to achieve this.

An indoor garden will need to be watered as much as an outdoor garden. Watering too little is bad and so is too much watering. You should also supply your plant with a container that drains through at the base. This allows excess fertilizer and salts to drain out of the soil and gives the plant access to the necessary nutrients. Fertilization should be based on the type of plant that you have. It should be done every two or three months but never during the dormant seasons.

Plants tend to do excellently in temperatures that are in the region of 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and some 10- 15 degrees cooler during the night. You should ensure that your plant isn’t placed in a place that is prone to hot and cold drafts. Sudden changes in temperature may harm your plant. Placing your plant on a cold windowsill in the middle of winter may make it freeze as well.