10 Tips For Starting An Indoor Garden
Lacking yard space or a terrace shouldn’t keep you from your gardening dreams. Plenty of people with green thumbs grow their favorite plants inside their living spaces. Check out these 10 tips for starting an indoor garden so you can grow plants you love and improve air quality inside your home.
1. Research Your Plants
The first step for starting an indoor garden is researching possible plants. Your choice depends on factors such as:
- Your schedule
- Your budget
- Your experience
Read about whatever plant you like to ensure you can care for it properly. You might find something that requires direct sunlight or partial shade, which will change where you put your planters. The little details make the most significant difference regarding how your plants thrive and if you can keep them alive.
2. Learn About Watering
Watering an outdoor garden is different than taking care of indoor plants. Yards have extra space for water drainage, but pots don’t have that luxury. Indoor gardeners should learn about overwatering risks so they know how much is too much.
Soggy soil could result in bacterial growth that kills your plants. It could also oversaturate plants that don’t need as much water as others. Record how often your future plants will need water so you only give them what they need.
3. Get the Right Containers
People with small homes or apartments can utilize space maximizing planters to ensure efficient indoor growth. Unlike traditional pots, these containers encourage root growth without overcrowding issues. When roots can’t expand, they won’t absorb nutrients as well. Fabric grow pots and airpots are just a few options to consider before bringing home seeds or sprouts.
4. Organize Your Schedule
After your garden begins growing, don’t forget to add plant care to your schedule. It’s easy to forget about watering or rotating plants when you haven’t done them before. Write them into your daily planner or set reminders so you don’t accidentally come home to wilted leaves or dead seedlings.
5. Review Indoor Pest Control
Even if you keep your home clean, you might battle indoor garden pests. Gnats love to make nurseries in potted soil, so look into pest control options. Traditional and organic sprays will control and eliminate any bug issues that arise. If those fail, you can always repot your plants in fresh soil and throw out the old dirt.
6. Consider Your Plant’s Benefits
Your garden can give back to you if that’s what you want. You might enjoy growing plants that improve your life beyond being pretty decor pieces. Some gardeners grow aloe vera to use the leaves as healing solvents. It’s one of the many plants beginners can grow without much experience, if that’s a purpose you’d like for your garden.
7. Note the Temperature
Your HVAC unit keeps your home at the same temperature, but it becomes colder or hotter for plants situated next to windows. Depending on what you grow and your local weather, you may need to move your plants at night or in the middle of the day.
Extreme temperatures could kill sensitive plants. Keep an eye on them as they grow and test the area with a temperature gauge if you’re concerned about their environment.
8. Watch the Calendar
Sensitive plants won’t do well in an unstable environment. Keep an eye on them as they grow and test the area with a temperature gauge if you’re concerned about their wellbeing.
9. Prevent Pet Problems
Pets are naturally curious, so they’ll investigate whatever you plant. Your cat might knock over planters or your dog could nibble on whatever smells interesting. While you scout safe locations for your future garden, avoid raising any poisonous plants that are safe for humans but bad for animals. You’ll prevent emergency vet visits and have more peace of mind when you leave your animals alone with your plants.
10. Use New Soil
After you’ve formed a new routine around taking care of your garden, you might notice some plants not doing so well. If you’ve checked how often you should water them and ensured that they get enough sunlight, you might need to get new soil.
Roots absorb nutrients constantly and water drainage flushes some away. Every gardener eventually has to repot their plants in fresh soil to replace depleted nutrients. Ask a gardening friend for help or watch videos before attempting. You could accidentally damage the root system if you’re not sure how to move established plants.
Have Fun!
These 10 tips for starting an indoor garden will teach you everything you should know about plant care. Research what you want to grow, keep an eye on your plants and be wary of their needs to develop your green thumb without requiring a yard.
About the author:
Jane works as an environmental writer and the editor-in-chief of Environment.co where she gives practical tips for living a greener life.
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About the Author
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