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| INDOOR VEGETABLE GARDEN |
Gardening does not really require a large space around your house and to this is due to the availability of facilities of growing an indoor garden. And indoor gardening is fun and an exciting way to spend your leisure time and is perfect when you live in the apartments of the city. It is all the more enjoyable when you eat the vegetables from your own plants. The advantages of having an indoor vegetable garden are that, there is not much of weed problems, it is easy to maintain the texture of the soil and there is no problem of the hot sun spoiling the plants. But the size of the place you have indoors is also an important factor that is needed to look at.
Things needed
- A compost that is highly nutritious for the plant
- Containers that are clean
- Thermometer to measure the temperature of the indoor garden
- Fertilizers for the growth of the plants and pesticides for keeping the pests and rodents at bay.
- Healthy plant cuttings or seeds
- A small can of jug for watering purposes
- An oscillating fan, though it is optional, it is highly recommended
- Ventilating or ionizator system for the raw and strong smell of plants.
Starting with an indoor vegetable garden
- The first thing you need to keep in mind before building an indoor vegetable garden is that you ensure there is plenty of light, good ventilation for the better flow of air, an atmosphere that has a bit of humidity and the perfect temperature for the growth of the plants.
- Secondly, choose the right kind of vegetables that are suitable for indoors. Though there are not many options of vegetables, you can try growing the vegetables that are smaller in size like tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, egg plant and cucumbers. Any vegetable can grow well in containers, provided they are properly taken care of.
- For the containers, you can opt for any kind of pot or plastic container. Cookie canisters and recycle milk jugs can help in cutting costs to a great extent. To make you garden look more attractive, ceramic containers are the best choice. Do not forget to make small holes at the bottom of the containers for drainage purpose.
- Mixing the right kind of soil is another important part of developing the indoor garden in the right way. But one of the right kinds of mixture of the soil is to combine equal parts of perlite, forest mulch, sand and compost.
- It is better to seek advice from the professionals of the local garden center on which are the right kinds of vegetables to be grown indoors. They can also provide guidance on where do you get your vegetable seeds for an indoor garden. Learn the exact way of planting and cultivating different vegetables from the professionals so that you do not find any difficulty in maintaining them.
- There should be the right amount and type of light for growing vegetables and it depends upon the stage of growth and the location of the garden. Vegetables generally require high pressure sodium light. It is also important that you provide them with three to four fluorescent lights or a metal halide light.
Tips for maintaining an indoor vegetable garden
- Know how to make the plants flower and bear the vegetables. There are different useful techniques that help the plant grow quickly effectively.
- Keep all the surroundings clean and tidy including the surfaces of the floor. You can use mild soapy water to clean the areas around the plants. All the pots and equipment used for gardening must also be maintained clean.
- As the plants are more prone to diseases when grown indoors, it is better to take the necessary precautions than to provide medications later.
- The moment you find any signs of diseases or molds, the first thing you want to do is to remove the plant on the whole or just pluck away all the infected leaves. If you delay to do this, this may cause the spread of the disease to the other plants that are healthy.
- Limit the number of plants that you sow as it is easier to maintain. When you plant your seeds make sure there is enough distance between each of them so that they remain healthy.
- Remove the plants that are weak or hand them over to somebody else who has an indoor garden too and trim the leaves of the plants at regular intervals.
- Using neem oil is the best way to prevent the plants from being attacked by any disease. Neem oil is known for its natural estrogen like chemicals which has an anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial property.
- Prevention of fruit flies can be done by laying yellow sticky traps. Allow the pots to dry out as the fruit flies cannot survive in an atmosphere without moisture but do not use them for seedlings.
- Do not water you plants more than required. Feel the soil gently and make sure that it is not much moist. Only if you find the soil dry, water it.
Advantages and disadvantages of indoor gardening
Some of the advantages of indoor gardens are they do not require much of fertilizers and is easy to handle than the gardens outdoors. They are both productive and add a decorative touch to the home. The vegetable garden systems grow lights and stands in a way that adds to the beauty of your house. There is no extra required for urn vegetable gardens. When there is too much of sunlight, you can draw the shades and prevent the sun from causing damage to the plants.
Some problems with indoors gardens are that the soil does not have the capacity of controlling itself like the outdoor soil especially in case you over water your plants. It is sometimes necessary to find the place where there is enough sunlight and keep shilfing your plants.
