A lot of people stick a fake plant or tree in a corner, dust the
leaves off every week, and call it indoor gardening, but indoor
gardening has grown into much more than that lately. There
are also a lot of people that think plants belong and should stay
inside, but there are many reasons for starting an indoor
garden. For instance, plants don’t only remove carbon dioxide
from the air, they also remove many poisonous toxins and pollutants
as well. So an indoor plant can be beneficial. Indoor
gardening will result in beautiful decoration in your house as well
as cleaner air.
When picking out plants for indoor gardening, make sure the
plants are adaptable and will be able to thrive in the conditions
and setting in your house. Consider how much time you will be
able to spend caring for the plants, how much light your house
offers, and also how much money you want to spend on your indoor
garden. If you are on a low budget, start with seeds or
cuttings.
Indoor Gardening &
Plants
If you have a little more money to dish out you can buy a plant
that is already grown. Another thing to consider is if you
want a plant that can be displayed all year or just for a
season. Herb gardens are a good thing for indoor gardening;
they are both attractive and edible. They will grow pretty
quick and you won’t have to wait a long time to see results.
Some popular herbs, especially for cooking, are chives, dill, sage,
thyme, and oregano. Herb garden kits are available so you can
grow them right inside. Some may want to get heirloom
seeds for their herb garden. These are a more organic
approach.
Types of Plant for Indoor
Gardening
The Indoor Garden
When indoor gardening, consider the amount of experience you
have before choosing a plant. There are some plants that are
stronger and harder to kill and therefore better for a novice
gardener. Examples are Fatsia, Cyperus, Scandens, Popular
Succulents, Coleus, and Bromeliads.
Some things, such as the basic rules of maintaining plants, are
different in indoor gardening that in a regular outdoor
setting. Since plants won’t get the sunlight they do
outdoors, lighting is essential. You need to know exactly how
much light your plants need and pick plants that only need medium
to low light, such as ferns or Philodendrons, unless you plan to
supply artificial lighting. If you buy a plant already grown,
wherever you get it probably has better lighting than your house so
you will need to “condition” your plant and gradually reduce the
light it receives. Once you get the plant inside, make sure
and rotate the plant to encourage upright growth.
Watering & Indoor
Gardening
Just because you are indoor gardening, don’t think the plants
don’t have to have water; they still do. How often you water,
once again, depends on what type of plant you have. Make sure
the water can drain out of the bottom of the pot and try to use
water that is about the same as the temperature of the room.
Also pay attention to temperature in your house in order to ensure
healthy plants. A 10-15 degree range won’t hurt any plants,
but rapid changes could cause damage.
Indoor gardening is not all that difficult; in fact, it is
pretty much the same as outdoor. There are even some
advantages to indoor gardening. For example, you won’t have
to worry as much about bugs and insects bothering your
plants. You also won’t have to worry about wind or frost
reeking havoc on your garden.
