Because you can simulate any season with light and temperature control, indoor gardening also allows you to increase the variety of foods you eat.
Indoor gardening to get the freshest produce possible, you will need a greenhouse or other indoor growing space. However, the question is how to start an indoor garden without involving lots of hassles?
Organic, GMO-free, fresh, and hyper-local produce can be grown at home because you control all of the inputs. There is nothing more local than your kitchen windowsill when it comes to gardening.
You will be more likely to harvest and use the plants on a regular basis if they are easy to get to and visible. Fresh herbs, which may be grown in a little space, yet give substantial flavor and health advantages if used often, are particularly well-suited to this strategy.
Also read my article: The Best Indoor Greenhouses for Your Home
Setting Up An Indoor Garden
To begin, choose a location for your plants. It is possible to purge a table, a windowsill, a corridor, or even a complete room. Plant stands that can hold many pots vertically are a good option if space is at a premium.
The amount of area you need depends on what you plan to grow and how much. Conversely, the amount of area you have to work with will have a role in the plants and quantity you choose. A variety of surfaces and locations in your home may be required.
They develop by turning light into biological energy, which is the most important thing to know about plants; this is called photosynthesizing, in other terms. Your indoor plants need a lot of sunlight during the day to thrive. With no windows or skylights, you will need to use grow lights to get your plants to thrive.
Several plants might pose a threat to pets and small children if eaten incorrectly, so you will want to keep them out of the reach of pets and little children.
Also Read: The 5 Best Indoor Garden Systems (Reviewed And Compared)
Indoor Gardening Supplies
Having the right supplies can make all the difference. Here is a list of essential indoor garden supplies that will help make your gardening journey smooth and successful.
Containers
Container gardening in pots is the way to go if you do not want to have soil strewn all over your hardwood, linoleum, or carpeted surfaces.
Of course, you may use standard flowerpots, but do not limit yourself to what you find at your local garden center. Old aluminum pans, huge plastic “margarine” tubs, or even old cooking pots and pans can be used in place of clay pots, plastic growth containers, and more expensive porcelain or ceramic planters.
A planter must be able to contain the soil and have enough holes in the bottom to allow for efficient drainage in order to be a planter. It is always a good idea to use some sort of drainage saucer to collect any water that leaks through the perforations.
Depending on what you are growing, you will need a different size of the pot. Citrus dwarfs may need a 5-15 gallon container, but herbs like oregano and basil just require an 8-10″ pot.
Make sure the pot is the right size for the plant you’re growing. This may necessitate the use of larger and larger pots as your plant grows.
Potting Soil
The next thing you will need is a medium for growing your plants and vegetables. For the most part, you will be using soil unless you’re experimenting with hydroponics or aeroponics. Potting mixes come in a wide range of brands and sizes, so you may choose one that suits your needs. Look for products made expressly for the veggies you want to cultivate, if feasible.
You may also want to consider coco coir in your indoor garden which is great for indoor plants.
Chemicals used in the construction process may have also polluted soil-surrounding structures. If your home is older, the soil surrounding the foundation may have been treated with pesticides to kill termites that have now been outlawed, but the chemicals might remain in the environment for many decades.
Optimal Light
Indoor plants require light control in order to thrive and provide healthy food. Natural light from windows and glass doors is the best since it encompasses the proper spectrum of wavelengths and doesn’t require additional energy to produce.
The sun rises and sets lowest in the sky, thus windows facing east or west get the most direct sunlight in the summer. Because the sun rises from the east, it’s less likely for heat to build up in that direction.
South-facing windows are ideal if you want to grow plants indoors in the winter, as they give the most light on the shortest days of the year. Your plants could not get enough direct sunlight from that direction if the sun is high in the sky during the summer.
Also read: 5 Tips To Start Composting At Home: Everything You Need to Know
Watering
Plants obviously require water to survive. They may require more or less water depending on the temperature and humidity of your home environment.
If you use air conditioning in the summer, you may be pushing water out of your interior air as well as heat. Keep an eye on your plants for symptoms of dehydration. When there is a lack of water, the leaves are generally the first to exhibit it.
A watering can is all you need to water your indoor plants, whereas a sprinkler, drip lines, and/or hours spent outside in the sun with a dirty hose are required for outdoor gardening.
If you’re just getting started, go for a can that’s as little as possible. You want to be able to fill it from your kitchen sink easily. Look for a can with a narrow spout so that you can manage the flow of water and avoid over-watering your plants
Also read: Growing Indoor Microgreens DIY (Easy and Cheap)
Fertilizer
Any time you harvest anything from a plant grown in soil, it is necessary to replace the soil’s nutrients. Gardening inside takes a higher level of attention to detail since the plants require a greater concentration of nutrients. You’re also removing nutrients from the soil every time you water.
Premade fertilizer is available for purchase. If you’re up for the challenge, you can produce your own compost out of kitchen and yard trash.
Also read: Best Mason Bee House DIY Steps | Avoid This
Seeds
You’ll also want to welcome your special indoor gardening guests: the seeds or seedlings you’ll be raising. Whenever possible, buy organic seeds.
You won’t need to use pesticides or antibiotic chemicals to safeguard them because you’re growing them in an environment free of illness and pests. In addition to online, you may get organic seeds in hardware stores, nurseries, and even certain health food stores.
See my list of great plants to grow in your indoor garden.
Seed packages with hardiness zone information can be omitted because you won’t be transplanting the plants outside. You may create whatever atmosphere you choose.
How To Start An Indoor Garden- Summary
As a beginner indoor gardener, it may be confusing knowing how to start an indoor garden. This article supplied all the basic knowledge for you to successfully set up and grow indoor vegetables or any type of garden you wish to have.
