Monday, September 17, 2007

Tips for growing an indoor garden

Successful decorating is about being clever with what you have, so try to see your indoor garden in a different light.

indoor garden

1 – Although certain plants do really well indoors, they still have the tendency to reach towards a light source. For instance, if your light source is towards the right side, all your plants would be inclined towards the right side in order to get sunlight. Its better to rotate your plants occasionally for them to grow straight

2 – During the summer time keep the plants out in sunlight to boost them up.
If your plants do not get their daily requirement of sunlight they might appear very thin and frail. Use artificial lights with a fluorescent lamp if your house has limited lights. If your home doesn’t get ample sunlight then buy plants that are appropriate for medium to low light environments. Rotate the plant after keeping it under light for a healthy growth.

3 – Make sure that the water is drained out of the bottom of the pot. The quantity and the intervals of watering vary. So before buying collect all the necessary information about its routine care. Make sure you use room temperature water. Although different plants have different watering needs but you can follow one thumb rule – Too much dryness and too much wetness are both bad for your plant. Make sure your containers and your soil have proper drainage.

indoor garden

4 – Bathe your plants occasionally. Often grime and dust tends to settle over the plant leaves and stem that is why it is important to bathe them. You can add a spray attachment to the nozzle of your hose pip and gently shower your plants.

5 – Like ample sunlight, plants require ample fresh air too. The plants tend to suffer a great deal if they are kept in smoky or stagnated air. Keep your doors and windows open and allow your plants to breathe fresh air.

beautiful indoor garden

6 – Keep a check on your home temperature. Plants tend to grow well at a certain temperature i.e. 65-75 degrees at daytime and about 10 degrees lower at night.

7 – Keep a record of each of your plants’ name, species, purchase date, fertilizer dates, repotting dates etc just as you would maintain your child’s medical reports. It will help you to maintain your plants systematically.

8 – Fertilize your plants regularly. Every time we water, some of the soil’s essential nutrients get flushed out of the soil. You can use a liquid fertilizer and add it in small amounts when you water your plants. Although you can avoid fertilizing in winter. Keeping a track of your fertilization dates would help you. If you fertilize your plants too much or too often, you will end up burning your plants.

9 – Soil is an integral for a healthy plant. If you are growing your plants in a container, avoid using soil from the garden. It wont yield good results. Besides, it may also risk insects, weeds and other diseases to your indoor plants. You can buy good container soil from a plant nursery.

10 – Make sure your pots have proper drainage holes on their surface below. Most pots tend to be sold without drainage holes, but you should make holes on your pots yourself. With out proper drainage holes, the water in the soil tends to collect in the pot and damage the roots and your plant will almost certainly die.

Ten Indoor Gardening Tips