Whether you’re starting out with an indoor container garden, working with a fixed layout, or adding a patio garden to an existing outdoor garden, planning the space can be a chore. There are literally thousands of indoor plant varieties, as well as hundreds of different indoor gardening containers and accessories. The most important thing to remember when designing your indoor garden is that your indoor plants should contrast one another in both looks and height. Keep the space looking uniform and you’ll be much happier with the indoor plants that end up in your home.
Choose plants that require the same light level and similar soil moistness. Mixing a small cactus into a ten gallon plastic pot is a surefire recipe for disaster. Designing your indoor container garden around a certain color scheme, or just choose plants you really like, will make your new indoor plants much more enjoyable to grow. Also consider variegated or layered plants to add additional visual interest to your indoor container garden. Another thing to consider, however, is the proper drainage of your pots and containers.
When you begin designing your indoor garden, take into account where it’s located. If your space is in a sunny part of the house, you will need more direct sunlight for your plants. Try to locate your indoor gardening spot so that your vegetables receive the most natural sunlight as possible, without being over exposed to direct sunlight from directly above, near, or on top of the items you wish to grow. Also, avoid placing your indoor garden on a high shelf or table where it will be exposed to cold winter winds. Air conditioning is always a good idea, even if it isn’t as efficient as sunlight for growing vegetables, because it will keep your indoor gardening area comfortable and save you money on your cooling bill during the summer months.
If you’re planning to have a plant in your home, you might want to consider plastic pots. Plastic pots can withstand extreme changes in temperature and are easily cleaned with just soap and water. However, plastic pots aren’t the best material for growing vegetables in because they don’t provide air circulation around the contents of the pot. That means unless you live in a region that has very warm temperatures year-round, or an area with a cool climate at all times, you should not use plastic pots for your indoor gardening needs. Instead, consider a sturdy and durable wooden box or wooden frame to house your seedlings and containers.
Seedlings can be a great way to learn how to grow your own vegetables. They are cheap, can be easily stored, and are the perfect size for just about every indoor plant beginner. If you’re starting seedlings indoors and live in a colder climate, seedlings will be a great way to get them accustomed to their new environment. If you have seeds for sale at your local nursery or seed center, it can be a good idea to buy them and take them along on your next trip to the seed store.
If you’re growing plants indoors, there are some special considerations you need to keep in mind. A great rule of thumb is that dry plants will produce more leaves. This means that moist seedlings won’t last very long if you keep them in moist conditions. In most cases, you can purchase an inexpensive indoor houseplant fertilizer from your local nursery and spread it around six inches deep. Make sure to rinse the fertilizer off completely before using it to feed your plants.
Another thing you should keep in mind is that herbs seeds won’t grow well indoors if they’re exposed to strong levels of light. A great alternative is to purchase a grow light for your indoor garden. There are many types of grow lights available, from fluorescent lights to metal fixtures that give off natural sunlight. Just make sure you place the light over the area where your herbs will be growing before purchasing the grow light and don’t place the light directly above the herbs as the heat from the light could burn the herbs.
Potted plants also require different drainage holes in order to properly function. Make sure that your potted plants have holes in the bottom drain holes and then put a small piece of cardboard or a layer of foil under the hole so that the water draining to the bottom of the pot will slide through. Keep in mind that placing a plant inside a pot with drainage holes can actually cause the plant to get too wet and drown. Herbs don’t usually like standing water and will usually root out if they get too wet. But make sure that you regularly check to make sure the drainage holes aren’t clogged and then remove any excess water to prevent your potted plants from soaking up all the water.