Indoor Vegetable Gardening

Light

Unlike an outside garden, your indoor plants may not get as much sunlight as they require. To remedy the problem of light supply, place your plants near a window or in an open area where sunlight can reach them. Avoid sticking plants in dark corners or below tables and desks. Doing so can deprive them of the light they need to produce energy. If you do not have adequate windows, artificial light (i.e. light bulbs and fluorescent lamps) can help augment the lack of natural light.

In the case of fruit-bearing plants, prolonged exposure to artificial light with no adequate dark periods can cause the illusion of longer days. Long days can prevent plants from flowering and produce less or no crop at all. You can use a timer to help you determine the number of hours you need to keep your pants lighted. Afterwards, you can turn off the lights or move the more delicate plants to darker areas in your home.

Some plants, such as tomatoes, require a lot of light at high intensities in order to bear fruit successfully. The degree of light required by these plants may be difficult to achieve indoors, but a cherry tomato plant in a hanging pot can survive pretty well when placed in a window that receives a lot of sunlight during the day.

Moisture and Temperature

Soil in containers that are elevated from the ground or placed on a concrete surface dries up more easily. For this reason, you may have to increase your plant’s water intake to make up for the loss of moisture. Check the dryness of the soil as often as you can and water regularly. Give your potted plants additional water when the weather has been exceptionally hot.

With that said, don’t overdo the watering because it can leak from the containers and cause a mess indoors. To avoid this, give your plants only enough water to moisten the soil but not flood it. As a precaution, you may also place old rags at the bottom of heavy pots and containers. These will not only help soak up excess water, but it can also help protect your floor. In the case of small hanging pots and baskets, you can take them out of the house when watering them to avoid drips and messes.

Temperature changes affect plants in pots and containers easier than it does plants in the ground. It is, however, possible to use this situation to your advantage and plant earlier in the season than you most likely would if you gardened outdoors. If temperature in your house varies from room to room, keep your plants in an area that has more or less has the same temperature throughout the day.

Space and Size

Logically, it will be very difficult for you to plant Brussels sprouts and other big plants indoors when you do not have enough space. Even if you think you can accommodate the plants, remember that bigger plants also require bigger pots and containers to accommodate their root system. If you absolutely want a particular type of large plant indoors, you can opt to use smaller or dwarf varieties of that plant.

Remember that root crops such as radishes and carrots will grow in boxes that are at least 10 inches deep. Root vegetables with more substantial surface leaves and deeper root systems that grow deeper are less suitable for indoor planting.

On the other hand, herbs are one of the best plants to cultivate indoors. They can be contained in a small pot, placed on a windowsill and not take up much space at all. They also survive on little water and you only have to water them periodically. But not all herbs are created alike. The easiest herbs to grow indoors are parsley, bay leaf, chives, mint, and lemon grass. The most difficult are basil, sage, and cilantro.

If you have a basement or an attic that you do not use often, you can place your indoor garden there. With adequate lighting, temperature and moisture, your plants can grow successfully in those areas.