Indoor Gardening- 9 Reasons To Start Your Indoor Garden
Indoor Gardening- 9 Reasons To Start Your Indoor Garden
Whether growing a garden outdoors or indoors, all plants require the same amount of care in the form of adequate and healthy nutrition, enough water and plenty of light. This is important because even in indoor gardening, plants are constantly exposed to the threat of diseases caused by pests and insects.
Keep the following considerations in mind if you are going in for indoor gardening–
(1) Your indoor gardening should start on a positive note. Before purchasing houseplants, make sure that they are insect-free and disease-free. Pests always attack weak plants, so the ones you take home should be healthy.
(2) Okay, on the surface, the plants that you bought seem to be sturdy and healthy. But just as an added precaution, keep the new plants separated from the older ones that you already have, for about 40 days. Either keep them in plastic bags that have been sealed or in a different room altogether, ensuring that they receive plenty of light and water. During this time, if any of the new plants exhibit signs of disease or pests, you have the option of treating the plant till it is cured or just throwing it away.
(3) Quarantining as a method in indoor gardening is applicable to other older plants too, should they seem to be weaker or revealing signs of disease in comparison to the others.
(4) Another way to shake off pests or spores that may be hidden from the naked eye is to give your houseplants a shower bath once in every few months. An alternative to the shower is a water spraying device. The plants can also rid themselves of any dust or grime that has settled on them. Only keep in mind that this has to be done early in the morning. The plants need an entire day to get dry before nighttime.
(5) Screens on doors and windows are meant for the dual purpose of bringing in fresh air as well as keeping spores and insects outside the house only. The insect population is more during the spring and summer seasons as well as early autumn. As a matter of fact, greenhouse suppliers can provide you with special anti-insect screens.
(6) Another tip regarding indoor gardening is related to insect-catching sticky traps. These traps can be purchased at nurseries or garden centers. When hung in the same room as the houseplants, it is easy to discover which plants are acting as hosts for these trapped insects. To prevent spread of the infestation, keep the healthy and weaker plants separate for some time. Oh yes, these traps are not to be confused with pest strips.
(7) Houseplants have to be kept clean and neat. Get rid of flowers and leaves that are dead or have changed color. If the plants are healthy and strong, they are capable of giving out chemicals that keep their leaves safe from unwanted pests.
(8) Some people are lucky enough to have an outdoor garden as well as an indoor one. If you have just come from outside and are planning to indulge in indoor gardening, go and have a shower first and a change of clothes. It is possible that your clothes are carrying spores or pests from your outside garden.
(9) Again, gardening tools used for outdoor gardening and indoor gardening should be totally different.
Abhishek is an avid Gardening enthusiast and he has got some great Gardening Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 57 Pages Ebook, “Your Garden – Neighbor’s Envy, Owner’s Pride!” from his website http://www.Gardening-Master.com/762/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.
Indoor Gardening- 10 Tips To Invite “Plants” Into Your Home With Indoor Gardening!
Indoor Gardening- 10 Tips To Invite “Plants” Into Your Home With Indoor Gardening!
It is a misnomer that only people possessing a “green thumb” can create a garden! As a matter of fact, anyone and everyone can create a beautiful garden, provided proper information about plants, skills required and sincere efforts are there! Let us take indoor gardening or container gardening as an example here.
People who live in apartment complexes or small houses are unable to fulfill their desires to have large outdoor gardens. Sometimes climatic conditions do not cooperate where an outdoor garden is concerned, even if the area is large enough to have a beautiful one! The only solution is indoor gardening. Not only can it be a relaxing hobby, but a garden indoors also serves the dual purpose of beautifying the surroundings as well as keeping the air fresh.
Some considerations to be kept in mind regarding indoor gardening are–
(1) What type of plants can be grown within the house? They must be easy to look after, not too large and not take up too much of your time. Foliage or ornamental plants are highly suitable for indoor gardening as maintenance is easy.
(2) These plants can only be grown in containers, of course; so each container must suit that particular plant.
(3) In general, the containers must have a good drainage system. Stagnant water in the containers will cause the roots to rot and destroy the plants. Additionally, mosquitoes get a beautiful breeding ground!
(4) Indoor gardening also has a set of rules where watering of plants is concerned–how much of water for each plant, how often should it be watered, and what is the best time to water it.
(5) All plants do not require the same amount of water. Some like the cactus plant do not need much watering at all. This desert plant survives on very little. Other plants may require more. Whatever the case may be, there should not be overwatering or underwatering!
(6) The amount of water should be just enough to keep the soil wet, but not allow it to become soggy. That is why holes in containers are required to enable excess water to drain off.
(7) Neither hot water nor cold water is to be used for house plants. Plants can also receive shocks! Water at room temperature, that is, warm water should do.
(8) A very important aspect of indoor gardening is temperature control. The temperature should be maintained between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, temperature cannot remain constant, fluctuations are bound to take place. Plants can withstand between 8 to 10 degrees of fluctuations daily, but not lesser or greater. Too low a temperature can cause yellowing of plant leaves. Failure to thrive indicates that temperatures are too high.
(9) Another important factor is optimum humidity. A humidifier should work fine, but water sprayed on the leaves each morning is helpful too. This is not to be done at nighttime, since there is a tendency for the plants to rot as the leaves are unable to undergo much evaporation.
(10) Plants grown within the house also require light. Many of them require enough sunlight to survive. Natural light may be difficult to provide sometimes. Artificial lights can therefore be installed to do the needful.
Thus, a “cheerless” day can be turned into a “cheerful” day with the fruits of indoor gardening.
Abhishek is an avid Gardening enthusiast and he has got some great Gardening Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 57 Pages Ebook, “Your Garden – Neighbor’s Envy, Owner’s Pride!” from his website http://www.Gardening-Master.com/762/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.
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Read MoreIndoor Garden Ideas: The Indoor Gardener
Indoor Garden Ideas: The Indoor Gardener
I suspect few children of today would spend countless hours putting together the perfect indoor garden. To us, as 9 and 10 year olds, the first step was begging an old biscuit tin lid from our mothers or grandmothers. The biscuit tin lid was ideal because it was just the right depth. Next, armed with our empty tin lids, we would make our way down to the end of the garden or, in my case, into the woods that grew around my grandparents’ home. Here we would find the dank conditions ideal for the sphagnum moss to grow and plenty of leaf mould to use as compost. We would fill our tins just below the rim with the leaf mould and then gently press the sphagnum moss into place to completely cover the leaf mould in the tin lid.
The next stage was to obtain tiny stones or tiny shells – I was lucky there because we lived within a few yards of the beachfront so I had access to plenty of shells. We would then proceed to decorate our gardens – one year I was even able to get some alpine plants to grow in mine: I prized some of these little plants from the crevices of our garden wall. Making an indoor garden was often given to us as a homework task from school during our Easter holidays. Of course, it helped that we all enjoyed making them. Today, sadly, it seems rather a lost art.
A more modern interpretation – to the West, at least – is the Executive Meditation Zen Garden. This is probably better known as a Sand Garden. I actually bought one this year for my daughter at Christmas. The intention of this is to create an oasis of calm in people’s busy lives and reduce the stress people are under today. These miniature sand gardens were inspired from Ryoan-ji, the Zen Rock Garden in Kyoto, Japan. If you purchase a kit, the Zen Garden comes with white sand, zen rakes and a range of polished stones, together with a booklet explaining the concept of Zen. Some kits include a Tori Zen chime, a tea light candle, a mallet and some incense sticks. All of this is set in a beautiful rosewood tray that is beautifully finished and makes an absolutely delightful and original focal point as part of any interior design project.
Taking the theme of interior gardening ideas further, there are the companies which supply various plants for the interior of office buildings. There are the palms which require levels of light up to 800 lux, growing from just 50cm up to 10m or more. Plants such as the Howea forsteriana which do really well in conditions where light is reasonable. The Dracaena family of plants is one of the most popular plants for indoor gardens as the dark green leaves only require a fairly low level of light although the variegated Dracaena does prefer a bit more light. They can grow from just 30cm to 5m in height. Dracaena is known by the delightful names of Song of India, and Song of Jamaica, amongst others. Whether it is sand gardens or the indoor gardens of our youth, there is no doubt that growing plants in the house alters the atmosphere of any room and brings it more alive and adds attractiveness.
Home Decorating Ideas offers quick cheap tips on how to decorate your house. Includes tips on decorating the office, living room, bedroom, kitchen and more.
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Read MoreThe Pleasure Of Gardening Indoor
The Pleasure Of Gardening Indoor
Everyone loves the beauty and serenity offered by a garden. Who does not want to do some gardening indoor? But a garden indoors does not just mean bringing plants inside the house. It is quite a difficult job. If done with proper care, your home could reflect the beauty of nature.
It is quite difficult to sit in an outdoor garden during the cold winter days. You can now enjoy the beauty of a garden sitting at home by doing some gardening indoor. Indoor gardens not only decorate your home but also cleanse the air. Indoor plants add moisture to the air and also filter it by exchanging carbon dioxide with oxygen.
Conditions for Gardening Indoor
There are many varieties of plants that can be grown indoors. Different plants grow in different conditions. One of the essential requirements for gardening indoor is sunlight. Most plants require sunlight to grow. This can be achieved by placing the plants near windows. Else you can choose plants with darker leaves as they do not require much sunlight.
When gardening indoor, you need to take care of water requirements also. But it is not recommended to over-water the plants as this may kill them. This is because the indoor plants are placed in garden containers and when excess water is poured the roots are damaged. Make sure the garden container has a good drainage system. Also check that the soil in the container does not dry out.
When the plants tend to dry out during winter, spray them with a fine mist. You can even try wrapping the plant in a newspaper or cone. This helps in retaining the moisture and keeps the plant looking healthy.
Advantages of Gardening Indoor
There are various advantages of having an indoor garden. Firstly it adds beauty to the house. You get to experience natural beauty inside your home. This is especially useful during winters as it is quite difficult to sit out in a garden during those cold days.
Modern homes are built to conserve energy. This has resulted in a lack of air exchange and hence increases the carbon dioxide and pollutes air at home. This may lead to various health disorders like asthma, allergies, eyes, nose and throat infections, headaches, respiratory and sinus congestion. This can be avoided by doing gardening indoor. Indoor plants purify the air by absorbing the carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.
Some plants that you can consider while gardening indoor are African violets, Philodendrons, Boston Fems, Jade plants etc. Though some plants may be more useful, all plants help purify the air and add an extra sparkle to your house.
Different plants require different conditions for growth. Hence it is better to know more about the plants when planning some gardening indoor. Also, all plants do not require the same kind of fertilization. Indoor fertilizers are available in garden stores and even at some grocery stores.
With proper care and nourishment while gardening indoor, you can make your home beautifully unique and healthy as well!
Get all of the latest in gardening indoor know how from the one and only true gardening resource at http://www.gardeningtoolsadvice.com/ Be sure to check out our gardening indoor pages on our web site.
Indoor Gardening: What You Need To Get Started
Indoor Gardening: What You Need To Get Started
Many people take great pleasure in their gardens, though they are usually situated outside. Some gardeners, however, take part in another form of gardening, and that is indoor gardening. Indoor gardening offers some perks that you can’t get from outdoor gardening. However, just as there are perks, there are also drawbacks. This article will examine both. You will also find places to situate your indoor garden, what types of flowers and plants you can grow, as well as some gardening tips to help your indoor garden flourish.
Why Plant Indoors?
Many people don’t realize that planting indoors can be more beneficial to plants, but it is also a lot of work. Indoor gardening is more beneficial because you, the gardener, get to control the environment, the weather, what foods and nutrients your plants receive, and anything else that you would normally have to trust to nature. Probably the best advantage to indoor gardening is that you can keep pests at bay easier when your garden is set indoors.
The Drawbacks
The drawbacks to indoor gardening are that you have to be very observant as to the needs and desires of your plants. As you get more experienced, you will be able to tell exactly what your plants need just by looking at them. For instance, by seeing the leaves or flowers change a certain color, you can tell if a certain chemical is depleted from its roots or soil. You have to keep a constant watch, however, as you don’t have the benefit of nature to nurture your plants.
Instead of the rain, you have to water your indoor garden yourself. Instead of sunlight, you have provide the lighting yourself and you also have to provide all the nutrients that your plants or flowers will require. This means that, probably the biggest drawback to indoor gardening, you have to put up a lot of the cost up front.
You have to buy the lighting, such as high powered sodium bulbs, which produce light equivalent to that of the sun and that are beneficial for growing plants. They aren’t cheap, however, and neither are all of the other materials you may need.
To start, you will need the equipment, of course, but you also need to determine which types of plants you want to grow. The best indoor gardening plant is the cactus, as it doesn’t require much care, such as constant watering, and it can be maintained easily. The cactus is a great plant to practice with until you get better and can move on to other plants and flowers.
You can also visit your local garden center and ask the associate about proper garden design, what you will need as well as where you should place it, such as on your patio or in your house.
If you have a green thumb, then this should be an easy venture for you. If you don’t know much about gardening, however, you should probably stick to an outside garden before you attempt your hand at indoor gardening.
Mike Hirn is a longtime gardening enthusiast. His website supplies a wealth of FREE information and tips about Gardening.
www.dig-this-garden.com/gardening-guide.php
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