Four Things You Should Know About Building An Indoor Garden

Building and maintaining an indoor garden can be a fun and exciting hobby to pursue. At its heart, it really no different than having an outdoor garden in a lot of ways, except that you will have to supply some elements that we take for granted outside the home. For those of us who want to fill our homes with the beauty of nature, just follow the listed tips below, in order to achieve the most success with your garden.

Lighting

The first element that you will have to simulate for your indoor garden is sunlight. You can do this in any one of several ways. First, you can use the natural light coming in through a window, just be certain that the plants you place there will need that much light, and that they can handle it. One rule of thumb to remember with plants: the darker the leaf, the less sun they need. Plants with small, thin and light green leaves, like those on African violets, can actually be harmed by placing them in direct sunlight. The darker the leaf, the further away they can be, getting diffuse sunlight will be just fine for them.

Water

Plants need water, and those you choose for your indoor garden will need you to supply it, unless you know how to make it rain inside. The thing is, though, is that you have to be careful about how much you give each plant. The number one reason that indoor plants die is that they are over-watered. With most plants, once a week is sufficient, and you can easily check if they need water by checking their container. The container you place your plants in should have a good drainage system, namely sufficient holes in the bottom of the pot to allow excess water to drain away into a saucer. If there is standing water in the saucer, it does not need more. The excess should be tossed out to avoid rotting the roots, which will kill the plant.

Humidity

Keeping the humidity level constant for an indoor garden can be a challenge, especially during the winter. Most plants need some humidity and moisture, to keep the pests away, and their leaves clean and fresh. As this is usually done by the morning dew outside, you can help by simply applying a light mist over all of the plants in your care, once a day.

Food

Outside plants get food from two main sources: the sun and the soil. With an indoor garden, you will have to make up the difference by applying plant food or fertilizer regularly. Depending on the type of plants you are raising, you can either use a generic fertilizer, which will give them the basic nutrients, or one that is specially blended for your particular plants. Just be sure to read all instructions carefully, and follow them completely. You do not want to kill your plant by overdoing the feeding.