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Posts Tagged ‘growing vegetables indoors’

Growing Vegetables Indoors
By Eudora DeWynter

Do you already miss those fresh garden vegetables that you grew in your outdoor garden over the summer? Would you like to grow those same vegetables indoors? Of course the rules for indoor gardening are a bit different from growing outdoors, but it can be done and with a lot of success.

Gardening inside requires you to consider the temperature, light sources and pollination and the type of vegetables you plan to grow. There are some vegetables that can be easily grown indoors even on windowsills. A room that gets southern exposure sunlight, slightly used will make a good place for an indoor garden.

An enclosed heated porch is also a good alternative since some plants require daytime temperatures in the mid to upper 60′s and 70′s and nighttime lows of upper30′s to lower 60′s. An ideal room is one that you can provide with supplemental lighting which will provide the needed heat and warm up well from the daytime sunlight. Your plants will need at least 6 to 8 hours of lighting so using cool white or warm florescent lighting will help keep the plants warm during the cold windy days in winter if you keep them near the light source.

Grow lights can be used and help provide extra growing light because the days of the winter months are shorter. Soil used in indoor gardening is different also, indoor gardening soil should be lightweight so does not use soil that is for outdoor use, it will sometimes harbor diseases and insects and they are harder to control in a confined area. Instead use regular indoor potting soil mixed with 1 part vermiculite, 1 part peat, 1 part perlit and you will have an ideal soil mix.

Your indoor garden will need to be watered daily or every other day, due to the lack of humidity and fertilized at least every two weeks for the best results. You choice of what to grow is up to you but there are vegetables that do quite well indoors, but don’t expect the same size or yield that you got when growing outside.

Plants that do well in an indoor garden if you have enough space are: determinate vine cherry tomatoes, bush beans bunching onions, leaf lettuce, and basil. Hungarian sweet and hot peppers and small vine cucumbers. So go ahead and give indoor gardening a try, and enjoy the benefits of fresh vegetables again.

Eudora DeWynter offers tips on Growing Vegetables Indoors on her blog
at http://www.gardentoolguru.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eudora_DeWynter
http://EzineArticles.com/?Growing-Vegetables-Indoors&id=1730402

Indoor Edibles
By Eudora DeWynter

Eating a fresh garden salad, made with vegetables grown indoor edibles from an indoor garden in January is a treat that one can only enjoy. Being able to pick and enjoy edible vegetables right from your window sill or right out of your indoor garden will be rewarding. There are many herbs and vegetables that can be grown indoors in winter such as basil, parsley, rosemary, cherry tomatoes and a variety of lettuces. Once you start growing your edibles indoors in winter you will love it, and will always want an indoor garden.

Many people don’t realize that some of the same edible vegetables grown outside can also be grown indoors under the right conditions. Herbs such as basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, oregano and dill can be grown in containers on a windowsill with good southern exposure for light or on a countertop with a grow light. Seeds for edibles to be grown indoors may be hard to find so buy a good supply in early spring, they become hard to find by late summer and early fall.

When starting your garden factor in the room temperature and light conditions as well as the pollination of your plants. The room temperature can be controlled and light can be added with the use of grow lights and warm white florescent light, but the pollinating will have to be done manually.

Many indoor gardeners use an artists brush to help with plant pollination and find that it works quite well when distributing pollen from one plant flower to another. Another point to remember is that vegetable plants grown indoors are just as susceptible to pest problems as those grown outside. If you have house plants, insects such as spider mites and white flies can be attracted to your vegetable plants also so the use of an insecticidal soap will be extremely useful inside with closed windows and doors.

Use lightweight soil mixes for your indoor growing, a good example is potting soil mixed with vermiculite and perlite and peat, and this will keep the soil from becoming compact. With the lack of humidity in many homes watering nearly every day or every other day will be essential, and fertilize every two weeks with a good organic fertilizer.

Don’t allow the night time temperature in your garden room drop below 60, remember it is winter and most garden plants don’t fair well in cold temperatures. Keep in mind also that being able to harvest your own fresh edible vegetables from an outdoor or an indoor garden is always rewarding.

Eudora DeWynter offers tips on Growing Indoor Edibles on her blog at http://www.gardentoolguru.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eudora_DeWynter
http://EzineArticles.com/?Indoor-Edibles&id=1757641