If you want the taste of fresh-picked vegetables, but you don’t have a backyard, you may be thinking about how to start your own indoor organic food garden.
Select the appropriate vegetables
The plants you want to grow will probably have different requirements, and the two biggest restrictions are generally the amount of space you have and the amount of light you’ll get. Fruit-bearing plants require large amounts of sunlight. Other plants, like lettuce, miniature cabbage, spinach, and Swiss chard can get along with less light and do very well indoors.
The size of the pots that you can fit into your space will determine your choice of plants. You want to make sure that the pot will allow for full growth of the plant. Small root crops, like miniature carrots, radishes, and onions are available. You can also find other miniature plants, such as; tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Herbs also work great in an indoor garden, since they generally don’t take up much space.
Find the best spot for growing
Lighting is a big concern for your indoor garden. The best place is next to a bright, south-facing window. But if you can also do well in any place that gets at least five hours of continuous light. If you don’t have a place with good natural lighting, you can always get some artificial lighting to make up for the missing sunlight.
You’ll also need to think about how often people will be walking next to your indoor garden. Vegetables generally bruise easily, so you should look for a place that is safe from anyone from bumping into the plants. This is especially true if you have pets or children in the house- you’ll want to keep your plants out of their reach. Make sure that wherever you put the plants, you’ll still have easy access to them when you need to take care of them. Look for a nearby space to keep your gardening tools and equipment.
Optimize the Micro-climate
You will generally get the best growth from plants when they are in an area with high humidity and moderate temperatures. Unfortunately, indoors gardens usually have low humidity, so you will probably need to make some improvements. However, don’t go to the opposite extreme and let your plants become waterlogged. This is where plastic pots can be very handy . They won’t absorb water, like clay pots, so you’re soil won’t dry out as quickly. If you create good drainage by elevating your pots above a gravel-filled pan, you’ll also improve the humidity since water will evaporate from the pans.
Use High-Quality Potting Soil
You’ll need soil that drains well and contains all the nutrients that your plants need. If you don’t have room to do your own composting, you can go to your local gardening shop and purchase organic potting mixes. If you add any nutrients to the soil, be careful. When using containers, fertilizer buildup is a common concern.
Once you know how to start your own indoor organic food garden, you’ll find that you can get many of the benefits of a full-sized garden.