Indoor gardening is due to becoming one of the bigger trends this year. Many of us consumers will either be wanting to have a garden, either for the aesthetic pleasure of having the beauty of flowers in our homes to relieve stress, or even to save money on our food bills.
So for those of us who either live in an apartment, or who just have very small yards, it’s indoor gardening (aka container gardening) or nothing.
Unlike traditional gardening, indoor gardening has some challenges to it that might not be noticed with a garden in the back yard. Knowing about these particular challenges in advance will help you enjoy the indoor gardening experience more:
Indoor Gardening Challenge Number One: Spacing
Nothing spells trouble for us gardeners than doing anything that makes a mess in the house. So, if possible, not only do you want to keep your garden in a part of the house that’s out of the way, you’ll also probably want to use containers that are light enough in weight, to be carried outside easily for the messy parts.
Back porches, and basements are good. Shelving helps to leave you plenty of room to live in the same house as an indoor garden. Some people have even tried their garage but you must keep in mind that vehicle emissions are unhealthy for your green friends too.
Indoor Gardening Challenge Number Two: Watering
Depending on the humidity of your region of the world, and the humidity inside of your home, you may have to keep an eye out for how often you water your indoor garden plants. In addition to the watering needs of your indoor garden you’ll need to be sure to have a system in place to catch excess water drainage from your containers. Excess water, even on a concrete basement floor, is just not good. So with some good catch-pans under your pots, and an eye on the soil condition, you’ll be able to keep your indoor garden alive and spare yourself the mess.
Indoor Gardening Challenge Number Three: Pests
Bugs are everywhere. Insects are the most populous critters on the planet in one form or another. We’re out-numbered and surrounded by them…and they’re hungry! Now you might think that since your indoor garden is safe from pest infestation…but you’re wrong. Sure. Close every window and every door. It won’t stop a hungry bug. These guys are tiny! They’ll get through the smallest cracks and holes that you might not even notice.
Let bugs get the slightest whiff of some yummy celery, lettuce, or tomatoes, and just that quick, you’ve got bugs. You can go with either an organic repellent or an inorganic pesticide. It all depends on what you want inside of your home.
Bugs aren’t the only pests though. Pets and children also need to be kept out of your indoor garden as well.
Indoor Gardening Challenge Number Four: Lighting
If your home is in a place where you might only get an hour or two of sunlight daily then you’ll certainly need an indoor grow-lighting system. Fortunately they can be purchased, both online and offline, at pretty reasonable prices. The best lighting is pure sunlight though, so if you can, you’ll always do best to actually move your containers outside as much as possible. Fresh air, direct sunlight, and moisture from the rain will always do your indoor garden a world of good.
Indoor Gardening Challenge Number Five: Pesticides
Pesticides are dangerous…plain and simple. Sure. They kill off plant damaging bugs. But pets chew on leaves sometimes that are covered in pesticides. It’s every parent’s nightmare if your kids get into them. You might want to consider avoiding them altogether and take a non-poisonous approach to warding off insects.
There’s a slew of organic repellents available on the internet. The time it takes to research which would work best for you is time well invested. But, should you decide that you’d rather use pesticides on your indoor garden (either you have no little children or you just hate that cat…) then you’ll still want to keep your bottles of the stuff up out of reach.
Indoor Gardening Challenge Number Six: Odors
Unlike an outdoor garden, where smells simply dissipate into the air, an indoor garden inside your house will naturally keep unpleasant smells around. While stink’s not a danger to your plant itself, it is unpleasant to those living with you and to yourself as well.
Some folks find some relief by growing some pleasant smelling plants, such as mint, along with the more odorous plants. A container of onions can’t be mistaken for sure. Flowers can be a nice supplement too.
Make sure to allow for aeration of the room your indoor garden is in as often as possible. Also, keep any organic material outside unless and until you need to bring it in. Sterilize all surfaces and equipment as much as needed to discourage the bacterial growth that brings about the smell too. A simple bleach and water mixture usually works. In spite of it all though, the simple fact is, that an indoor garden can be smelly.
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By: Donald Pennington
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