Plant Gardens 101

Unless it is the middle of summer and there has not been enough rain, watering your outdoor plants is usually not necessary (or not very often). But indoor plants rely on you as a source of water and extra nutrients in the form of fertilizer. It is important to know the individual water and nutrient needs of each plant to keep them healthy.
As mentioned, individual plants will require different amounts of water to keep them growing optimally. But what all plants do like is moist soil. If you are worried about over-watering your plant, make sure that the pot you choose has a good drainage system. With holes in the bottom of the pot or gravel inside the pot the soil and plant will soak up the necessary water and the excess will run out through the bottom. (more…)

If you have young children around an indoor garden is the perfect project to teach them about nature. It is also an avenue to teach children about the responsibility needed to care for something on an ongoing basis. Simple is best, even for older children – as they prove themselves and their garden thrives they can expand the plants that they grow.
To enrich the learning opportunity purchase clear containers to grow the plants in. If you can not find a traditional pot that is clear make sure the container you use either has a drainage hole in the bottom or layer gravel on the bottom before adding the soil. Once the plant starts to grow more the roots will become visible in the pot. (more…)

Houseplants and herb gardens are well-known as common plants that are grown indoors. But they are not the only plants that can be grown indoors. By using the right containers and having the ability to mimic the ideal growing conditions you can also have an indoor vegetable garden. The benefits of having one go beyond the beautification of your home or the relaxation you get from gardening, but you can also pick your own vegetables right in your kitchen.

Carrots, tomatoes, and radishes are three of the easiest vegetable to grow indoors. Each grows differently and will need separate containers but with some research this is not a problem. A south-facing window is the best source of natural sunlight for your vegetables to grow in. If you do not have the right exposure, you can invest in an artificial bulb to provide supplemental light. (more…)

If you love an outdoor plant but it is too big to bring indoors you have the option of taking a cutting from that plant. Once you have taken a cutting, you can start a new plant that is smaller and more appropriate for an indoor garden. Depending on the type of plant you are taking a cutting from there is a few methods you might want to try.

Taking a cutting from a plant is also known as propagation. If you have a hardwood plant that you want to propagate the process is slow but easy to do as the cuttings are quite hardy. Take the cutting (about 5 inches worth) when the tree is dormant (in the middle of winter) and place the cutting cut-side up in a pail of sand. Fill the pail with water and wait until spring. Then submersed side will have little nodules that will turn into roots once planted. (more…)

There is a solution for you if you love the look of plants indoors but don’t have the time or a green thumb to take care of them. A terrarium is a self-contained plant habitat. Once you have set-up the terrarium and closed the lid (on the jar or other container you have chosen) the plants inside create their own eco-system – all you have to do is enjoy it.
The choices for terrarium containers are only limited by your imagination. Traditionally a smaller aquarium is used with a lid but a glass jar or other container will work nicely too. Plastic will work as well, just make sure that it is a clear plastic or you won’t be able to admire your handiwork once it is completed. Whatever size or material you choose for your terrarium the most important factor is that it does not leak. You need the water and moisture to stay inside for it to work and you don’t want a mess inside your house.

The plants that you choose should all thrive in similar conditions and grow well in a humid environment. Popular plants to put into a terrarium are carnivorous (Venus Fly Trap, sundew, or pitch plant) or rain forest plants (chamaedorea palms, small ferns or fittonia). (more…)

When you are choosing a house plant you need to go beyond the appearance of the plant although that is a good place to start. If there is a certain kind of plant that you want to have look into the care instructions first. Some plants need more care and others are best left to an expert gardener as opposed to a novice one. If you fall into the latter category of gardeners you will want plants that are easy to care for, are hardy, and have a low maintenance schedule.
Ferns are a popular choice for indoor gardens as they are easy to care for, do not require to be repotted very often and are attractive. There is a wide range of fern varieties available and each one has a unique look. Some of the different ferns great for houseplants are:

* Maidenhair Ferns
* Davallias
* Fishbone Ferns
* Cretan Brake Ferns

Begonias are a great choice for the indoors too especially if you do not have a great light source. This plant can survive on very little light each day. Some will flower indoors but the leaves are beautiful on their own too. They also don’t mind cooler temperatures either, but it should not get colder than 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius). A few the begonia varieties available: (more…)

Your indoor plants are going to let you know if something isn’t right. The leaves will fall off, turn brown or some other symptom will manifest itself. The are various causes, some that can be rectified and others that cannot. When you are trying to figure out what is wrong, start with the simplest solution as a starting point.

The most common cause of a sick houseplant is watering, either too much or not enough. If the plant’s leaves are starting too look wilted or are drying up, check the soil and if it is dry add a good amount of water to wet the dirt and leave it moist once the water has run through. If you have over watered a plant, make sure the drainage hole is not clogged and if you have a dish that catches excess water, empty it out to make room for more water to drain out of the pot. (more…)

Plants need different elements from the soil to grow. If they are not present in the right amount the plants will not be as healthy or grow as they should. This is the reason plants need fertilizer, to add the missing elements (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium). You can give your plants too much fertilizer and that will have the opposite affect you are going for.

The same species of plant that is grown indoors or outdoors will have different fertilizing needs. Plants that are grown indoors have a will not need as much fertilizer as the ones grown outside. The rate of growth is slower indoors and you can harm your plant by over-fertilizing it.

How do you know how much fertilizer to give to your plants and when to feed it to them? If you have purchased a plant meant for the indoors chances are the information tag it comes with will give fertilizing instructions. But a better method to follow is observing your plant for any signs that would indicate it is lacking nutrients. (more…)

You may have heard that it is hard to get shrubs or trees to blossom indoors, that’s because it is the right conditions are essential. But if you have the patience and the correct amount of light (the brighter the better) to provide you can be successful. In addition to having the right conditions, you will also need to choose a flowering plant that has a history of blooming in indoor gardens.

If you purchase you flowering tree at a green house, be aware that the plant will be acclimatized to the optimal conditions found there. You may have better luck purchasing at a nursery or bringing an outdoor plant indoors – they will be hardier and used to changes in weather. Look into your garden center’s return policy too, many will guarantee the life of your new plant for a certain period of time. They will also give you important information on the care and maintenance your flowering plant will need. (more…)

It doesn’t matter if the seeds you are starting are going to be making their way outdoors once germinated or if they are going to be additions to your indoor garden – starting seeds inside is the best way to ensure success. The tiny seeds and seedlings do not do well with harsh weather changes and a late frost or excessive rain can prevent them from growing. There is also the problem of birds getting into the seeds as a food source.

There are many commercial helpers you can buy to make germinating seeds an easy project. Peat pellets that come with a miniature hot house require nothing more than adding water to the seed and peat and covering with the supplied lid. But some water, high-quality soil, sunlight and time are all that you need. (more…)

The three things that all plants need to survive are food, water, and dirt. The food for plants is created when enough light is provided. The water and dirt part of the equation are pretty straight forward as long as you follow the recommended care instructions and don’t forget to water your plants. But how do you ensure that your indoor plants are getting enough light? Finding the right location in your home may require some trial and error before you find the perfect spot.

Before deciding on what type of plants you will have in your house, look into the light requirements. The four categories that describe the different light requirement for plants are low, medium, high, and very high. If you have a sunroom or skylights in your home and can position your plants in or under them you can purchase plants that need high or very high light exposure. Be aware that some plants can get too much sun, in which case the light that comes in from a regular window should suffice. (more…)

The homeowner who wants to start a home garden that is light on the maintenance needed may decide to buy cacti. This is a good plan because they need less water than most plants and are quite hardy. Although there are still care instructions that need to be followed to increase the life and longevity of a cactus.

Cactus plants are used to the heat and being dry, for this reason putting them in a windowsill with full sunlight is optimal. Depending on the cactus and the amount of heat it is getting you may not have to water it for weeks at a time (once a month is the recommended watering schedule). Cacti like coarse soil, it is recommended to use a soil that is meant specifically for a cactus instead of a generic mix. When a fertilizer is needed you should also purchase a fertilizer that is just for cacti. (more…)

If you have heard of hydroponics or other methods of growing plants without soil and want to try it out at home, you can. Hydroponics is easy to care for and set-up at home. There are materials you can buy or some you may be able to find around the house.

The dirt or soil that you use to grow plants in a traditional method is substituted for a growing medium (full of nutrients the plant needs to grow) in hydroponics gardening. The growing medium is fed directly to the roots by method of a drip-feeder. The system can be automated and the gardener can control how many drips the roots receive in a specified time frame. The more of the growing medium the faster the plants grow.

Since the system can be automated, the amount of time and energy that is required to maintain a hydroponics garden is less than with a traditional garden. As long as enough water is present and growing medium the plants can be left unattended for a longer period of time. (more…)

Fresh herbs can make a world of difference in your meals. Instead of buying them at the grocery store and getting too much at once or a bunch that isn’t as fresh as it could be, grow your own. Grow a variety or just your favorite, in a window box or on the kitchen counter. It is an easy introduction to indoor gardening.

To start your own herb garden you have two options, you can go to your local nursery and purchase some seedlings or grow your own from seed. Either way is fine, but if you are a novice the seedlings are the way to go.

Once you have your seedlings at home, you can replant them or for the first season you can leave them in the small plastic pot that they come in. If you do decide to replant them, do not pack in the soil too tightly and place a small amount of gravel or woodchips at the bottom of the pot for good drainage. If you want to grow your herbs from seeds, follow the instructions on the package carefully and use a container large enough to accommodate future root growth. Herbs also like air circulation, placing near an open window can provide both the sunshine and air movement that they need to thrive. (more…)

The esthetic appeal of having plants inside your house is the reason the majority of people decide to start gardening indoors. Whether you have researched and planned on them or not, there are additional benefits that are derived when a green space is created inside you house.

The décor aspect of inside greenery is a given, plants add to and beautify space – indoors and outdoors. The different plants choices available include various colors, sizes, shapes, flowering vs. non-flowering and this is just the tip of the plant life ice berg. (more…)