Why start an indoor vegetable garden?
Growing vegetables indoors allows you to control all elements of the plants existence. You have control of the light, moisture, temperature, and fertilization.
Indoor plants are less prone to pests and parasites. On the other hand, there are still potential pest problems. Insect pests common to house plants will also be attracted to vegetable plants.
Indoor gardens also allow for an extended growing season which can provide fresh grown foods even in the cooler or off seasons.
Starting an indoor vegetable garden:
Indoor vegetables can be grown quite easily in any pot or container. Plastic is usually cheaper, but anything will do. The most important part of the container is making sure that there is drainage in the bottom. If you are using plastic or metal containers, use a drill or sharp object to make drainage holes.
It is important that the soil is lightweight and drains well. A mix that works well is an equal amount by volume of perlite, sand, silica, and forest mulch. Another favourite is equal parts of native soil, sharp coarse sand, and peat moss or compost. You will need a light mix of equal parts of black peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite if your vegetables are growing in hanging containers. Nurseries and gardening centres also have pre mixed mixers, but these will cost you more.
The soil should be lightly packed. If the soil is packed too tightly, there will be problems with root development, drainage and aeration. When you fill the container with soil, make sure there is between one and two inches of space at the top for watering.
You can use the same basic schedule for indoor gardening as you do with outdoor gardening for planting particular vegetables. You can start vegetables from seed much easier indoors because you don’t have to wait for certain weather conditions. As the seeds sprout, make sure that you thin them.
After planting, gently water the soil and be careful not to wash out the seeds. Check twice a day to see if you need to water your indoor vegetable garden. Avoid over watering. Excess water can gather at the base of the container, and cause the rots of your plant to rot.
The only downside that is usually found in indoor gardening is the watering. Plants grown in containers need more care and more attention than plants grown outside. Indoor gardeners need to water by hand and more frequently because plants dry out faster in containers.
Put a label with name, variety and date of planting in each container.
A bright sunny south-facing window can be the ideal site for growing fresh vegetables in containers all year. You need special supplemental lighting for growing vegetables during the winter months.
For your indoor vegetable garden, consider growing vegetables needing minimal space such as radishes, several types of lettuce, or carrots. Another option is small fruit bearing plants, like tomatoes and peppers.
Because you won’t have bees or wind to do the work for you, you will need to pollinate your vegetables yourself once they have started to flower. You can use a paintbrush to transfer the pollen from flower to flower. With vegetables that are self pollinating, you can shake the flower a little so that the pollen falls down inside. Other vegetables have separate male and female flowers, so make sure you are pollinating the right ones.
If you are growing vegetables indoors in the winter, you also need to pay attention to the temperature. Some vegetables can handle cooler air, as long as it is not too cold, but others need warm air to do well. Grow lights can add some heat, but if your indoor vegetable garden is in a garage or basement, you may need to supplement with a small heater. Monitor the temperature closely with a thermometer, because too much heat can damage the plants as well.
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