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Tips for Growing Vegetables Indoor in Winter - June 2016
It's easy for boredom to set in during the cold, winter months. However, if you are creative, you can find ways to bring life back indoors while you wait for things to warm up outdoors. Growing vegetables indoor in winter is one of those ways.
I love my garden and nothing makes me happier than spending time digging and weeding and planting and fertilising and then harvesting truly fresh food. But in winter the garden slows down outdoors. I still have a garden with cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, parsnips, turnips, garlic and strawberries growing.
But I also bring the garden indoors. It gives the house a colourful boost to beat the winter blues and we still get to enjoy delicious fresh food through the gloomy winter days.
Start with Location, Location, Location
The first things to do when contemplating growing vegetables and herbs indoor in winter is find the right location. The old saying that location, location, location is the most important thing for your home or business applies to your indoor vegetable garden as well.
A windowsill on the northern side of your house will bring the most sunlight. If you have a north facing bay window with a wide ledge, that is a great place to start. However, when you plant from seeds and begin to see growth, it is important to watch how those early plants strain and stretch to reach for the light. If they are bending and twisting in one direction, it is important to change the position of your window pots in order for each plant to benefit from the sunlight.
More advanced techniques for growing vegetables indoor in winter would include finding a designated spot somewhere in your home, perhaps a spare room or pantry that allows for enough room. Incorporating the use of artificial light specifically made to hover above indoor winter plants is also an option. There are many advanced shelving systems and lighting options available once you have decided that this endeavour is for you - a warning though: they are costly.
Planting indoors, even if you expend a bit of money at the onset, can save you money in the long run and provide a wonderful new hobby. If you decide that indoor gardening is for you, you can visit your local home store for advice on a do-it-yourself window box and some simple fluorescent grow bulbs. It's also a nice way to test those green thumbs without going to the effort and expense of building garden beds outdoors.
Choose Simple Plants to Start with
Any type of lettuce or green leafy vegetables such as kale is easy enough to begin with and they require a few snippets here and there to continue to thrive. Herbs such as rosemary, basil and thyme are excellent starters as well. Spring onions grow well indoors and keep growing if you keep cutting them. If you choose to begin with seeds, make certain to choose seeds that will thrive in smaller pots.
Pots, Soil, Fertilizer, and Water
Once you've decided which basic plants to begin with, follow the instructions carefully on the back of each seed packet. Keeping the instructions taped to the pot will refresh your memory as to how much sunlight that particular plant needs and how often it should be watered. Leaving it to memory leaves too much room for chance. Typically, clay pots between 15cm - 20cm are best for beginning.
Use the recommended type of fertiliser for each particular plant and plant the seeds down as far as the directions recommend. Pay close attention to the watering instructions as you don't want to overwater. Homes tend to be drier in winter when the thermostat is up, so keeping a spray bottle for in-between misting is a great idea. If your plant seems a little dry, but was recently watered, a little mist may be just enough to keep it thriving.
Growing vegetables indoors may take some trial and error before you are able to become a master at it; however, getting started is not difficult at all.
Start out simply and slowly and learn as you go along.
Gardening, whether indoor or outdoor, takes time, practice, and patience. When you begin to see that the seedlings you have planted are beginning to grow, it is an exhilarating feeling. Even if some plantings do not thrive and your efforts put forth a couple of herbs and a vegetable or two, growing something from the start of a seed is an exciting endeavour.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to any type of vegetable garden.
I love my garden and nothing makes me happier than spending time digging and weeding and planting and fertilising and then harvesting truly fresh food. But in winter the garden slows down outdoors. I still have a garden with cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, parsnips, turnips, garlic and strawberries growing.
But I also bring the garden indoors. It gives the house a colourful boost to beat the winter blues and we still get to enjoy delicious fresh food through the gloomy winter days.
Start with Location, Location, Location
The first things to do when contemplating growing vegetables and herbs indoor in winter is find the right location. The old saying that location, location, location is the most important thing for your home or business applies to your indoor vegetable garden as well.
A windowsill on the northern side of your house will bring the most sunlight. If you have a north facing bay window with a wide ledge, that is a great place to start. However, when you plant from seeds and begin to see growth, it is important to watch how those early plants strain and stretch to reach for the light. If they are bending and twisting in one direction, it is important to change the position of your window pots in order for each plant to benefit from the sunlight.
More advanced techniques for growing vegetables indoor in winter would include finding a designated spot somewhere in your home, perhaps a spare room or pantry that allows for enough room. Incorporating the use of artificial light specifically made to hover above indoor winter plants is also an option. There are many advanced shelving systems and lighting options available once you have decided that this endeavour is for you - a warning though: they are costly.
Planting indoors, even if you expend a bit of money at the onset, can save you money in the long run and provide a wonderful new hobby. If you decide that indoor gardening is for you, you can visit your local home store for advice on a do-it-yourself window box and some simple fluorescent grow bulbs. It's also a nice way to test those green thumbs without going to the effort and expense of building garden beds outdoors.
Choose Simple Plants to Start with
Any type of lettuce or green leafy vegetables such as kale is easy enough to begin with and they require a few snippets here and there to continue to thrive. Herbs such as rosemary, basil and thyme are excellent starters as well. Spring onions grow well indoors and keep growing if you keep cutting them. If you choose to begin with seeds, make certain to choose seeds that will thrive in smaller pots.
Pots, Soil, Fertilizer, and Water
Once you've decided which basic plants to begin with, follow the instructions carefully on the back of each seed packet. Keeping the instructions taped to the pot will refresh your memory as to how much sunlight that particular plant needs and how often it should be watered. Leaving it to memory leaves too much room for chance. Typically, clay pots between 15cm - 20cm are best for beginning.
Use the recommended type of fertiliser for each particular plant and plant the seeds down as far as the directions recommend. Pay close attention to the watering instructions as you don't want to overwater. Homes tend to be drier in winter when the thermostat is up, so keeping a spray bottle for in-between misting is a great idea. If your plant seems a little dry, but was recently watered, a little mist may be just enough to keep it thriving.
Growing vegetables indoors may take some trial and error before you are able to become a master at it; however, getting started is not difficult at all.
Start out simply and slowly and learn as you go along.
Gardening, whether indoor or outdoor, takes time, practice, and patience. When you begin to see that the seedlings you have planted are beginning to grow, it is an exhilarating feeling. Even if some plantings do not thrive and your efforts put forth a couple of herbs and a vegetable or two, growing something from the start of a seed is an exciting endeavour.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to any type of vegetable garden.