Indoor Gardening Tips for Beginners

Our Green Friends

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” No one can ignore the beauty of a well designed, lush garden. However, plants aren’t valued only for their aesthetic appeal. They do more than just beautify your rooms. They remove carbon dioxide, poisonous toxins and pollutants from the surroundings and give you fresh air to breathe. What’s more – you don’t have to be a professional gardener or have a sprawling garden outside your house to enjoy the beauty of nature. You can easily have a garden inside the house with potted vegetables, herbs, and floral plants.

Choose the Right Plants

The best way to choose the right plants is to start by asking yourself a few questions like “What’s my budget?”, “How much time am I going to be able to give to the plants?” and “Do I want seasonal plants or evergreens?”

If you do not have a lot of money you could go in for seeds or cuttings. Herb gardens are generally considered good for beginners as they grow pretty fast and look very attractive. If you have more money, go in for hardy plants that will require less maintenance like Fatsiam Scandens and Brometidas. There’s no point in buying fragile plants that will have trouble adjusting to the environs.

You could also choose flowering plants like Whirlybird and Copper Sunset. These can grow well in planter boxes and pots prepped with potting soil. Marigolds, Iceland Poppies and smaller varieties of sunflowers can definitely brighten up your house and they do not cover a lot of space either.

They Still Need Water and Light

Plants do not get a lot of sunlight inside the house. This means you have to compensate with extra lighting. You could go in for artificial lighting or you could get plants that don’t so much sunlight. If you do have a plant that requires a fair amount of lighting, make sure that you rotate the plant often. This will help the plant grow straight instead of leaning towards the light.

Do not ignore to water the plants. They may not need a lot of water but they will need watering regularly. Make arrangements for proper drainage at the base of the plant. If need be, punch holes to let the excess water out. Doing so will prevent root rot and give plants the required warmth. Make sure that the water that you are using is roughly the same temperature as the room. If there is a drastic difference in temperature, it could cause significant damage to the plants.

Humidity – the Silent Enemy

Even though there are less chances of finding humidity in the house, it’s always advisable to keep your eyes open. Both high and low humidity could be detrimental to the health of your plant. If you notice rot, mildew or mold, they are typical signs of high humidity, whereas wilting, brown leaves and buds dropping indicate low humidity.