Indoor Garden Plans
Gardeners must think about the amount of light their plants need when planning an indoor garden. According to the Cornell University Extension, plants generally fall into three categories when it comes to needed lighting: long day, short day and "indifferent." Long-day plants need 14 hours of light to form buds, short-day plants need 10 to 12 hours, and indifferent plants form buds regardless of the amount of light they receive. Gardeners should select plants to grow based on the light they can provide. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Light stand
- Incandescent light
- Fluorescent light
- Sheer curtain
- Plant stands
- Potting soil
- Loam
- Peatmoss
- Perlite
- Saucer
- Pea gravel
- Rain water or bottled water
Instructions
-
-
1
Place an artificial light stand in the area where you want to grow plants needing long- or short-day lighting. Use incandescent 100- to 150-watt bulbs at least 4 feet over foliage, or fluorescent tubes above plants. The amount of artificial light you shine on plants depends on their type. For example, African violets need at least 12 hours of artificial light a day to bloom.
-
2
Hang a sheer curtain on a south-facing window. South-facing windows receive the most light. Succulents need as much light as they can get, but some plants can burn if given direct sunlight.
-
-
3
Set plant-growing stands near windows and under growing lights. Often, there is no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to how much light a plant needs to receive. For instance, orchids will become sunburned when placed too close to windows and will not blossom if placed too far away. You need to be able to adjust the plant's location so it receives enough light.
-
4
Lift up your plant containers to ensure that they all have drainage holes that are at least half an inch in diameter. Containers or pots without drainage raise the risk of your household plants contracting a fungal disease. Containers should be set on saucers that have a layer of pea gravel to aid in drainage and humidity.
-
5
Pour potting soil into your containers. You can make your own potting soil by mixing one part loamy soil, one part peat moss and one part perlite. Store potting soil in a dry, cool place for planting your indoor garden.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Water your indoor plants with rain water or bottled water to prevent salt accumulation in the soil.
Avoid using the dirt in your yard for potting soil. Dirt that hasn't been sterilized may contain fungal spores and other pests.
References
- Photo Credit Creatas/Creatas/Getty Images
