Planting an Indoor Vegetable Garden

Many people would love to plant a vegetable garden, but maybe they don't have the time or space needed to maintain and care for the plants. Here are some suggestions for planting an indoor vegetable garden so that you can enjoy the benefits of healthy vegetables year round! Of course, it is not feasible to grow vegetables such as corn or pumpkins. But there are plenty of choices that have successfully been grown indoors. Here are a few examples:

-Cherry tomatoes
-Leaf lettuce, all types
-Bush beans
-Endive
-Small-rooted carrots and beets
-Peppers
-Short-vined cucumbers and squash
-Radishes
-Miniature cabbage
-Spinach

You still have to consider temperature, lighting, watering, and pollination when deciding what plants to grow. You also have to remember that if you are going to grow plants out of season, which is possible with indoor gardening, you need to purchase the seeds during the "regular" time that they appear in stores.

Leaf crops and root vegetables like a lot of light and cooler temperatures at night. A well light room that does not get overly warm, or an enclosed patio are good choices for leaf crops. These types of vegetable can handle temperatures from mid-60's during the day to as low as the high-30's during the night. Be aware that these plants will need to be moved to a warmer room if the temperature falls below freezing.

Flowering vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and beans require warmer day and night temperatures. The reason is because they have to have these temperatures in order to flower and produce the vegetables. The best temperature range for this type of plant is the upper 70's during the daytime, and no lower than the low 60's at night. If you are growing these plants during the winter, a room facing south with extra heating works well.

Lighting also plays a big part. Depending on the time of year, you may have to make adjustments to the lighting. Plants need 6-8 hours of lighting, and need to be placed as close as possible to the light source. You will be able to tell if the plant is not getting enough light by examining the leaves, stems, and coloring. The leaves will be smaller, the stems will be thinner, and the plants will be lighter in color.

A flowering plant needs to have more light. Long-day plants need 14-18 hours of light, and short-day plants need 10-13 hours of light. Additional lighting comes in the form of grow lights. You will need to know what type of plant you are growing. If a short-day plant is exposed to too much light, the plants will not bloom.

You also should keep in mind the temperature next to glass during the winter for the more delicate plants. If it is too cold, they will not do well. By choosing plants that require less light, you will not need to keep them too close to the glass.

When choosing soil, you most definitely do not want to use garden soil. Garden soil can still contain diseases and insects, and it can become too compacted for indoor gardening. The best soil is a mix in equal amounts of vermiculite, peat, and perlite. This reduces the chance of the soil becoming compacted and not draining properly.

Plants will need to be watered daily or every other day. This is because of the fact that they are growing in a compacted space. Also, if being grown during the winter, the lack of humidity because of the use of indoor heating can dry out the soil more quickly. Misting will also help keep the humidity level higher. The plants will look dried out and puckered if they do not have enough humidity - just like us humans!

Keep in mind that because of the extra watering, the soil will become depleted of nutrients faster. Supplemental feeding should be done every two weeks with a balanced organic fertilizer.

A definite benefit of indoor gardening is the lack of pests, such as insects and rabbits! But if you do develop an insect problem, use the standard treatment that you would use on indoor house plants.

Pollination will be necessary for the flowering plants. This can be done with and artist's brush.

If you do not want to use the normal soil-growing method, you can also try hydrophonic growing, which has additional benefits, including less room needed.

Remember that you will not get the same amount and size of vegetables as you would growing them outside. But with the price of vegetable today, being able to eat your own "garden-fresh" vegetables year around makes this type of garden very appealing. Also, if you want to have an activity that your children can enjoy with you, this is a perfect activity.

The main thing is that you get to enjoy gardening even if you do not have the space or time! And NO WEEDING!!