Have you been thinking about planting your first indoor garden and wondering what sort of things go into planning your indoor garden? Below we are going to layout the core concepts of all that is involved so that you can get off to the perfect start and have your new indoor garden growing in no time.
Choosing the right plants for your indoor garden
The first decision that needs to be made when you are planning your indoor garden will be the types of plants that you will be growing. Some plants will grow better indoors than out. Some plants you should just keep outdoors.
But depending on what you choose to grow will impact the location you grow them, or the size of container you choose to grow them in.
In theory, growing any plant indoors is technically possible, you just will need to have the right setup. However here at Backyard Cedars we love growing indoor herb gardens. Not only are they easy to grow, they are very practical and pretty. With herbs on hand you always have something fresh to add to your home cooked meals.
If you are looking for ideas on the best plants to grow indoors, then we recommend you read the page we have put together on the ‘best herbs to grow indoors', where you will find advice on some simple plants that will thrive and are not too difficult to grow, even the newest of gardeners.
When starting out there are a few options. One is to grow from seed and another is to grow from a cutting through propagation. This article is mainly going to discuss growing from seed. However if the cutting you are working with has already rooted the below information will all apply as well.
The type of plants you choose to grow will have some influence on the next steps such as planting locations, container selection, and watering regimes. But basically, things will start to fall into place once the plants have been selected.
Choosing the soil
You do not need to do anything too complicated here. To make things as easy as possible when you are planning your indoor garden, we suggest that you select pre-mixed soil.
While you can make up your own soil (which can reduce cost and might even be a fun project), if this is your project or if you want to save time the best idea is to use ready mixed potting soil (not garden soil or raised bed soil) This way you can be sure that the soil has the right balance of nutrients. You can also ensure that the soil will have the right drainage properties. After all, you do not want your plants dry out too fast or to drown.
Note – You should not take soil directly from your outdoor garden. Outdoor soil can bring in insects and potential diseases for the new seedlings.
Choosing the right location for your indoor garden
Based one the plants you select to grow you will now need to decide where the plants will be placed. In order to get enough sunlight as this is essential. Thankfully your seed packaging will tell you how much light it should get each day.
It also maybe likely that you will need to move the plants around every few weeks to ensure that they are getting the right light and continue to thrive. Moving them around isn't always ‘vital', but it can increase the chances of long-living plants. This means that you may need to choose two locations for your plants.
Indoor Plants and Sunlight
Think back to your school days. One of the first things you will have learned about growing plants is that they need sunlight in order to thrive. Plants tend not to grow if they do not have access to this vital resource. So, a lot of choosing the right location for your indoor garden will be focused on ensuring the plants can actually see the sun.
If you don’t have any windows that get enough light not to worry you can always use artificial lighting. Artificial lighting is very common these days and can be found for reasonable prices. Plants can thrive in artificial light and you can determine exactly how much light they get each day to the minute, unlike with regular sunlight.
The plants you have selected to grow in your garden will tell you exactly how much sunlight they need each day. This means that you need to ensure that any location you choose has access to that minimum amount of sunlight.
If this is your first indoor garden, then you will want to start small and experiment either with natural sunlight or a small indoor grow light. And you can upgrade the lighting from there if you feel like you want to venture into that.
Indoor Plants and Temperatures: Not too hot or cold
Plants do not like extreme temperatures. When you are selecting the right location for your indoor garden, you want to make sure there will not be extreme fluctuations in temperature. This is because fluctuations will cause plants to grow slowly or not at all.
For example; plants should not be placed near radiators or fans. This is because they will dry the plants out. The plants may die. You should select a location away from anything that can cause the temperature to rise or fall out of your control.
Yes. You can select artificial planting systems that allow you complete control over the temperature. And like with the lighting you can find reasonable priced options. And also like with the lighting you can keep them at specific temperatures and experiment on what works best.
As a note: you should probably avoid basements or attics for your indoor garden. This is because the fluctuations in the temperature and light can be difficult for you to deal with. Unless however you are using both an indoor temperature control and electric lighting.
Artificial lighting and heating set-ups
If you are planning an indoor garden that features more than just herbs and typical ‘indoor plants', then it may be wise for you to invest in an artificial lighting system. They can help to guarantee the perfect conditions for your plants. They also ensure that your plants can be kept in locations that they otherwise wouldn't be able to thrive in.
For the best indoor grow lights for herbs
Maximizing Space
If you are planting just a few plants, then you may be able to place them on your window ledge. However, if you have several types of plants that you are growing, then you can look into other systems which ensure that you get the most out of your space.
We recommend looking into tiered shelving systems for your plants. This will allow you to plant several types of plants in the same space. It also ensures that they all get the right amount of sunlight. This is perfect if space is at a premium.
Choosing the right containers for your indoor garden
Once you know exactly which plants you are growing and where you are placing your indoor garden, you will need to start thinking about the growing containers.
Honestly, not a lot of thought will need to be put into the containers selected for your indoor garden. A lot of people actually try to make their indoor garden a bit more ‘decorative', and you can find plenty of options that meet those criteria.
If you are planning your indoor garden with the intention of it being more practical than decorative, then you may actually need to put some additional thought into container selection. This is because you will want to choose containers that have good drainage, while at the same time ensuring that moisture is retained.
One thing you will need to consider will be the depth of the growing pot. This is because you need there to be space for the root system of the plant to well…take root. So, do your research on the size of the planting container that you will need.
A couple of options for containers could be pots you get from HomeDepot or Lowes such as the standard terra cotta pots. Or you can use a cedar box or any other type of container that looks good to you and would go with your overall themes
No matter what you pick we recommend that you place gravel or rocks as the base layer in your plant's containers. The rocks will help prevent root rot if you happen to over water. Instead of the roots being submerged in water the water will fall into the gravel layer to prevent this. The result? The plants are in a fantastic environment to thrive and can absorb the water if they need it.
Planning for the maintenance of your garden
The final stage of planning your indoor garden will be planning for future maintenance. Thankfully, there is not a lot that needs to be considered here.
We do suggest that you place your indoor location in an area which can be reached easily. You will need to be watering your plants regularly (if you are not using an automated system). It will also allow you to spot any issues before they become major problems.
Other than this, all you really need to think about is watering the plants regularly, and maybe adding a touch of fertilizer every so often. As long as you have selected the right location for the plants, then they should grow nice and strong!
In Recap of Planning your Indoor Garden
As you can see there are some steps that go into planning your garden, however they are not difficult steps. You will need to decide what you want to grow. If you have enough natural light (and if not consider artificial light), You will need some premixed potting soil, and a container. And make sure to keep the temperature somewhat consistent and avoid extremes of hot and cold.
Once you have this already you can move forward and give it a shot. It is easier than you might think, and soon enough you will be able to enjoy fresh herbs or whatever else is is you decide to grow.
