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Bring the Garden Indoors |
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Indoor Gardening Needs |
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The Facts of Light
You do NOT need to pay $20+ for the fancy schmancy "grow-light" bulbs. Optimum distance from the top of the plant to the light source is 2 inches. For taller plants, propping an old, large mirror or mirrored mylar behind them helps bounce the light back on the plants. Over-wintered plants will need 12 hours of light, and up to 16 hours for flowering plants and seedlings. Timers
Water!
Don't forget something to catch the water that seeps out when you properly water your plants. You can use the large plastic flats (usually 12-16 inches wide by 24 inches long) for starting seeds to hold a collection of pots. Two of these fit nicely side by side under the 24 inch fluorescents. For larger plants use individual saucers.
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Just a-lookin' for a home…
If building one from wood products, beware of spider mites. Use only new wood. Sealing the dry wood with 2-3 coats of the water-base varathanes is also a good idea. Don't forget that a table top and the floor underneath is a very handy 2 tiered plant stand. Do it in the Dirt
Ew, What's that
Smell? You can also sterilize your own garden or other soils. After seedlings get their first 2 pair of leaves in sterilized soil, they should be transplanted into individual pots in a soil-based mix. Sterilizing soil for seed germination is required to prevent pest and fungus problems. Oven method:
Pressure cooker method:
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Four
foot long double fluorescent fixtures are the best choice. Suspend
these from the wall, ceiling, or the underside of a shelf or table with
metal or plastic chains so that you can raise and lower as the plants
require. You can use the "cool white" bulbs if you are
growing only foliage plants. For plants that flower or fruit, use
full-spectrum bulbs. 
A
good quality timer is a must - one that has easily changed on-off
settings. If all your plants require the same amount of light, one
is enough. Plug everything into a power bar and plug the power bar
into the timer. If some require longer lighting, then you will need
to group your plants and use separate timers. Bright window sills
are adequate for small plants like herbs if there is at least 2 hours of
direct sun. Don't forget to turn the plants a quarter turn daily so
they don't "reach" for the sun and get misshapen.
Get
the largest dripless watering can you can lift! Keep it filled with water
and always ensure that the water has sat at room temperature for at least
12 hours before using on your plants. A liquid fertilizer added to
the water is handy and the neatest way to go. An all-purpose
10-15-10 to 20-20-20 is a safe formulation. Use at 1/2 strength
every time you fill the watering can. That means if it calls for 1
oz per gallon, use 1/2 oz.
Find
a good quality spray mister, one that holds at least a quart of
water. Indoor plants need regular misting because the humidity isn't
high enough in most homes. Again, let the water sit at room
temperature for at least 12 hours before using on your plants. The
mister can also hold fungicide or insecticide mixtures if these problems
afflict your plants.
Two
to four tiered metal plant stands are the best way to hold many plants in
a small footprint area. These can be purchased in the $100 dollar
and up range, or you can build one. 
"Soiless"
mixes are the safest growing medium for indoor plants, as they will not
have naturally occurring fungal spores, algae or insect larvae.
Remember, YOU must provide all the nutrients for plants growing
indoors. 
Fill
a pressure cooker (canning type) with 2 cups of water. Place a rack inside
the cooker and stack shallow pans of soil (3/4 inch deep, on the rack.
Leave space for steam to circulate. Apply heat until the cooker
reaches 10 pounds, maintaining it there for 15 minutes before removing
from the stove. When cooled, remove the pans and wait 24 hours
before using the soil.|
Plants for Indoor Gardens |
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Over-wintering
In most cases, you must cut back the plants quite drastically (especially the vines and geraniums) to ensure that they will be full and bushy, and to minimize the shock of the climate change on the plant. Keep pinching back new shoots to encourage bushiness throughout the winter on flowering plants, vines, fuschia and rosemary. Pinch back basil and other herbs to keep from getting leggy. Dry the herb trimmings for later use if you have more than you need at one time.
If you are digging up plants from the garden, leave as much native soil on the roots as you can to cause the least disturbance, and pot up in appropriate sized pots, adding soil-less mixture as required to fill. Water all your plants well then bring in and put under lights. For more information, see Fall Cleanup - the section on bringing plants indoors. See Houseplant Helper and Plant Problems for more information and tips on indoor care. Mist them well when they are in place. Keep the room as cool as you can until they begin to acclimatize to the indoor environment. Then gradually let the temperature rise if necessary. |
Raising from seed or cuttings Seeds:
Many of our favorite flowering plants and
herbs must be started in January to March for summer bloom, for example,
schizanthus and impatiens, and the purple basil below. Others can be
started as late as one month before planting-out after last frost.
In all cases, use the plastic flats with the inserts to hold individual
plants (usually 12" by 24"- bottom portion is shown in the top
photo). These come in kits with a clear plastic top that keeps
humidity in and lets light through. Read the planting instructions
carefully, as some Once the first pair of true leaves emerges, lift one end of the plastic cover up for a few days to gradually accustom the seedlings to the drier air before removing it. Plants like tomatoes and peppers may get tall and leggy very quickly. Simply repot, planting the seedling deeper in a slightly larger pot. Tomatoes and peppers root from the stem, so progressively deeper plantings as they grow indoors helps them develop large, deep root systems to get a good foothold in the garden later. If you find that they are growing far too quickly, cut back on the light to about 10-12 hours a day. See Seedling Helper for more information. Cuttings:
Tip cuttings from coleus at left, bottom of the stem to just below a
leaf node and remove the bottom leaves. Remove any flower buds and
nip off the growing tip to just above a leaf node. |
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Give Your Plant Place a Name! |
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Don't just call it the "plant room". Give your indoor garden a proper name like The Enchanted Garden, or something. Post the name on pretty sign to hang over your indoor garden area. Year round, you can always answer "How does your garden grow"!
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Many
of our favorites can be over-wintered in their own pots, including
tender herbaceous ones like impatiens, geraniums (below left), parsely,
basil, and other herbs; shrubby ones like azaleas, hibiscus, fuschias
and rosemary (right), and even some vines like mandevilla and
passionflower. 
When
you bring in your plants for the winter, check to see if they are
pot-bound and pot up in a one-size larger pot if they are. You
should do this in spring when you put them outside, rather than fall,
but better late than never. 
seed
cannot be covered with soil (e.g. impatiens). See the 
Place the cutting in moist growing medium, and cover with a transparent
cover to keep moisture in. Plastic placed over a wire
"cage" made of bent coat-hanger wire works well. Secure
the plastic around the pot with an elastic band. Place in bright
location or under lights that are 4 inches above the cuttings, but NOT
in direct sun until signs of new growth appear. For more
information on cuttings and propagating plants, see 