Indoor Gardening for Beginners [Your Guide to Getting Started]

Indoor gardening can be one of the best decisions taken to improve the home environment as well as reduce mental stress. Moreover, if you are into home-grown organic food and lack the outdoor space to set up a garden, then indoor gardening is the best possible solution. Indoor gardening has numerous other benefits along with the fact that it enhances the aesthetic value of the space. Moreover, the current times have made each one of us reflect on the meaning of a healthy lifestyle. Indoor gardening lets you grow your vegetables in a space as small as a windowsill organically and naturally. Therefore, if you are starting with indoor gardening, then go through this article to know about the basics of the process.

Benefits of Indoor Gardening

Let us look at the range of benefits that can be availed with indoor gardening. Moreover, these benefits will make you surer about the whole gardening process even if you have a considerable outdoor space. 

• The plants can be easily monitored and harvested as you and or the plants are not subjected to extreme weather.
• It is possible to maintain a constant temperature indoors so that the plants grow throughout the year despite the climate.
• Fewer hazards in regards to pests and other animals like squirrels and birds who can munch on the young vegetables.
• Modulation of the temperature and environmental conditions poses a huge benefit over outdoor space.
• Indoor gardening provides a greater scope of experimentation as all the variables can be controlled. Moreover, as the plants can be harvested quickly, you can always restart the entire process without having to wait much.
• Gardening in general also has calming and stress-reducing effects. They are considered as one of the best ways to spend time. Especially if children are around, they can learn a lot from the process.

Challenges of Indoor Gardening

Every process has its pros and cons. Let us look at some of the challenges of indoor gardening so that you are better informed about the complete gardening procedure.

• One of the crucial points about indoor gardening is that the plants are not in sync with Mother Nature so you have to be extra careful about their lighting and watering schedules.
• Indoor gardening can be expensive due to the cost of light settings and other supplies.
• Allocation of space is another domain that can be difficult while gardening indoors. Moreover, it can take up considerable indoor space.
• During winter, dryness can catch up to certain plant species and hamper their growth. This is why it is considered to get a humidifier for the process.
• If you have pets in the house, then you need to have the entire setup away from them. 

Factors to consider while beginning with Indoor Gardening

Certain factors have to be considered before you start with the entire process of indoor gardening. Consideration of the following factors will help you in setting up a perfectly functioning indoor garden.

1. Time

Time is one of the crucial factors that you need to consider before starting with the gardening process. Even if you think that growing indoor plants would not require much time, it is essential to commit to the task. Often with the daily chores and other professional commitments, gardeners fail to tend to their little greens. However, you have to understand that indoor gardening requires time and care. Moreover, the plants are not in harmony with Nature, which gives more reason for their timely watering schedules. Therefore, you have to commit time for their nurture and care. 

2. Place of Gardening

The place or location where you want to have the entire setup also matters. Most growers have the indoor garden located in the kitchen where they can see it throughout the greater part of the day. However, if you are considering having a grow room with grow lights, then that will be a perfect location. If you do not have such setup options, then it is better to have the garden near a window so that they get enough light for living. 

3. Size

The size of the garden corresponds with the level of expertise that the grower has. This means that do not go for oversized gardens with multiple plants if you are beginning with the project. Different plants require different kinds of treatment and it is wiser to start with one or two pots in the beginning. Indoor plants like lettuce do not require much space and have a shallow root system. Begin with plants like lettuce or spinach for best results. 

4. Choosing plants for indoor gardening

While choosing the plants for indoor gardening, you can get easily distracted and end up buying more than you wanted from the local nursery. Therefore, here it is crucial to connect with your vision and motive behind having an indoor garden. The rationale behind beginning with the idea of indoor gardening shall save you money and prevent you from buying plants that you do not require. Moreover, it is essential to choose plants that you want to use in cooking and have similar care requirements. Some of the examples can be parsley, cilantro, arugula, and all kale varieties. 

5. Tools of gardening

The tools are the essentials that determine the quality of the plants. To begin with, indoor plants will need a good source of light. This means that if your location of indoor gardening or the climate in nature does not receive enough sunlight, then it is important to have grow lights. A full-spectrum grow light can be the best option. However, do not invest a significant amount of money in the grow lights. Start with small setups and you can always add later. Next, choose containers that facilitate good drainage and match your home décor. You should also look into the soil mix. You can always go with an indoor-oriented potting mix. 

6. Seedlings or Clones

The decision is entirely on the grower. If you want to tend to your plants right from the beginning, then seeds would be the best choice. This is because the seeds require a lot of involvement. Moreover, the outcome can also be rewarding. However, you can also go with the clones if you wish to. 

Maintaining the Indoor Garden

Once you have decided about the fundamental factors of the garden along with the types of plants that you would like to have, it is time to look into the basic essentialities needed for maintaining the garden. 

1. Water

Regularized watering schedules are necessary to ensure that the plants grow to their best potential. Moreover, different plants have different amounts of water requirements. Make sure that you are well informed about each herb and water them accordingly as some might not like too much moisture. 

2. Lighting

This is another crucial maintenance factor. Not all plants require a similar degree of lighting as the others. This means that some might be able to thrive well with the help of the sunlight that it receives when placed next to a window. Others might require supplementary lighting systems for growth. Lastly, there are some microgreens, which require very fewer amounts of light. Therefore, it is recommended that you know about the plant specifications and requirements before buying. 

3. Fertilizers

If the rationale behind having an indoor garden were to cook with the grown herbs, then you would not need the fertilizers, as they would be harvested even before they needed it. A potting mix that is well balanced along with soil change in regular intervals shall do the trick. For plants that would live longer, you should always go for the fertilizers that can be easily planted inside the plant containers. 

4. Process of Harvesting

If you are into micro-greens then you might pluck the complete plant or cut the plant pieces as required. It is crucial to remember that the outer leaves of the plants should be harvested at first. Moreover, herbs should be cultivated frequently for encouraging growth and prevent the process of flowering. 

FAQs

What is the best variety of indoor plants?

There is no best variety of indoor plants as it all depends on the rationale for which you are into indoor gardening. If you are beginning with the process, then it is recommended to go for simple plants like lettuce or spinach.

Is it mandatory to buy grow lights for indoor gardens?

No, it depends on the type of herbs or crops that you have chosen to grow. Some microgreens do not require much lighting for growth. 

Is it better to start with seeds or clones?

If you are starting with gardening during winter, then it is recommended to start with clones. 

Conclusion

These are the basic steps that you should follow while beginning with indoor gardening. The key to a beautiful indoor garden lies in the time and care that you give to the garden and tend to each plant. Moreover, indoor gardening also lets you experiment with plants. Therefore, start with your indoor garden today.