A Vegetable Garden in Indoor Containers

So you’ve done some container gardening on your balcony or patio, and you’ve even grown some vegetables as well as flowers and herbs. But what if you’ve enjoyed the experience so much that you don’t want it to stop during the winter months? Is it possible to create a container garden indoors as well as out?

It certainly is, to at limited extent at least, but you’ll need some prerequisites. You may not be surprised to learn that the first of these is sunshine. If you have a sunny window, preferably facing south, that will be the first ingredient in your container garden’s success. You may also need an added fluorescent lamp that you can focus over certain vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, to provide enough light so they won’t grow spindly or fail to grow fruit.

Up to a point, you can prepare the containers in much the same way you would do for an outdoor garden, with the right soil mix, plenty of drainage, and so on. However, these pots are likely to be quite a bit smaller, and being indoors in the winter, they may not have as much humidity as they need. One way to get around this may be to set your pots in large trays instead of on saucers, sitting on a layer of small stones, and have water in the trays. This will not only help them access water as they need it, but it will increase the humidity that surrounds them as well. Another difference between indoor and outdoor containers will be that you’ll need less fertilizer, since the vegetables will grow more slowly inside the house.

The choices of plants will of course be more limited than in an outdoor container garden. But you can grow radishes, smaller peppers and tomatoes, several lettuces, and of course, many herbs. In addition to the usual herbs like sage, basil, thyme, etc., you an grow parsley, chives, and cilantro as well. You can grow these in six-inch pots on a windowsill.

Radishes will probably be the most quickly growing vegetable you can start with. Take a six- or eight-inch pot and scatter seeds on the moist soil, then cover with another 1/4 inch of soil. To make the seeds germinate quickly, try a “greenhouse” effect, either setting some glass over the pot to conserve moisture, or stretching some plastic wrap on it, until the seeds have germinated.

Small tomatoes, peppers, and certain kinds of lettuce will grow indoors, but will need warm, bright conditions. With the tomatoes and peppers, you’ll need to keep an eye open for whiteflies and aphids, and eliminate them with insecticidal soap or another vegetable pesticide when or if they first appear. You should be able to harvest both tomatoes and peppers about ten weeks after you plant them. Small-rooted carrots can also be grown indoors.

Your choices of vegetable will be more limited with indoor containers than with outdoor, and you’ll need to guarantee the required conditions for their growth. But you can still have at least a partial garden to keep you through the winter, and remind you of all the possibilities of your outdoor container garden in the coming spring.

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Easy Ways to Be a Smart Summer Gardener

It’s so rewarding to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your gardening efforts. Sitting among your herbs and flowers, breathing the beautiful scents and seeing the lovely colors, is well worth the effort of a garden. And make no mistake – gardening does take effort.

In order to enjoy your garden thoroughly, there are some things to be aware of that will ultimately make your gardening experience more pleasant. After all, who wants to sit in his or her garden and be surrounded by things that need to be done?

Here are some easy ways that you can be a smart summer gardener.

Weeding

Summer is prime weed time. These prolific interlopers can choke out prize plants in a matter of days (it can seem like only hours). Yes, everyone hates weeding. But your garden will not be as enjoyable if you have weeds in among your plants. Also, weeds take nutrients and water from the soil, depriving your plants of these vital components. Tall weeds can block out sunlight. So, even if you have a wildflower garden, you need to sort out what you want to keep and what needs to go.

To weed effectively, you need to make sure you are:

1) Pulling out the right plant
2) Getting as much of the weed as possible, including the roots

That means looking closely before you yank and digging deep to get roots. The best time to weed is when the soil is very moist.

Watering

Speaking of water, nature does not always answer a gardener’s need in this regard. Most gardeners find themselves watering their own gardens throughout the growing season. Here are some things consider with regard to smart watering.

* When you water, try to use rain water if possible.

* If you are using a hose or sprinkler, some times of day are better than others for watering. If you have plants with roots that prefer well-drained soil, water in the morning so that the sun will cause the excess water to evaporate. If you have plants with delicate foliage, water in the early evenings so the water droplets on the leaves will not cause “sunburn” spots. Water droplets act like little lenses, concentrating the sunlight so that it can cause burned spots on the leaves.

* Try to water at the base of the plants when possible. A soaker hose is ideal for this, and it saves water.

Sowing Seed

Seed-sowing is not just a spring or fall activity. Most gardeners feel a twinge of sadness at the ending of the growing season, so extending it a bit to create a fall garden may appeal to you. Any perennials that are cold-hardy can be sown in summer. Some other plants you can sow in summer are:

* Greens like kale and mustard greens can be sown in August. They will grow right into winter.
* Carrots can be sown in summer and pulled in late fall.
* Parsley will grow into autumn if sown in midsummer, and with minimal protection it will stay green well into late fall and winter.
* Cosmos will flower into September if sown in midsummer.
* Calendula, a kind of marigold, will flower in the fall if you sow it in June.
* Violas, Johnny-jump-ups, and pansies will flower through September if sown in June.

While flowers like the traditional Chrysanthemum are favorites for providing fall color. They need to be sown in the spring.

Basic Gardening Tools and Tips

Gardening can be a lot like making scrapbooks, designing jewelry or collecting figurines. It can begin as a simple hobby but quickly evolve into an expensive undertaking. Gardening does not require a lot of fancy bells, whistles or gadgets. Growing vegetables has been done since the dawn of time. Did the ancient Romans need a fully automated rotary tiller? Absolutely not! They made do with simple tools and so can the modern gardener – especially the novice gardener.

There are some basic tools that everyone who gardens should own. They do not have to be expensive and often can be found at flea markets. It does not matter if they’re a little rusty. The rust will not interfere with the growing process and can always be removed with a scouring pad. Here is a basic list of tools that you will need.
• Shovel: When purchasing a shovel, look for one with a good handle that is sturdy and easy to grab. Thinner handles are more likely to break or blister your hand.
• Spade: This is similar to a shovel, but is a specialized tool that is used primarily for breaking up the ground. Once again, it is important to find one with a thick handle and comfortable grip. You should purchase a large spade, and a smaller handheld spade to accommodate work in any size of space.
• Rakes: There are two rakes that are recommended. You’ll need a lawn rake to gather fallen twigs and leaves, and a ground rake to smooth the ground and beds.
• A hoe: There are many different varieties on the market. In the interest of keeping it simple, a standard square hoe will work for most needs. There are hoes that are shaped into a wedge and there are some that are designed to just skim the surface. You can decide later if you need one of the more specialized hoes.
• Wheelbarrow: This is the ultimate multipurpose tool of the garden. It is invaluable and will save manually lugging garden refuse, new plants and debris away from the garden. The wheelbarrow is essential for anyone doing any type of yard work or gardening.

With these basic tools, anyone can have a garden. It is just a matter of a little hard work and knowing what tools to use for the job. After all…our ancestors did it, why can’t we?