Starting and Maintaining Indoor Gardens
To ensure you don’t walk in next week to an endangered forest, follow these tips:
- If you are planting seeds or starter plants from scratch, be sure you are using a soil mixture, which is better for indoor plants. You can purchase the soil already mixed at a garden center. Also check with your local florist or garden center expert for the consistency that is best for your plants.
- Make sure your plant containters are clean and have adequate drainage holes.
- Plants can be over watered just as easily as being under watered. Carefully follow the instructions for each type of plant and only water a plant if the soil is dry to the mid-point of your forefinger.
- For growing plants, use fertilizer every two-three months. Do not use fertilizer with dormant plants.
- Put plants outdoors in nice weather to give them a boost; in winter, do not let them get too cold and do not over heat them by placing them close to heat sources.
- If plants need light, and outdoor space is not an option, an artificial source (a fluorescent lamp) is a good substitute.
- As a general rule, plants prefer a daytime temperature of 65-75 degrees, and actually benefit from a nighttime drop of 10-15 degrees. See, living in harmony with your plants is easier than you thought!
We all know that even the best laid plans can yield less than blooming results. The same is true for your new housemates. Do not fret, there’s help in recognizing the signals from your plants!
When something does go wrong, consult the care guide below for plant rescue:
- Leaves turning yellow?
- Adjust the environment, hold off on fertilizing.
- Tips are turning brown?
- Re-read the watering instructions and hold off on fertilizing.
- Soft or mushy stem?
- Let the surface dry out and check the drainage of the pot to ensure water is able to get out.
- Dry Leaves?
- Increase water and check your home’s humidity level.
- Brown or yellow leaves?
- Check for too much light or the plants may have too much water.
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