By Guest Author Andy Baxter
Cultivating a garden can be difficult at the best of times, and winter gardening can be especially challenging, even indoors. With short days, low light, and freezing conditions outdoors making windows very cold, our cherished herbs, vegetables, and flowers can wilt and die if we’re not careful.
Indoor gardening is a growing trend in horticultural circles, especially among urban gardening enthusiasts who have limited outdoor space. Growing an indoor vegetable patch on your balcony or an herb farm on your windowsill is a popular way to keep your green thumb in action over the colder months.
4 tips for indoor gardening over winter
1. Provide lots of light for your plants all winter
Of course, it might seem obvious that a plant’s exposure to light is one of the most important factors that determine its chance to grow. If you have recently planted some seedlings and they are beginning to germinate, it’s vital to make sure that they have plenty of access to light while indoors, even if it feels like they already do. A south-facing window usually provides ample light for plants to generate photosynthesis and thrive. The larger the window the better, as most plants need at least 14 hours of sunlight, which can be hard to come by in winter.
If you don’t have a window with sufficient light, investing in a few grow lights is a viable way of providing enough light for your plants. Natural sunlight is the ideal source of light for vegetation, but LED bulbs do a good job of emulating the cool light and warm light of the sun (some grow light bulbs are even perfectly balanced to mimic natural UV light). Grow lights also allow you to regulate the amount of light more closely, separating grow lights according to the recommended optimum for different plants.
Did you know you that in an urban environment, you can keep plants growing outdoors on a balcony all winter? Buy a simple balcony-size greenhouse like this one on Amazon to shelter them from wind and winter weather. The plastic surrounding the plants will trap plenty of solar radiation to keep them warm during the day (although you may need to provide a heat source on the coldest days).
2. Regulate the indoor temperature
Different species of plants are genetically built to survive best in certain climates. For instance, the “annuals” you buy at a garden center in spring may actually be perennials or hardy annuals in their native climate (such as the beloved holiday Amaryllis, Rosemary, certain Begonias, Celosia, and Peppers). Moving plants indoors for the winter months is an easy solution to this problem as you’ll be able to better regulate your room temperature.
Most plants grow best in temperatures ranging between 65-75°F (18-24°C). While a variance of 10°F either way is fine, small and sensitive plants may suffer in temperature which is too far from their optimum. Heating a plant room is the simplest way of optimizing their temperature, yet perhaps not the most environmentally friendly. Consider throwing an old fleece over your tougher plants overnight to keep them warm instead, just like putting on a sweater!
3. Organize your growing space
The amount of space you want to allocate to your indoor garden depends on the size of your window/s, how many plants you have and what types of plants you want to cultivate. For example, your indoor garden may only consist of a dozen of your favorite succulents, all of which you could keep on your kitchen windowsill. Alternatively, you may want to dedicate a larger area in your home for your indoor winter garden such as a table or bench.
Whatever you decide, ensure that your space is well organized. If your plants require plenty of water and risk dripping onto wood floors or finished tables, make sure you include saucers under each pot to catch any water that drips off the plant or flows through the pot. By organizing your space in this way you will give your indoor garden the best chance of thriving throughout the winter.
4. Choose your winter garden plants well
With the right resources at hand, you’ll be able to grow nearly any type of plant indoors, even bamboo (if your ceilings are high enough!) However, some plants are naturally easier to take care of indoors and you should look to grow these if it is your first time doing so. You may want to choose plants that thrive in similar conditions as well, as varying your home’s temperature and humidity levels across different rooms can quickly become complicated and expensive.
For example, you may want to grow an indoor organic vegetable garden with peppers, tomatoes, and onions. But don’t do it unless you have a massive amount of light available, as these plants require robust sunlight or grow lights to fruit. The amount and direction of light in your home may be more suited to orchids or for those with low light levels, ivy or begonias. The bottom line is you’ll have to experiment a little before you land on the right plants to grow in your indoor garden over winter.
Growing an indoor garden can seem difficult, but with the right planning and resources, it can be a great way of satisfying your green thumb over winter. Plants can thrive indoors if exposed to the right levels of light, humidity, and temperature, and creating a space to organically cultivate a variety of vegetables, flowers or herbs is a great way to decorate your home.
Author’s bio: Andy Baxter is an interior expert and Managing Director of Internet Gardener.
Wow great read! I wanted to get into indoor gardening because of I didn’t want to go outside in the winter. This article does a great job of laying the foundation for indoor gardening. I will be back for more!