The Dos and Don’ts of Winter Indoor Gardening | 6 Tips to Get You Started
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Just because its winter, doesn’t mean your green thumb has to disappear! To help celebrate Houseplant Appreciation Day this week, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to give you some great tips on how to best bring the beautiful outdoors, inside this winter!
Many plants can survive both indoors and outdoors, so why not enjoy them all year long? Some of these various plants include vegetables, herbs, fruits, and even some decorative plants. By taking advantage of planting this winter, you too can enjoy the many benefits that winter gardening can provide.
Why Should I Garden Indoors?
- Mental and Physical Health Benefits: Surrounding yourself with various plants all year-round can help keep your health and emotional state more balanced. Plants tend to make us happier and the air in our homes cleaner.
- Fresh Herbs and Produce: Growing these grocery items right from your home means no extra trips to the store! You also know exactly where the items on your list are coming from.
- Cost: The price of herbs, fruits and vegetables tend to rise in winter months, so why not save some extra dollars this winter and grow your favorite’s right from your home?
What kinds of plants are best?
Determining what to plant in your outdoor garden depends so much on your geography and climate. The beauty of indoor gardening is that virtually, the sky is the limit!
Trying to figure out the perfect plant to get started with? Try your hand at some herbs. They are great to use for cooking and can also be a big money saver when comparing prices to store bought herbs. Some herbs that grow well indoors are: chervil, coriander, lemongrass, oregano, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, sage, spearmint, thyme.
6 tips to get your indoor winter garden started
- Start off small – When you first begin your indoor garden, don’t get carried away. Start off with one or two of your favorite plants and go from there. Starting with too much right away will become overwhelming and it’ll be harder to keep track of what works well in your space and what doesn’t.
- Don’t stock up right away – When starting off, only buy the absolute essentials i.e. Pot, dirt, etc. This will give you time to figure out if you enjoy indoor gardening and will stop you from wasting money on things you may not end up needing.
- Use established plants – Starting your gardening endeavors with an actual plant rather than a seed, means you get to reap the benefits of your plant a lot quicker. Starting with more mature plants also allows you to avoid the additional time commitment a seedling requires.
- Keep your houseplants and your garden plants separate – If you’re bringing in an outdoor garden plant for the winter, make sure to store it away from your houseplants. Stowaways such as pests and diseases like to make their way indoors with your garden plants. By leaving them in separate rooms for a few weeks, you can avoid having any unwanted surprises.
- Use fertilizer – Yes, fertilizer. Fertilizer isn’t just for the outdoors, it should be used indoors as well. This helps to give an extra boost of growing power to your plants.
- Remember, not all environments are created equal – Plants that grow great outdoors may not do so well indoors. Over time you will be able to determine which plants grow best in your home.