Part of the problem with living in an apartment or a condo is that you usually do not have access to your own garden. You might have a small patio where you can grow certain things, but a full on yard is out of the question. Or perhaps your climate’s conditions doesn’t allow for a very good garden. Well, that’s where the indoor garden comes in to play! In order to successful start and maintain an indoor garden, there are several things that you should consider. Here is everything that you need to know from the right things to plant to treating with floramite or other types of pesticides.

Choose the right plants.
There are only certain plants that will grow under an artificial indoor garden lighting system. Things like lettuce, spinach, carrots, radishes and micro greens do well indoors because they mature quickly and will stay compact enough to be able to grow in containers. This is the same for most leafy greens, several root vegetables and herbs. There will be some maintenance, of course, but with the right treatment, these kinds of plants do very well.

Get the right products.
You’ll need a grow light system, containers, soil and seed to begin an indoor garden. Your containers or pots should be at least four inches deep for your green. Carrots, however, will need a minimum of six inches. Window boxes or produce containers work well. You’ll need to place some sort of tray underneath the containers so that they don’t drip after being watered. You’ll want organic potting soil and fertilizer that you can use inside. Now, you can buy your plants. Seed or seedlings are best if you want to do it all yourself. However, herbs tend to mature a little more slowly than other plants so you might want to buy an already established plant if you are a beginner. Make sure you have your base nutrients on hand before you start.

Watch out for the pests.
Even inside, critters fine their way to your plants. Healthy plants attract bugs, that’s just the way it is. You’ll want to find pet control methods that will protect your plants while getting rid of the pests. For example, floramite will take care of mites but may cause damage to your plants. If you don’t want to risk ruining your plants with floramite, you could choose a less harsh method. You could even try essential oils or organic salts to take care of your problem. In any case, they need to go, otherwise they’ll eat away at your plants and make all your hard work be for nothing.

Start the process.

1. The first thing you need to do is put together your grow lights and put the system in a cool area. A basement or a spare room is a good idea. Avoid having any heat sources nearby. Cool temperatures are better for plants.




2. Each seed package will have a set up instructions on the back of the package which you should follow. Until your seeds begin to grow, the soil will need to be kept fairly moist. Keep an eye on the roots; if they start popping out from the drain holes, you’ll need to find a bigger pot to repot them.




3. The lights should be located about two inches above the plants. You can adjust them as the plants grow hire. Have the light on for about 12-16 hours a day. Putting your lights on a timer is the best way to ensure this.




4. Watering should be done about twice a week but keep an eye on the soil and water more often if it seems to be drying out sooner than that.

That’s basically the gist of the process. Growing your own vegetation is a great way to still be able to enjoy fresh vegetables through out the winter months. Many times, because something is not actually in season, grocery stores will not have it available or it will be very flavorless and unripe. Growing your own, even through the struggle of floramite and pruning and the other complications, is totally worth it to be able to enjoy fresh and healthy edibles even when they aren’t in season.