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Appetizing Indoor Gardens
by Mona Ankeny
Description: Tips for growing vegetables and herbs indoors.
Growing the ingredients for your salad is a fresh
delight. Doing it indoors where the picking is easy is
even better. An indoor harvest may not be large, but
what you do get will be tastier than anything at the
market.
To begin you need a sunny window. A
window that faces south is preferable one that is not
obstructed by buildings or trees, so the plants can
get plenty of light. Be aware of the temperatures of
the window, if the glass is very cold, do not let
leaves touch it, or they will be damaged. Tomatoes
and cucumber need a little more light than other
plants. If necessary, you could easily put up two
fluorescent lights (40 or 20 watts), over a shelf or
bookcase or any where you have some room.
Leave the lights on 16 hours a day to give extra
illumination. To grow vegetables and herbs indoors
what you need is hanging baskets/planters, 4 inch
pots, soilless mix or packaged soil. For plants; fill
the hanging planters and pots 1/3 full of soil. Place the plants and fill in
firmly with more soil up to 1 to 2 inches of the rim, then thoroughly water
the plants. For seeds; if you are planting cucumbers from seeds use a
planter, fill pots 2 inches from the rim. Plant 4 to 6 seeds in each pot, cover
with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of soil. Pat the soil down and water, keep moist. Turn
pots and planters weekly about a quarter turn. Feed cucumber and tomato
plants when they flower then again when it forms fruit, then monthly
thereafter. Replant lettuce and radish as you harvest. For herbs; fill pots 2
to 3 inches, taking the herb's rootball size into consideration. If you use soil
mix put in each pot a handful of vermiculite. The soilless mixes have
vermiculite, perlite, compost, and peat moss in it and it weighs less, so it is
good for windowsill boxes. Plant the herbs in 4 inch pots leaving 1/2 inch
space from the rim and water well. Then set the pots in a window box. Do
not over water, and feed with a water soluble fertilizer only once a month. If
you have problems with spider mites or the such do not spray with
insecticide, just take the pot to the sink and spray it with water thoroughly
from the sink spray. If your windowsill is not large enough for a window
box you can sit the pots in matching saucers on your small sill. Clip herbs as
often as you please.
Reprinted with permission.
