The Basics of Growing an Indoor Vegetable Garden

Many people all over the world have been collecting and growing herbs for thousands of years. They have used them to flavour food, for medical reasons, because they smell nice and for decoration. Some people have even believed certain herbs have magical characteristics. Fortunately, you can grow these dynamic herbs in home and also outside the house. Indoor vegetable gardening, however, has special requirements. For starters, the plants must grow in containers.

Light is a vital element for indoor vegetable gardening. Should you have a sunroom or a greenhouse window, you can grow just about any herb. They need no more than six hours of direct sunlight each day. If you must use non-natural light, you should purchase fluorescent light systems specially designed for indoor vegetable gardening, or you can rig your own combination of warm white and cool white fluorescent tubes. Make the shelves that hold the lights of your herbs adjustable so they are able to be moved as the plants grow. The plant tips must always be 5 or 6 inches under the tubes. Your plants needs fourteen to sixteen hours of synthetic light each day.

Make use of porous dirt for indoor vegetable gardening. It allows easy air circulation, holds moisture well but drains easily. A good commercial potting dirt is fine, but you can decrease expenses by making your very own. To make two bushels of potting soil for indoor vegetable gardening, combine one bushel of milled sphagnum peat moss, one bushel of horticultural grade perlite, ten tablespoons of ground limestone, 5 tablespoons of single superphosphate, two tablespoons of potassium nitrate and 1 teaspoon full of iron chelate.
Herbs cultivated by indoor vegetable gardening do not have the deep root structures of plants in outside gardens, and so the soil ought to be kept damp, even for the hardiest varieties like rosemary and sage. Keep the dirt damp, but certainly do not over-water it. When you have to make use of a heavy garden soil, make use of a mulch to maintain the surface from caking.

If you are using a commercial potting soil for indoor vegetable gardening, read the package to see whether it already has nutrients added. If it does not, or if your soil happens to be worn out, the leaves on your herbs will turn yellow and growth may slow. You will now have to utilize fertilizer. Follow label guidelines, and begin by using half the recommended strength to see if that works. The oils of over-fertilized herbs lose flavour and scent.

Herbs are generally not very vulnerable to pests, but your indoor herbs could be targeted by mealybugs or whiteflies. If you see these pests on your plants, don't panic. Rub them off with cotton swabs or just your finger. If the infestation is very large, wash it away with slightly soapy water. Cut off afflicted stems. Your indoor vegetable garden will soon recover.

For useful and helpful tips on growing your very own organic indoor vegetables check out our site on everything you need to know to grow your very own indoor vegetable garden.