Correct Soil for Indoor Vegetable Gardens
Unless you happen to have a plot of dirt in the middle of your living room floor, an indoor garden will probably occur in a variety of containers. This can be a very successful method of gardening, as long as you begin with the right plants and the correct soil for indoor vegetable gardens. The biggest advantage to gardening in a controlled environment like your home is that you greatly reduce the risk of pests getting into your crops, and there is no weeding involved! By including the correct soil for indoor vegetable gardens, along with other factors like sufficient sunlight, you can enjoy fresh vegetables year round.
What is the Correct Soil for Indoor Vegetable Gardens?
The correct soil for your indoor vegetable garden will tend to be lighter weight than your average garden soil outside. For this reason, it is not a good idea to simply fill your indoor containers with your outdoor soil. This dirt becomes too heavy in a container to allow for the drainage that container plants require. It will also keep sufficient air amounts from getting to the roots of your plants, which is a requirement for roots to thrive. The other problem with your outdoor garden soil is that it introduces weeds and pests into your indoor garden environment. It is better to select a potting soil from your nursery that will provide the essential nutrients as well as the proper consistency that will result in healthy roots and plants.
The Ph of the correct soil for an indoor vegetable garden should be around 6.5. If you are unsure about the Ph in your container, you can purchase a soil test from your nursery and then add the necessary nutrients once you know what type of soil you are working with. If you prefer, you can create your own potting soil by using equal parts of peat moss, garden loam and builder’s sand. Make sure that you add a slow release fertilizer to the mix as well. Keep in mind that once you have the correct soil for your indoor vegetable garden, you will need to continue to feed your plants since the nutrients in a container are used up more quickly.
Growing your own fresh vegetables and herbs indoors can offer you an opportunity to indulge in your favorite hobby even when the snow is flying outside. By selecting the correct soil for your indoor vegetable garden, you greatly increase your odds of a successful and bountiful harvest.
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Choosing Plants for Container Vegetable Gardening
When choosing plants for container vegetable gardening, look for labels which say patio, dwarf, or space saver; all of those titles are used for plants which have been bread to grow small and accept being grown in a pot easily.
Most any vegetable will accept being grown in a container as long as it’s given proper spacing, drainage, nutrition, and attention; many vegetables are hearty and easy to grow, choosing plants which are wells suited to ones climate is important, the same plants do not grow well everywhere.
Looking to local farmers and producers will help a new gardener to select plants for container vegetable gardening; local nurseries should have good seedling and advice for a new gardener as well.
The Plants
Some vegetables grow better when started from seeds while others will flourish from seedlings; when choosing the types of plants desired for container vegetable gardening knowing which plants to better which way will help to make the decision easier.
Eggplant, tomatoes, and squash will grow better from seedlings generally speaking, they tend to be bushy plants when healthy; when choosing one from a nursery the fuller the plant the heartier crop one can expect the plant to yield.
Beans, beets, carrots, lettuce, peas or radishes will flourish is started as seeds; to aid germination the seeds can be planted shallowly in the soil, and the pot can be covered with a bit of plastic wrap to speed the process along. Starting seeds with the plastic wrap creates a greenhouse effect which can help the seeds to sprout sooner; once green sprouts have breached the surface of the soil the plastic should be removed.
Spacing
Every plant in should be given sufficient room for successful container vegetable gardening; for aesthetic purposes some plants can be grouped together. Once style of container vegetable gardening is known as a “salad bar” this style would have planters containing lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and carrots all growing in one long planter. Variations on this method could be employed for any desired effect; it is important to keep in mind the individual plants’ comfort zones and group like tempered plants together.
Container vegetable gardening is fun, easy, and can lend to a healthier lifestyle as eating fresh vegetables is terrific for the body. Whether choosing container vegetable gardening due to space, soil, or for the challenge of creating a “garden of pots” anyone can enjoy fresh vegetables anywhere they live.
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Container Vegetable Garden Basics
photo credit: Eustaquio Santimano
When deciding to try a container vegetable garden, it is important to choose the proper pot; a pot too small will crowd the roots and very large pots will need a manner of moving them so they can take best advantage of the available sunlight. All pots for container vegetable gardening need to provide adequate drainage and be large enough to allow the finished plant room not just the seedlings.
A good rule of thumb for container vegetable gardens is to allow a minimum of 18 inches in diameter or width and 18 inches of depth for most plants; this will vary depending on the exact vegetable that is being grown, carrots for example will need twice the depth they are expected to reach at maturity.
The material the pot is made out of and the color of the pot are important factors to consider for container vegetable gardens; each climate has a type of pot which is best suited to produce the best results. Cold climates with little sun can enjoy dark colored pots made of metals as they can
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