Bring Your Organic Garden Indoors

While you may not miss the upkeep of organic lawn care this time of year, gray winter days can drag on and leave you longing for your garden. You don’t have to wait until spring to add some plant life and a pop of color to your daily routine! Bring your organic garden inside this winter and try a hand at growing indoors. It’s easier than you may think and the payoff is bigger than you might expect.

Benefits to Growing Indoors

• Certain plants like Boston Ferns, English Ivy, and mums will help cleanse your air by removing formaldehyde found in homes from sources like furniture glues, sealants, paints and stains.
• Growing organic herbs indoors offers a multitude of benefits. Herbs have many medicinal uses, along with adding unbeatable flavor to a variety of dishes.
• Growing organic produce indoors is a great way to cater to your family’s nutritional needs while saving money. You can be confident about what’s in your food without worrying about misleading labels.
• Adding some plants to your life this winter may even help boost your mood and reduce stress.

Garden Prep

• Pots: Make sure you have pots with holes at the base for proper drainage. You’ll also want to have a drainage dish to catch the excess water.
• Soil: Head to your local nursery for some organic potting soil that will absorb necessary nutrients and water.
• Location: Your plants can be contained to a windowsill, or you can expand your indoor garden to a shelving unit, whatever works for you. 

Planting Conditions and Maintenance

• Light: Plants need plenty of light to thrive. Even when placed in a windowsill, most plants won’t get enough sunlight in the winter. To supply the necessary light you’ll need to invest in a grow light to mount above your plants. These are available at most home improvement stores and nurseries.
• Temperature: Plants will be happiest when grown at temperatures ranging from 60-80 degrees.
• Water: Like outdoor organic lawncare, effective watering plays a key role in nurturing plants indoors. Plants grown in pots need more frequent watering than garden plants. Make sure water comes through the drainage holes, and dump the excess water to prevent rot. If you notice you’re plants still aren’t thriving you may need to run a humidifier or spritz your plants’ leaves to increase humidity.
• Fertilize: Indoor plants require more fertilization to help boost their growth. There are a variety of organic fertilizers to choose from, or simply add some compost to your potted plants. 

Don’t let winter get you down. Start your organic indoor garden and reap the benefits year round. You may also decide to use your indoor plants as starter plants and transfer them to your outdoor garden come spring.