How to create an in-home garden

Posted on September 11, 2021

If you plan to start an indoor garden, that’s great! Indoor plants have innumerable benefits, such as reducing stress, air purification, and, with proper decoration, pleasant aesthetics. In addition, numerous studies have shown that gardening is linked to growth in life satisfaction and psychological well-being. A great way to get started with gardening is to start growing herbs and greens indoors. With some good planning and the right tools, you can enjoy fresh greens right from your home. Therefore, if you would like to bring your outdoors in, read on. We have made the ultimate guide to help you create an in-home garden.

Steps to take to create an in-home garden

Whether you’ve just moved to your new home and have made your inside garden a priority, or you are a beginner wanting to try it out, there are several things you need to pay attention to. First, you will need to declutter to create more space, choose the plants, and get informed on how to get the most out of them.

We are confident you will enjoy the results of your work soon by following our step-by-step guide on creating a perfect indoor garden. Hence, here are the necessary steps to take.

Designate the place
Make sure there’s enough light
Choose your plants and know what they love
Get the right supplies
Know how much water they need
Fertilize them regularly
Control the temperature and humidity

Designate a place for your in-home garden

The first step is to choose where you want to grow your garden. Even though natural light is the best source for plants, you might not have enough space near the window to satisfy their needs. However, you shouldn’t worry. If you have enough supplemental light, you can basically put your indoor garden anywhere.

Additionally, you should measure the space properly since you will need to build a platform that fits into that space. On the other hand, if you are using a shared space, you need to make sure the platform doesn’t get in the way of other everyday activities.

As far as how ample the space should be, that’s entirely up to you. Herbs will be a good option if you have little room to grow them, such as a windowsill or a tabletop.

Provide enough light

The three basic needs of a plant are water, light, and air circulation. It depends on the type of plant, but they usually need 12-16 hours of light per day. So, if you cannot provide that much natural light, you should consider artificial lighting.

Specialists suggest using grow lights that have bulbs that provide full-spectrum light. These types of lights imitate the wavelength of the Sun and promote the natural photosynthesis process.

Apart from this, you can use single lights to grow your plants near a window. Another option is light stands, which is a better option for larger rooms.

Choose the plants and get to know what they like

Before doing the fun stuff when on the mission to create an in-home garden, you need to plan it carefully. Planning includes thinking about how much light the plants will need to grow and be pest-free, room temperature, and how big they will grow. Here’s a list of plants we recommend you use for your first indoor garden since they thrive in cooler spaces and are quick to harvest.

lettuce
spinach
arugula
kale
beets
carrots
radishes
best herbs: basil, mint, oregano, parsley, sage, thyme

Get well-equipped

It would be good to create a checklist depending on the plants you’ve selected. The essentials are gloves, a watering can, a hand spade, scissors, and containers.

Of course, you don’t need to buy everything. There are many options for recycling. For example, you can use an old spoon instead of a spade or use old bottles and glasses instead of containers.

Know how often to water them

Watering frequency is also another factor that depends on the type of indoor plants. The majority of garden experts recommend watering indoor plants once a week.

As an illustration, cacti should also be watered once weekly, but they can go a bit longer. On the other hand, some delicate plants will require watering from the bottom. This means you will have to poke holes in the pots and put water in a dish underneath the pot. Also, you might need to water your plants a bit more when it’s hotter and slightly less when it’s cooler.

Fertilize regularly

Apart from the fact that plants do photosynthesis to make their own food, they need other nutrients to grow. The nutrients that most plants absorb through their roots are potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

However, indoor plants might need more help since nutrients available to them can go depleted over time. You will find information on the frequency of fertilization on the label. Experts say slow-release fertilizers are an excellent option to ensure balance.

It’s also good to bear in mind that over-fertilization isn’t good. This can cause sudden growth in your plants, but with roots that aren’t strong enough to supply the plant with water and nutrients.

Control the temperature and humidity

Different plants have different temperature needs. Some hardy corps, like kale or peas, can take on cooler temperatures, while other plants can be more demanding. Heat-loving crops might require a lot of extra work, and that you really know what you’re doing.

However, most simple herbs and leafy greens will thrive at day temperature between 65 and 70 F and night temperature of 55 F.

Final thoughts on how to create an in-home garden

Gardening is good for the environment and fulfilling on many levels. However, it requires some thought and work. It’s crucial to design it to fit your wishes and lifestyle. We have covered the basic steps you need to take to create an in-home garden and get started. Happy growing!