Indoor Vegetable Gardening Blog

Unless you live in a tropical paradise, your gardening activities are probably confined to a specific growing season. While having distinct seasons in the year can be quite enjoyable, it might be nice to have a longer period in which to cultivate plants. There are several methods for extending the growing season so you can enjoy your fruits and flowers longer.

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One simple way to begin your gardening early is to start your seedlings inside. If you have some space and a good grow light, you can plant your seedlings in small pots indoors then transfer them outside later. It is fairly common to find gardeners starting their seedlings indoors four or six weeks before the normal planting time. If you want to plant even earlier, you can start the young plants in larger pots, so they have more room to grow before you are forced to transplant them. While not the only type of grow light available, LED grow lights are quite popular because they have a high ratio of light output to power consumption, usually last much longer than other bulbs, and put off less heat. In order to ensure your seedlings are receiving the right type of light, a blue spectrum LED grow light is advisable.

Another way to extend your growing time is to move the plants indoors when the weather turns chilly. Early frosts can be very frustrating, but you can avoid frost damage by bringing potted plants inside on frosty nights, and moving them back out if the next day is warm. Frost can be especially damaging to unripe fruits and vegetables. If the weather turns cold before your harvest is fully ready, you can allow the fruits or vegetables to finish ripening under a grow light inside. Some plants, such as herbs and smaller shrubs, can just stay inside over the winter if you provide them with proper light and water. Orange LED grow bulbs are recommended for fruit bearing plants.

A fairly obvious method for lengthening the growing season is to use a greenhouse. Greenhouses come in many shapes and sizes, from small kit greenhouses to large permanent structures. They can also be made of several different materials. Depending on the weather in your location, a greenhouse allows you to begin growing plants earlier and continue later into the season, or even to grow plants year-round. If the weather is not temperate enough to allow year-round growing in an unheated greenhouse, the addition of a heater and some LED grow lights may be enough to make the difference.

With an indoor hydroponic garden, you can grow plants anytime, regardless of the season or temperatures. The size and variety of your indoor garden is limited only by how much space and money you allot to it. Thanks to their long life span and energy efficient design, Advanced LED grow lights are a great choice for indoor hydroponic gardening. If you want to grow flowers inside, red spectrum LED light is best.

Author Bio
We strive to manufacture the best possible lights for use in cultivation which we currently believe to be LED grow light review. Visit Advancedledlights.com to learn more about LED grow lights.

  

Is growing peas and beans in containers challenging for you? Have you always wanted to grow peas and beans but have no idea where to start? Peas and beans have always been rather popular among container vegetable gardening enthusiasts. In this article, we will show you how you can have your own home-grown peas and beans right in the comfort of your home.

Peas and beans are usually planted from seed; in most cases, they are usually grown in large quantity and close to each other. It is recommended to plant peas and beans in a window box with a minimum width of 30cm and depth of 20cm. You may plant a few rows of the plant; keeping each plant apart by about 10cm. Different species of peas or beans may have different growth habits. At maturity, the height of your vegetable plant can be quite different. Knowing which species of peas or beans you are planting will help you to decide the type of support you should use for your plant.

Growing Peas

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There are two varieties of peas – shelling and mangetout (snap peas and snow peas). Shelling peas mature at different times; it may take 12 to 14 weeks. Shelling peas come in round and wrinkle-seeded varieties. Round seeds are for hardiness and early sowings; wrinkled seeds for sweetness and summer sowings.

Growing peas require plenty of sunlight and a nutrient-rich, moisture-retentive environment. It is recommended to add plenty of compost or well-rotted manure to the soil used for growing peas. This helps to improve the soil’s ability to retain moisture, especially in hot and dry summers.

The planting mixture used for growing peas should be rich in minerals and have the ability to retain moisture for long periods of time. You may use the same fertilizers as those meant for growing tomatoes. Adding calcium is essential to aid the flowering process, which in turn gives you a good harvest.

Growing Beans

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For most of the bush beans and most peas, they will grow to a height of approximately 90cm. An appropriate support for such height is essential so that the plant can rest upon the support to reach its maximum growth height. You may fabricate a simple supporting structure for your bean plant by using strings between bamboo or posts. Alternatively, you may also use shrubs or branches to construct the support.

If you are planting pole beans, take note that this plant can reach a height of 2m or higher. Ensure that you have a robust support, preferably in the form of a wooden frame, to provide good support for your bean plant. An alternative solution is to use sturdy poles with strong strings to attach and support each plant.

Planting Mixture for Peas and Beans

Good quality planting mixture provides the nutrients needed for growing healthy pea and bean plants. You may refer to the planting mixture recommendation below for your gardening efforts.

• Compost: 2 Parts
• Potting Soil: 4 Parts
• Coir/ Peat: 1 Part
• Perlite: 2 Parts
• Vermiculite: 2 Parts
• Flowering fertilizer:  One handful per plant

How to Sow Seeds

Peas are best planted in warm soil instead of wet and cold soil. In early spring, cover the soil with polythene before sowing and then protect seedlings with a fleece. Sow shorter varieties in a flat trench, 5cm (2in) deep and 25cm (10in) wide or a window box.

Water the soil first, then sow the seeds 5-7cm (2in) apart in three rows along the bottom of the trench or container (if you are using one). Cover up the seeds with soil and firm it gently. For a succession of peas, sow at two-week intervals.

Peas are an early crop, traditionally planted in the early spring when it’s still quite cool outside. They are usually harvested by the early summer, but there are some longer season varieties available nowadays.

Beans are traditionally planted in late spring or early summer, once the soil has warmed up, but in containers this is not a problem. They are harvested from mid to late summer, with pole bean crops lasting much longer.
When crops of peas or beans have been harvested, you can remove them and use the same container to plant another crop of beans.

Harvesting

Here are some tips on harvesting your peas and beans. For a harvest of truly fresh peas, regular picking is an essential activity. Harvesting should be done from the bottom of the plant working upwards.

Upon harvest, refrain from pulling the plant as the roots are full of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Instead, cut off the stems at ground level, allowing the roots to rot down and release nitrogen back into the soil for the next crop to use.

Like other vegetable plants, growing peas and beans is not that difficult if only you know how to do it. We hope the vegetable gardening tips in this article will give you some confidence to get started in growing peas and beans. Feel free to check out other gardening tips on our site. We have gardening guides and tips on growing tomatoes, onions and other vegetables too.

  

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Have you ever thought of growing tomatoes in pots? Tomato plants remain one of the most widely planted vegetable plants and this trend seems to be universal. Ask around and you are likely to discover that most vegetable gardening hobbyists started off with planting tomatoes. The bright and cheerful colors of tomato plants make it a beautiful plant to have, not to mention the nutritional benefits of tomatoes. And, do you know that tomatoes come in several colors and not just red alone? Tomatoes color ranges from yellow, green, red and white to even purple!

Research has shown that tomatoes contain an element lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that reduces the risk of macular degeneration, cardiovascular disease and many cancers, particularly prostate cancer. Tomatoes are also a superb source of phytochemicals, fiber, vitamins A, B and C. In addition, tomatoes offer a good amount of potassium and iron, with almost no sodium or fat content.

With such great health benefits, it is no wonder the tomato plant is a favorite among vegetable gardeners. Just imagine how convenient it would be to have tomatoes all year round in your own garden. Planting tomatoes require some skills in addition to tender loving care. Here in this article, we will discuss about gardening tips and what it takes to start growing tomatoes in pots.

Tips for growing tomatoes in pots

The dwarf varieties of tomatoes usually yield higher success in container vegetable gardening. However, if you want to plant full-size tomatoes, you can choose a determinate variety of tomato, which should have no problem fitting into a container. Determinate tomatoes are more manageable in terms of size; they also tend to bear fruit much closer together and last longer.

Here are the items you need to buy to get started with growing tomatoes in pots:

1. Container / pots
2. Tomato plant
3. Gravel
4. Potting soil
5. Fertilizer
6. Compost

Buying a container
It is imperative that you select the right kind of container for growing tomatoes. The roots of tomato plants grow wide and need ample space to develop strong and healthy roots. Buy bigger pots for your tomato plants; the diameter of your pot should be at least 12 cm. There should be plenty of drainage holes on the pot to ensure adequate drainage for your plants.

Planting your tomato plant
Now that we have the pot and tomato plant, the next course of action would be to prepare the pot for planting the tomato plant. First, fill the pot with a few inches of gravel to promote drainage. Next, add the potting soil till it reaches the half mark of the pot and place the plant inside. Cover up with the rest of the soil and fertilizers, leaving about 2 inches from the edge of the pot.

Add the finishing touch by laying compost over the soil. You may also add perlite to the compost to help retain moisture and air; this actually helps in root development as well. Fertilizers may be added once every 2-4 weeks.

Tomatoes thrive in warm temperatures. Place your tomato plant at a location where it can get 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. Water your tomato plant regularly; they need an inch of water per week. Lack of water will result in your tomatoes having split or cracked skin. It can also cause fruit rotting during harvest if there is insufficient water. Always water your tomato plant from below; you can place your pots on a saucer or tray.

If you want to give your tomato plants growing supports, you can place a cage or poles during the planting stage. Growing supports help to support the plant and keep the fruits clean. It is recommended to place the supports during the planting stage as doing it later will disturb the roots.

Conclusion

Grow tomatoes in pots successfully with this tomato-growing guide

Growing tomatoes in pots is more than just than planting them into the soil. Besides adding fertilizers, compost and exposing it to ample sunlight, there are other concerns to be taken care of. For instance, you would certainly want to protect your tomato plants from harmful pests and killer diseases.

Prevention is always better than cure. How do you avoid soil-borne diseases and what can you do to protect your plants from fungal diseases. All these information (and more) can be found in the comprehensive tomato-growing guide “Now that’s what I call a tomato!”

If you are serious about growing juicy, tasty tomatoes, get a copy today. You will not regret it.

  

Growing vegetables as a gardening hobby is fast gaining popularity around the world. People are more educated on the harmful effects of pesticides and are opting for organic vegetables instead. However, organic produce do not come cheap. Fortunately, there are other options such as growing your own vegetables.

It is a common misconception that you need to have a garden to enjoy vegetable gardening. This is not true as you can always do vertical gardening or container gardening if you are faced with space constraints. In this article, we will discuss about container gardening and how you can grow vegetables in containers, even if you only have a small balcony.

Container Vegetable Gardening Tips

1. Selecting a container

One of the main considerations in container vegetable gardening is to ask yourself – what type of vegetables do I want to plant? The type of containers or pots that you use for vegetable gardening is dependent on the type of vegetables that you intend to grow. Bigger plants require bigger, deeper pots to develop a strong and good root system.

Generally, larger containers are recommended for growing vegetables. It is not just the diameter of the container but the depth should be considered too. For vegetable plants to be robust and healthy, deep containers are needed as it provides the space for strong, good root system to develop. It doesn’t matter if the pots and containers are made of terra cotta or plastic. You can even use timber planters for growing vegetables. Just remember that size and depth are more important.

As a general guideline, a 3-5 gallon container will do well for growing vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, zucchini, beans and lettuce. For the bigger plants, you will need to get 15 gallons containers.

2. Positioning your container

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Growing vegetables indoors is unlike vegetable gardening in an outdoor area. While the plants may enjoy sunlight anywhere in an open space, container vegetable plants’ intake of sunlight is dependent on where you place the containers. Most vegetable plants require 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily, especially tomato, beans and peppers.

The location of your containers is crucial to the survival of your vegetable plants. Besides sunlight, you also have to consider if the location is windy. Whenever possible, you should avoid windy areas as strong winds tend to dry up the plants fast. If you cannot avoid the strong winds, you can construct some form of windbreaker around your vegetable plants to shield them.

When positioning your container vegetable plants, ensure that you allocate sufficient room between the containers. This is to facilitate air circulation, which has a direct effect on the health of your plants. In addition, position your containers such that the taller plants do not shade out the shorter ones. This ensures all plants are exposed to a good amount of sunlight.

3. Selecting soil
Garden soil or heavy potting soil is not suitable for growing vegetables in containers. It is advisable to use container mix that can retain moisture better and resist compaction. You may consider making your own compost with manure added. This is probably a better option than buying readily available garden soil from the nursery.

Other pointers to note concerning soil for container vegetable gardening are the vegetable types. For instance, potatoes prefer rich, loamy soil while carrots prefer more free-draining compost that is sandier.

4. Watering

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Container plants tend to drink up quite a fair bit of water. Therefore, it is vital that you water your container vegetable plants often to ensure they don’t dry up. Positioning your containers near to water points will make it easier for you to access water for frequent watering.

How do you know if your plant has sufficient water? First, you have to determine if the soil is moist or soaking wet. It should not be soaking wet as that can cause the roots to rot. The finger test is often used to test the moisture level of the soil. Insert your index finger into the soil. If it feels hard and dry, it’s time to water your plants. If the surface, or just below the surface of the soil feels moist, you can hold back watering till the next day.

An alternative test of soil moisture is to use the Soil Moisture Meter. This is a more accurate way to measure moisture level than the finger test.

5. Fertilizers
Container plants – vegetables and non-vegetables alike, require watering more often as they absorb quite a bit of water. Frequent watering tends to dilute the fertilizer faster; hence it is important that you feed your container vegetable plants fertilizers twice as often to ensure sufficient nutrients for your plants.

Growing vegetables in containers is easy with the availability of self watering planters. You need not worry about over or under watering your plants. With containers, you can easily move your plants around to get maximum sunlight. Container vegetable gardening can be such a joy when you are equipped with the right tools and gardening tips.

  

Taking care of plants can be an enjoyable past time, especially when you are rewarded with the fruits of your labor. Many people treat plant care like an experiment when they first started gardening. How do you know when or how much to water, how much sunlight do my plant need, when do I need to add fertilizers? These are just some of the common questions that most gardeners have at the top of their mind.

Gardening is meant to be a relaxing hobby, so plant care should not add on to your stress. If you are one of those trial-and-error gardeners, here are 3 gardening plant care tips to guide you along.

1. Watering

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Water is life. All living plants need water; hence it is a must to have a watering can in every garden. To ensure your plants have sufficient water, it is recommended that you buy a watering can with a narrow spout. It should also be noted that plants absorb different amount of water at different stages of its life cycle. More water is absorbed during the growth stage and lesser during rest periods.

How do you know if your plant has enough water? One way is to use the finger test. Insert your index finger into the soil and feel the moisture level of the soil. If the soil feels damp, don’t water your plant. Alternatively, you can use a soil moisture meter to test the moisture level if you don’t wish to dirty your finger.

The size and type of pots and containers that you use has direct influence on the moisture level too. Porous clay pot will require frequent watering as compared to a plastic pot. Meanwhile, water in smaller pots tends to absorbed more quickly than a large pot.

2. Fertilizers
Fertilizers are added to plants to provide nutrients and help them to grow strong and healthy. Does that mean it is the more, the merrier when it comes to adding fertilizers? The answer is no. Over-adding fertilizers to your plants will cause it to have wilting leaves. The edges of your plant leaves will also appear scorched; sometimes there might be pigmentation that looks like brown spots on the leaves.

The type of fertilizers you should use depends on the type of plants you are growing. Generally, fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in different proportions depending on the plant type that it is meant for. Read the labels before you purchase and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on usage. Do not over fertilize your plants.

Here are some signs that indicate your plants need fertilizing. Weak stems, slow or weak growth, dull colored leaves, dropped leaves and lacking in flowering. It is worthy to note that newly repotted or relocated plants are not suitable for fertilizing. Plants can get stressed too and will need a month or so to get used to its new home.

3. Lighting
Sunlight is needed for plants to thrive and stay healthy. Different types of plants have different needs on the amount of light it requires. If you are planting tomatoes, ensure that your tomato plant has lots of sunshine. Tomatoes thrive in warm temperatures. If you have insufficient sunlight for your indoor tomato plant, consider using artificial grow lights.

Most flowering house plants require adequate sunlight to bloom. If you have plants like Begonia, Bromeliad, African violet or Orchid, ensure that they are exposed to sufficient sunlight. Likewise, if your indoor lighting conditions is less than satisfactory, use artificial lights to supplement lighting.

When we talk about lighting for plant care, it is not just the amount of light but its intensity as well. How do you know which spot in your house is best for your plant? You can get more information on getting the right location and learn more about plant lighting here.

In this post, we have covered the three basic elements in plant care tips. In our next post, we will discuss more about the other 3 tips that you should not miss if you are serious about caring for your plants.