Houseplants and herb gardens are well-known as common plants that are grown indoors. But they are not the only plants that can be grown indoors.

By using the right containers and having the ability to mimic the ideal growing conditions you can also have an indoor vegetable garden.

The benefits of having an indoor vegetable garden go beyond the beautification of your home or the relaxation you get from gardening, but you can also pick your own vegetables right in your kitchen indoor vegetable garden.

Veggies compatible for indoor vegetable garden growth:

Carrots, tomatoes, and radishes are three of the easiest vegetable to grow indoors vegetable garden. Each grows differently and will need separate containers but with some research this is not a problem.

A south-facing window is the best source of natural sunlight for your vegetables to grow in. If you do not have the right exposure, you can invest in an artificial bulb to provide supplemental light.

Care for indoor vegetable garden:

As with any container you choose to grow plants in, making sure there is enough drainage is the key for successful indoor vegetable garden. If your plants sit in too much water they are not going to survive.

To keep your indoor houseplants healthy and thriving they will occasionally need pruning or re-potted.

The process is very similar to the plants and just as important.

Dead or sick branches can affect the overall health of the entire plant and should be cut off. And there is the esthetic aspect of pruning, it gives you plants a nice and tidy shape.

Pruning off the fungal branches:

If you are pruning a branch off of a plant that is diseased (with fungus) it is very important to disinfect your pruning shears after using them. If you do not, and continue to prune your healthy plants there is a chance the fungus will spread to your other plants. A solution of bleach and water will kill the unwanted organisms nicely.

Pruning:

When you look at the plant if it appears too full you can thin it out, this is important around the base trunk or stem. You want good air circulation around the plant and if the branches and leaves are too congested this will not happen.

Depending on the individual indoorplant different temperature and humidity levels are recommended.

But in general, plants don’t like it too hot, too cold, or too dry (with certain exceptions of course).

Finding and keeping a balance is important to the survival of your indoorplants. To make it easier on you, the gardener, select indoorplants that thrive in similar conditions or weather conditions.

Selecting indoorplants depending on temperature:

Consistency in temperature is important to plants. Once you find the ideal temperature, try and maintain it daily. It is okay for the indoorplants to be colder at night time; this is natural as the same happens outside in nature when the sun goes down.

An average temperature range is 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit (18-23 degrees Celsius) during the day and a drop in temperature to 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit (15-18 degrees Celsius) is acceptable. As this is within the temperature range most houses are kept at this should not be hard to maintain.

Providing light to indoorplants:

You may be tempted to place a plant beside a sunny window to keep it nice and warm. Just remember that exposure to extreme temperature ranges is not good for a plant. It can get overheated during the day and then too cold at night. Give the plants natural sunlight but doing so on a windowsill is not recommended.

Plants need different elements from the soil to grow. If they are not present in the right amount the indoor plants will not be as healthy or grow as they should.

This is the reason many indoor plants need fertilizer, to add the missing elements (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium). You can give your plants too much fertilizer and that will have the opposite affect you are going for.

Do Outdoor and indoor plants have same fertilizers?

The same species of plant that is grown indoors or outdoors will have different fertilizing needs. Plants that are grown indoors have a will not need as much fertilizer as the ones grown outside.

The rate of growth is slower in indoor plants and you can harm your plant by over-fertilizing it.

How do you know how much fertilizer to give to your plants and when to feed it to them?

If you have purchased a plant meant for the indoors chances are the information tag it comes with will give fertilizing instructions. But a better method to follow is observing your plant for any signs that would indicate it is lacking nutrients.

You have researched the benefits of having an indoor garden and found the best plant for you home now what do you put it in? The answer is pots, but what are the best pots for indoor plants.

From terra cotta pots to decorative ceramic ones, there are many choices available and in various sizes which are best pots for indoor plants.

Not only do you want to choose post for indoor plants that looks good in your home but you want one that is the best size for your plant too.

Variations in Pots for indoor plants:

You want to look at the long-term growth expected in the plant you have chosen and use that information to pick appropriately sized Pots for indoor plants. If you pick a pot that is too small your full-grown plant the roots will not have enough room to grow and the plant will be come “root bound”.

This is a rectifiable condition with re-potting, but it can put the plant through unnecessary stress and creates more work for you. Your plant may look unbalanced at first in a container that is out of proportion but you will be glad you thought ahead as the plants continues to grow.

When you are an indoor gardener the same rules apply to your plants as they do to any other type of gardener.

Your plants will need water, food, and plenty of light as does the ones grown outside or in a green house.

Of course there are special considerations such as temperature and humidity control but they can be overcome with relatively minor adjustments.

With that being said, there are some plants that are best left to the outdoor gardener.

Variations in Indoor plants growth:

The type of plant that won’t do well indoors is really dependant on the climate you live in. If you live in a warm area and have the air conditioning or fans on during the day a plant that is used to higher temperature will not do well inside your home and should be left outside.

The same goes for the opposite, if your house is overheated a plant will most likely dry out from lack of moisture in the air.

Other plants that are best left outdoors are perennials and bulb plants that need the seasonal rains and temperatures outside to grow again. You could bring some tulips or daffodils inside in a pot but they will do much better outside.

It is most likely that your indoor houseplants will be safe from hard other than the odd garden pest. But if you have young children or pets in the home, the danger can be for them.

There are many indoor houseplants that are not recommended for indoors (or outdoors for that matter) when children or pets are present.

Some indoor houseplants are poisonous, even fatal if ingested. Listed below if a few of the more popular indoor houseplants that aren’t safe to have around.

Indoor houseplants which are not recommended:

The seeds of Rosary Pea and Castor Bean plants are lethal. Fatalities have been reported from the ingestion of just one seed. If a young child or cat chews on one of the leaves they are sure to get sick. You can purchase necklaces that are made from the seeds of this plant. These are not meant for children and can cause skin irritations in adults.

Parts of the Oleander plant (the leaves and bark) are also poisonous. It is not worth the risk to have these in the house. Even with due diligence children or pets are bound to get into a houseplant at one point or another. It is hard to safeguard against falling leaves or other unavoidable events.

When you are choosing an indoor houseplant you need to go beyond the appearance of the plant although that is a good place to start.

If there is a certain kind of plant that you want to have look into the care instructions first.

Some indoor houseplants need more care and others are best left to an expert gardener as opposed to a novice one. If you fall into the latter category of gardeners you will want plants that are easy to care for, are hardy, and have a low maintenance schedule.

Indoor houseplants which need less care:

Ferns are a popular choice for indoor houseplant gardens as they are easy to care for, do not require to be repotted very often and are attractive.

There is a wide range of fern varieties available and each one has a unique look. Some of the different ferns great for indoor houseplants are:

• Maidenhair Ferns
• Davallias
• Fishbone Ferns
• Cretan Brake Ferns

Begonias are a great choice for the indoors houseplant garden too especially if you do not have a great light source. This plant can survive on very little light each day.

It is inevitable that insects or another infestation will make its way to your plants at one point or another. If you are dealing with pests in your indoor garden you may want to find a natural way to in pest control especially if you have young children or pets in your home.

There are ways to pest control and most of them require ingredients that you can get at the grocery store which may affect the health too. So, natural pest controls is advised for indoor plants

Natural way in pest control:

When you find insects or another disease that is making your plant sick. Isolate the plant immediately to prevent the problem spreading to the other plants inside your house. Depending on the type of problem the pest control solution will be different.

If your plants are being eaten by spider mites, you can eliminate the pest control problem by making a solution of buttermilk and water. Put the solution into a spray bottle, put the plant in the bathtub and give a thorough once over. A mix of 50-50 is recommended, if this is too thick to use with the spray bottle, add more water for a thinner consistency.

The three things that all plants need to survive are food, water, and dirt. The food for plants is created when enough light is provided.

The water and dirt part of the equation are pretty straight forward as long as you follow the recommended care instructions and don’t forget to water your plants.

But how do you ensure enough lighting for indoor house plants? Finding the right location in your home may require some trial and error before you find the perfect spot.

How to provide proper lighting for indoor house plants:

Before deciding on what type of plants you will have in your house, look into the light requirements. The four categories that describe the different light requirement for plants are low, medium, high, and very high.

Lighting for indoor house plants:

If you have a sunroom or skylights in your home and can position your plants in or under them you can purchase plants that need high or very high light exposure. Be aware that some plants can get too much sun, in which case the light that comes in from a regular window should suffice.