Your Garden – Neighbor’s Envy, Owner’s Pride!

All You Need To Know On Indoor Gardening
Summer is over and the garden outside is finished for the year. All the plants outside have
either gone dormant for the winter or finished their life cycle. But gardeners who still crave the
satisfaction and rewards of growing things can put their gardening talents to work indoors during
the winter.
Whether your gardening need itches during the winter or not, having plants in the house can
add to the overall health of your household. Having one plant for every 100 square feet in your
house helps remove indoor pollutants. In addition, plants take up carbon dioxide and give off
oxygen as a waste product. Humans, of course, take up oxygen and give off carbon dioxide as
a waste product. So, having plants in the house makes for a healthy and equitable exchange
for humans and plants.
A fancy greenhouse is not necessary to grow vegetables and beautiful flowers indoors. Many
plants can thrive in your house and there are several techniques to help you keep your green
thumb working all winter long.
Your Garden – Neighbor’s Envy, Owner’s Pride!
© Wings Of Success Page 9 of 56
Lighting
One of the first things you will need to address for your indoor gardening is lighting. No matter
what else you do for your plants, if they do not have the proper lighting they will not thrive.
Lighting is, in fact, the most important aspect of indoor gardening. When choosing decorative
plants for your home, look for plants that require medium to low light, like Philodendrons, some
ivy and some ferns.
Plants and indoor light
Plants that are not getting enough sunlight will generally have thin stems and smaller leaves.
The leaves will also be lighter on a plant that is not getting adequate light.
Most plants with medium light requirements will benefit from a south facing window. Windows
that face east and west will generally give plants with medium light requirements adequate
sunlight, as well. However, plants that prefer low light will probably prefer a north facing
window.
Because the sunlight comes through your windows from one side only, even when placing your
plants near windows with the proper amount of sunlight you will still need to make sure that all
sides of the plant get the full benefits of the light. The foliage on the side of the plant that is
facing away from the window will reach for the light, growing up and over toward the window
and making your plants look uneven. The foliage on the side of the plant facing away from the
window may even be a lighter color. Each week, rotate your plant so that a different side of the
plant is facing the window. This will allow all the foliage on the plant to grow evenly and healthy.
If the windows in your home do not let much light into the house, if they are shaded by trees or
buildings or if the angle from the sun just does not allow much light into the room, you can use
artificial light for your plants. Most hardware stores and some supermarkets carry
incandescent grow lights that will screw into a regular socket and will provide your plants with
supplemental light when there is some, but not enough, sunlight. There are also a variety of
specialty grow lights that will also provide the necessary light for growing vegetables inside and
for starting spring seedlings inside.
Your Garden – Neighbor’s Envy, Owner’s Pride!
© Wings Of Success Page 10 of 56
Specialty grow lights
 One type of specialty grow light is an HID (High Intensity Discharge) light. HID lights
come in two types; the Metal Halide (MH) bulb, which produces lighting in the blue
spectrum and is ideal for foliage growth and, High Pressure Sodium (HPS) bulbs, which
give a red-orange light, ideal for increasing bud and flower production. The MH bulbs
can be used as a primary or single lighting source while the HPS bulbs are best used as
a secondary or additional lighting source. MH and HPS bulbs can be used together to
give your indoor plants the full spectrum of light.
 Compact fluorescent full-spectrum lights are now available that, especially when used in
multiples, can provide some plants, such as African violets and herbs, with all the light
they need.
Most hardware stores will carry a wide variety of specialty grow lights and they can also be
found online by searching for grow lights.
Reflectors
Reflectors can be an effective way of maximizing the use of electric grow lights. Place reflective
Mylar or white paper around the edge of the containers to reflect the light back up onto the
plant. Aluminum foil will also reflect heat back up onto the plants and should not be used as a
reflector.
Using an electric timer on your grow lights will keep your