Bring nature inside and start an indoor garden to make your home more colorful, but be careful to follow these indoor gardening tips. Plants are so soothing to look at and many indoor gardeners feel that they add that extra little spark to any room. An added benefit is that plants are nature's purifier, taking carbon dioxide out of our air and changing it into oxygen cleansing the air in your home. Mix up your plants; try a few exotics or tropical plants, anything you choose will make your room shine with their fresh beauty and their colorful blooms. To maintain their beauty here are some indoor gardening tips to keep your plants lush and healthy.
Light is the one thing you cannot skimp on. Without this essential ingredient your plants will wither and die. Each and every plant have different requirements so for one indoor gardening tips here is some things to look for when shopping for houseplants. Ask the person at the nursery center how much light the plants you are consider will need. Some plants need direct sunlight while others crave indirect sunlight. For a direct sun plant, place the container near a window that faces south. For indirect plants they can be placed near a window but keep them far enough away so their foliage will not burn. Plants that require little light, like philodendrons, African Violets or ferns, can be arranged anywhere in the room as long as a little natural light filters in.
Indoor gardening tips on watering your plants are always needed. If you over-water your plants you are subjecting them to insects and disease and you will eventually kill it. Over-watering will also rot the roots. Plants hate wet feet. Once you have discussed the watering needs with the nurseryman invest a small amount of money into a water gauge. The gauge will tell you the moisture level of the plants soil. They are extremely helpful in deciding whether to water or not and really only cost a little money, a very wise investment.
Another indoor gardening tip is to fertilize. At the nursery center they fertilized the plants to encourage them to grow so they can sell them to you. If you do not fertilize your plants they will droop and wither. Find out from the center or from the internet what each plants feeding schedule should be. The secret to keep happy, lush plants is to feed them on a regular basis.
You want to keep a close eye on each plant for any pests. If you find pests on one plant isolate it from the rest and treat it immediately. Try not to use pesticides on your plants especially if it is a plant you will eat, like herbs.
A very good pesticide free natural formula for eradication of pests is:
In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.
If you follow these few indoor gardening tips you will have beautiful houseplants that enliven every room. Take time to enjoy your indoor garden. Let it relax and soothe you, after all that's why you planted an indoor garden.
Happy Gardening!
Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.