5 Indoor Gardening Ideas for When It’s Still Cold Outside
Just because the calendar says spring starts the third week of March does not mean the weather cooperates. People who live in colder climates do not get the opportunity to start their outdoor gardening as quickly as their counterparts in warmer weather climates, which can be a bummer for people who like to get out and dig in the dirt. But no worries. You can get a head start on your gardening with easy-to-implement indoor gardening projects.
We have listed five indoor gardening ideas for you to try. These are great when you’re looking to start gardening even though it’s still cold outside. They are also great for people who live in apartments and lack usable outdoor space.
1. Create a Vertical Vegetable Garden
Get started on your vegetables by creating a vertical garden. You can buy vertical garden kits online or create one from scratch. A good vertical garden consists of several racks with planters and mounts for artificial lighting. Be sure to choose vegetables that grow well under artificial light, need only limited space, and mature quickly.
You can keep your vegetables indoors or, if you prefer, transplant them outdoors once temperatures warm up. If you do choose to transplant, be gentle. You don’t want to ruin all your hard work by injuring your plants.
2. Get Started on Your Seeds
It doesn’t take much to get started on your seeds indoors. All you need are some small planters, some potting soil, and a windowsill to allow your seedlings daily sunlight. Just be sure to move your seedlings off the sill once the sun goes down. There’s no need to allow the cool air from around the windows to stunt the growth of your seeds.
3. Create a Hanging Herb Garden
Believe it or not, most of the fresh herbs we use in cooking grow very well indoors. One of the best ways to do so is to create a hanging herb garden with a piece of doweling, some rope, and a couple of pine slats. To maximize space, use a router to cut circles in the pine slats so that pots are recessed. You’ll get more into a smaller amount of space without risking any of your herbs.
4. Start a Windowsill Greenhouse
A miniature greenhouse is a wonderful way to get vegetables or herbs started indoors in anticipation of moving them outside. You can buy commercial greenhouses that will fit comfortably on the average windowsill. You can also make your own if you have an unused fish tank flying around. Just remember that the key to the greenhouse is sunlight. Direct sunlight keeps the greenhouse temperature where it needs to be regardless of how cold it is outside.
5. Grow Potted Blueberries and Strawberries
It’s easy to grow blueberries and strawberries indoors using a 12-to-16-inch pot. Experts say combining the two is really good for the blueberries, as strawberries will cover the soil and keep the moisture in. The one thing to be aware of is that the blueberries tend to expand quickly. You will need to keep an eye on your plants to make sure they don’t outgrow their pot. Once you’re sure the weather is warm enough to support outside growth, both strawberries and blueberries are very easy to transplant.
You may have noticed that all our indoor gardening projects are somehow related to food. That’s because we are foodies. As long as you’re going to garden indoors, you might just as well focus your efforts on your favorite fruits, vegetables, and herbs.