As I’ve been tending the plants that I brought into the house for the start of the winter indoor growing season, I began thinking about some of the other nifty tricks I have learned through experimenting and sometimes failing while learning this skill. As I said before, this is a skill set that demands practice. This is especially true if you don’t have a greenhouse or sun room as lighting and temperature swings really effect indoor plants more quickly than gardening in the out of doors.
I pay very close attention to solar gain through the windows. As the sun angles change throughout the season, the temperature just in front of window glass changes dramatically. You will probably be amazed at the thermal fluctuations even throughout the day. I keep a small stand up thermometers on the window sills and just peek at them during the day. If the temperatures rise above 105 degrees Fahrenheit. I will either lower the thermal shades just enough to block the harshest rays of the sun or move the plants away from the windows another four or five inches. I want light, not heat. On really cold days the opposite might be true. If it is really overcast or snowing, the solar gain might be negligible, so I might have to adjust the room temperature a little. Remember, I said we live with hot water heating, so I can adjust one zone and not have to heat the rest of the house. You might have to figure a way to moderate the light and temperatures through experimentation. It is important to know that really cold or really hot temperatures will affect blossom set and fruiting bodies growth.
When the daylight gets shorter, the use of the grow lights becomes very beneficial. I use simple florescent “grow” lights from the big box stores. I like the ones that are about two feet long. They are light enough and stay cool to the touch so I can just place them on the floor and aim them up at the plants. Like I said before, I use the upside down planters to great advantage, as the plants photosynthesis’ process tells the plants to grow toward the lights. In the darkest part of the winter I might need to give the plants four or five hours of supplemental lighting for the best results. I also give the pots a quarter turn every fee days to keep the plants growing straight and expose the entire plant to the sunshine.
Watering the plants also takes some practice. Because the humidity is very low here, I check the water levels every couple of days with a meter. I will mist the plants every couple of days to increase the humidity levels. The plants seem to love the showers but don’t over do it or you will interfere with blossom set or invite sun scald as light penetrates the water droplets. Over watering your plants is easy to do in the winter as the soil on the top of the planter might feel dry, but an inch or two down the roots could be drowning. Don’t guess! More indoor plants die from over watering. We literally kill them with kindness!
Because we use well water, we have to use a water softener that uses salt. Periodically, I take several inches of soil from around the plants and replace it with fresh compost from my compost pile. The extra nutrition gives the plants a boost and reduces salt accumulation in the pots. If you don’t compost available I suggest using the bagged soil from your garden center. It is also very helpful to gently “till” the soil in the planters. I use a small shovel and just turn the dirt over to the depth of a couple of inches. I only do this when the soil looks and feels compacted. This aeration is good for the roots as it makes it easier for the roots to penetrate the soil.
Some flowering plants need help in the reproductive cycle. With no bees inside for the winter, you will need to pollinate some of the plants by hand. This is very easy to do with a small very soft paint brush. Just touch one blossom and then another on the pistil, the center of the flower. I make a habit of pollinating over a couple of days to make sure I touch each blossom. Tomatoes and potatoes need the help, where peas, beans, greens, and herbs do not.
This week I started some sugar snap peas in hanging pots. Since the weather is just starting to turn, I keep the pots outside on the deck. As soon as the nighttime temps dip into the low forties, I’ll bring them in and hang the pots on chains. As the peas grow up they will become top heavy. That’s when I will help them drape over the pot edges. In a few weeks the lovely pea plants will dangle down and the pea blossoms will be a sight for winter weary sore eyes!
Have fun experimenting. I recommend you start with rapidly growing veggies like radishes, green onions, and mixed salad greens. When you are rewarded with fresh produce, you’ll be encouraged to add cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas to your “garden”. When you add this new skill to your life you will gain great satisfaction in knowing you are becoming more self reliant. There is something to be said for surrounding yourself in a lovely indoor garden and watch the snow fly from the warmth of your home! Happy gardening!