People often ask me if they need to use fertilizer for their indoor vegetable plants. Or if fertilizer is necessary when they use compost. Or, do they even need compost? The answers: Yes, yes and yes. Why? First, look at the difference between compost and fertilizer:
Compost is naturally decomposed plant and animal material, broken down by healthy bacteria to enhance the soil. Compost adds structure, moisture retention and some nutrients. Compost also helps regulate the release of fertilizer. Outdoors, nature's cycles automatically provide compost. Indoor plants depend on us to provide it.
Fertilizer is basically plant food. It contains certain amounts of nutrtrients from natural substances or man-made chemicals. You will usually need less fertilizer with composted soil.
I use organic fertilizer because it contains natural nutrients. There is less overdosing or chemical burns, it won't harm plants, soil or people, it needs less precision in dosing. A good example of an all-purpose organic fertilizer is Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer (5-7-3). Or you might want to learn more about more specific plant nutrient needs and the organic sources that provide them. Aha! A good topic for a future post...
In general, vegetables that are grown mainly for their leaves, like salad greens and spinach, benefit from a fertilizer with more nitrogen. Vegetables and fruits that flower first (tomatoes, blueberries, squash, etc.) require more phosphorous to support blooming.
If you don't make your own compost you can buy it bagged at a garden center or online. If possible get a mix of composted ingredients. Add the compost to your indoor potting mix (1 part compost to 3 parts potting soil), and treat the top of the soil to a bit of compost every month or so.
How about tomatoes all year round? A friend told me about a friend who grows tomatoes in the corner of his living room, with vines growing up to the ceiling. He said it looked like a sculpture. I'm imagining homemade spaghetti sauce.
We have lots more to talk about, lots more to grow! Until next time, think green and keep dreaming...
HAPPY INDOOR GARDENING!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Like Water, Like Broccoli
From elephants to infants, every living thing needs water. Writer/Artist Sylvia Earle put it simply when she wrote, "No blues, no greens. No water, no life." Which brings me to indoor gardening...
I've read that too much watering is the biggest problem with indoor gardening. I think that's true. We see a plant falter and one of the first solutions we think of is to water it. Did we get that from those old-time Hollywood movies where the distressed heroine was merely given (you guessed it) a glass of water for relief? Maybe she just needed to be validated. Or fed.
But I digress. Here are some practical tips on watering for indoor growing:
1. Soil in containers tends to dry out quicker, especially indoors in drier air. Regular, consistent (daily) soil checking is needed to be sure the soil is just moist, not soggy or not dry. Make it a lovely morning routine with a cup of coffee or tea.
Indoor vegetables and fruits require consistent watering and watching because their growing season is shorter than most indoor plants. Consistentcy is the key. A once-in-a-while heavy drenching (especially with cold water) can actually drown roots and send a plant into shock.
2. Make it easy for you. I like to keep a small watering can filled with water near each garden box I have indoors. Use lukewarm water, and if possible let it sit for a while.
3. Check your soil moisture by pushing your finger about an inch into the soil to feel if it is moist but not soggy. While some vegetables like the soil on the dry side (mustard and carrots, for example), in general if the soil falls off your finger it's too dry.
4. There are several indoor watering systems available, along with some simple accessories that help maintain water moisture. I like the more personal touch (yes, sometimes I talk to my spinach), but I would consider some of those accessories if I had more than 2 or 3 boxes.
5. Kelp meal is natural, organic and provides highly beneficial nutrients. Mix it into your soil to help it retain water and for extra plant health, growth and flavor.
6. Good old fashioned mulching (with the usual wood chips & shavings, bark, hay, straw, dried leaves & grass clippings, pine needles, coco fiber, sand) helps retain moisture, but use mulch only on plants that need a lot of water, or if your soil seems to dry out quickly.
7. Clay pots (terracotta) will probably need more frequent watering because they lose moisture faster. Pots made from non-porous material (metal, glass or plastic) have higher water retention and care should be taken not to over-water in them.
Specifics for:
Lettuce - Keep the soil constantly moist. Lighter, more frequent watering is better than a heavy drenching. Water lettuce whenever the top layer of soil becomes dry. To help prevent leaves from sitting on moist soil, maybe spread a thin layer of sand over the top of the soil.
Leafy Greens - For chard and collards, keep the soil moist, and don't let it dry out. Kale and mustard can take less water. Water them once the soil feels dry. I end up watering mine about once every week or two.
Spinach - Needs more water than other leafy greens. You'll probably water every 3 - 4 days. And spinach likes mulch to help retain moisture.
Carrots - Once carrots are up, they like soil on the dry side. You can let the soil dry out a little between waterings. Maybe water every 7 - 10 days. When you do water, make sure the soil is thoroughly soaked to the bottom of the container to reach feeder roots. Dwarf varieties are the same, except they don't require as deep a container.
Radish - Water regularly, keeping soil moist but not soggy. Mulching is good. You won't need deep containers. Radishes are hotter tasting if allowed to dry out.
Well, there you have it. The scoop on water for a starter indoor garden. I hope you have fun with your indoor vegetable garden. It will return the favor of your careful care with a wonderful fresh bounty of goodness.
HAPPY INDOOR GARDENING!
(Think green and dream...)
I've read that too much watering is the biggest problem with indoor gardening. I think that's true. We see a plant falter and one of the first solutions we think of is to water it. Did we get that from those old-time Hollywood movies where the distressed heroine was merely given (you guessed it) a glass of water for relief? Maybe she just needed to be validated. Or fed.
But I digress. Here are some practical tips on watering for indoor growing:
1. Soil in containers tends to dry out quicker, especially indoors in drier air. Regular, consistent (daily) soil checking is needed to be sure the soil is just moist, not soggy or not dry. Make it a lovely morning routine with a cup of coffee or tea.
Indoor vegetables and fruits require consistent watering and watching because their growing season is shorter than most indoor plants. Consistentcy is the key. A once-in-a-while heavy drenching (especially with cold water) can actually drown roots and send a plant into shock.
2. Make it easy for you. I like to keep a small watering can filled with water near each garden box I have indoors. Use lukewarm water, and if possible let it sit for a while.
3. Check your soil moisture by pushing your finger about an inch into the soil to feel if it is moist but not soggy. While some vegetables like the soil on the dry side (mustard and carrots, for example), in general if the soil falls off your finger it's too dry.
4. There are several indoor watering systems available, along with some simple accessories that help maintain water moisture. I like the more personal touch (yes, sometimes I talk to my spinach), but I would consider some of those accessories if I had more than 2 or 3 boxes.
5. Kelp meal is natural, organic and provides highly beneficial nutrients. Mix it into your soil to help it retain water and for extra plant health, growth and flavor.
6. Good old fashioned mulching (with the usual wood chips & shavings, bark, hay, straw, dried leaves & grass clippings, pine needles, coco fiber, sand) helps retain moisture, but use mulch only on plants that need a lot of water, or if your soil seems to dry out quickly.
7. Clay pots (terracotta) will probably need more frequent watering because they lose moisture faster. Pots made from non-porous material (metal, glass or plastic) have higher water retention and care should be taken not to over-water in them.
Specifics for:
Lettuce - Keep the soil constantly moist. Lighter, more frequent watering is better than a heavy drenching. Water lettuce whenever the top layer of soil becomes dry. To help prevent leaves from sitting on moist soil, maybe spread a thin layer of sand over the top of the soil.
Leafy Greens - For chard and collards, keep the soil moist, and don't let it dry out. Kale and mustard can take less water. Water them once the soil feels dry. I end up watering mine about once every week or two.
Spinach - Needs more water than other leafy greens. You'll probably water every 3 - 4 days. And spinach likes mulch to help retain moisture.
Carrots - Once carrots are up, they like soil on the dry side. You can let the soil dry out a little between waterings. Maybe water every 7 - 10 days. When you do water, make sure the soil is thoroughly soaked to the bottom of the container to reach feeder roots. Dwarf varieties are the same, except they don't require as deep a container.
Radish - Water regularly, keeping soil moist but not soggy. Mulching is good. You won't need deep containers. Radishes are hotter tasting if allowed to dry out.
Well, there you have it. The scoop on water for a starter indoor garden. I hope you have fun with your indoor vegetable garden. It will return the favor of your careful care with a wonderful fresh bounty of goodness.
HAPPY INDOOR GARDENING!
(Think green and dream...)
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