Fast and Easy Indoor Vegetable and Herb Gardens

By Fran Kroller

Many people are using the AeroGarden to grow organically grown edibles for their family because they know organic grown produce is a healthy alternative to store bought produce. The system can be used to grow an indoor herb garden and there is nothing that adds zest to any recipe than home grown herbs. The system is fool proof and can be used in any type of weather.

It is easy to use this kit and the instructions are easy to follow and in little time one will enjoy the harvest from his efforts. The revolutionary concept of using this system to grow vegetables, herbs, and plants, is that there is no dirt involved and therefore no mess. Plants, herbs, and vegetables, grow as large as the size of the kit used to grow plants, herbs, or vegetables.

The weather is not a factor when it comes to growing indoors so it could be snowing outside and the indoor crop will still thrive. There is no need to check the farmer's almanac to find out when seeding season starts because the indoor system works year round. There is no need to be an expert at growing plants, vegetables, or herbs, because the system is fool proof.

Vegetables grown with this system can be harvested for approximately four months. Herbs can be harvested for approximately 5 months. Plants, for instance flowers, will bloom for approximately 6 months when tended indoors.

A lot of people would like to have their own home grown vegetables but have not time to water, seed, and tend their crop. However, using an indoor system, one can take as little as 5 minutes a week to tend her crop. Most people can find at least 5 minutes every seven days to tend their crop.

The indoor growing kit is energy efficient. The kit needs less energy than a 60 watt light bulb. A little bit of water is needed to hydrate the crop and all of the nutrients required to grow a crop are found in the kit. The reason why organic foods are healthier for us is because organic foods, unlike store bought produce, is not sprayed with pesticides.

In a word the AeroGarden system can be described as foolproof. There are many advantages to growing vegetables at home. Organic vegetables are a healthy alternative to store bought produce that has been contaminated with pesticides. Home grown herbs add a zest to recipes that dried out herbs in a bottle cannot match. Since all growth takes place indoors the weather is not a factor.

About the Author:

You can find a listing of the benefits of growing healthy indoor fruit and veggies using the Aerogarden grow kit and view our inventory of grow kits, now.. This article, Fast and Easy Indoor Vegetable and Herb Gardens is available for free reprint.

Some Ideas For Growing Herbs Indoors

By Alan Stables

If you think about growing herbs indoor, you will realize how easy this is. Many plants can grow indoors, such as basil and oregano which grow rapidly even in your kitchen window. If you want to increase the growth of you plants, you can use an artificial grow light to add more natural light.

Various elements affect the growth of plants. Light remains one of the most important factors for indoor herb garden. It is suggested that you place your herbs in a southern window. The plants will grow stronger with the more light that they get. This is especially important during the winter months.

You can also use a grow light, which will help your plants grow fast. Various types of grow lights are available on the market. You will likely need on if you have a large herb garden at home. Installing such a light is relatively simple if you do it in a somewhat isolated area in your home.

Oregano is a favorite plant for many reasons. This herb is very easy to grow, and it provides a gardener with an abundance of flavorful leaves. These plants will flower in the fall months, and this is the best time to harvest the aromatic leaves.

Once the leaves have been dried, gardeners can use these fresh herbs to prepare tasty Italian dishes. The leaves can be stored in an airtight container and remain good for several years.

Basil is another plant that grows well indoor given that it receives a lot of light. Basil comes in wide variety of species all of which featuring unique flavors. A basil plant can be placed close to a bright window are under a grow light. The latter will ensure greater results.

Pests can sometimes affect indoor herb gardens, especially if the gardener moves plants between the outdoors and indoors. Aphids and mites are regularly attracted to herbs, and the plants should be inspected daily to ensure there are no insects. These pests are easy to see, and there are a variety of pesticides that are effective at combating an infestation.

To make sure that you have a year-long supply of fresh herbs, you will need an herb garden. Many will pick basil and oregano to sow in their garden since they grow so easily. You only need a kitchen window and a grow light. In the end, you will realize that growing herbs indoors is simple and a great way to add a tasty touch to your food.

About the Author:

Alan Stables is learning how to grow herbs indoors including growing cilantro and rosemary, and is currently experimenting on fertility herbs. Check out his findings.

Germinating Seeds Inside for an Indoor Herb Garden

By Joseph Robertson

It's unimportant if the seeds you are beginning are going to make their way outside once sprouted or if they're going to be additions to your indoor herb garden starting seeds indoors is the right way to ensure successful growth. The tiny seeds and seedlings do not do well with harsh weather changes and a late frost or unwarranted rain can stop them from growing and even prevent an entire harvest cycle. There is also the issue of birds getting into the seeds as a food source.

There are lots of commercial assistants you should purchase to make germinating seeds a straightforward project. Peat pellets that include a small hot house need nothing more than adding water to the seed and peat and covering with the supplied lid. But some water, high-quality soil, daylight and time are all you will need.

Like plants, seeds like to be kept damp so a good drainage system in the pot is necessary so they don't get too much water. There's no solution to them getting too dry though, just do not forget to water them.

Don't count on all of the seeds growing even if you have purchased seeds from a reputable source some will be duds. For this reason, make sure you plant more of each seed than the desired number of plants you are looking for.

As the seeds start to sprout, keep them clammy and turn them continually to make even sun exposure. When the leaves begin to come out you can kick off the process of transplanting. Whether you are going to be growing the plants inside or outdoors it's the same procedure. Delicately take the new seedling with the roots and plant it in a new pot, if you are taking it outside you can plant it right into the ground.

About the Author:

Joseph Robertson loves to help folks grow their own indoor herb garden . Try the blog for more on growing your own indoor herb garden .

Hydroponics for your Indoor Herb Garden

By Joseph Robertson

If you have heard of hydroponics or other techniques of growing plants without soil and wish to try it out at home, your are able to. Hydroponics are a fantastic strategy for developing an indoor herb garden. Hydroponic gardens are easy to care for and set-up at home. There are materials you should buy or some you could be capable of finding round the house.

The dust or soil that you use to grow plants in a conventional method is substituted for a growing medium (full of nutrients the plant wants to grow) in hydroponics gardening. The growing medium is fed directly to the roots by methodology of a drip-feeder. The system can be automated and the gardener can control how many drips the roots receive in a specified timeframe. The more of the growing medium the speedier the plants grow.

Since the system can be automated, the quantity of time and energy that is needed to maintain a hydroponics garden is less than with a normal garden. As long as enough water is present and growing medium the plants can be left deserted for a longer time period.

A home-based hydroponics garden can grow vegetables year round. The concern about pests and the composition of the soil are not an issue with this type of gardening. Another bonus with this sort of gardening is how quick you may have mature veggies indoors (by increasing the quantity of growing medium).

The types of plants that are best for hydroponics are ones with thin spider-like roots. Plants that have a bulb root system are still best grown in the conventional soil system inside a pot or outside. When you are prepared to begin, sprout the seeds for your plants like you usually would. When the seed has begun to sprout and has roughly 2-5 millimeters of expansion it is ready to transplant to the hydroponics container and begin growing.

About the Author:

Joseph Robertson loves to help folks grow their own indoor herb garden . Take a look at the blog for more on growing your own indoor herb garden .

Growing Garlic in an Indoor Herb Garden

By Joseph Robertson

Garlic is an excellent spice to include in our indoor herb garden collection. To begin, growing garlic has small cost outside of our standard indoor herb growing set up - that might include a number of growing lights if you are without direct sun for a lot of the day. Other than that, growing garlic is as straightforward as taking a garlic blub, removing the individual cloves and planting those. A note of caution however - corner store garlic tends to be sprayed with chemicals to control the ability of the garlic to sprout, which is not what we'd like! It is recommended that you buy bulbs from a specialist. If you cannot find one, then I would recommend starting off with organic garlic.

There is one main thing to remember with garlic. This is a sub soil growing plant - even though it does have leaves above soil, the bulb grows beneath it. That implies the most important thing to keep in mind here is drainage. You do not want your garlic sitting in water, or it will simply rot. That is one of the explanations indoor growing is so well suited - it is easy to get a pot with glorious draining for the garlic to grow in.

Apropos the pot that you will use to grow your garlic, there are a few simple guiding principles to remember. You would like your small garlic cloves to be spaced about 3-4 inches apart when you plant them. The diameter of your pot will decide how many you can plant - however you do need your pot to be 10-12 inches deep. A good place to start could be a 12" diameter pot that's 12" deep. You would then plant your cloves - pointy side up - about 1.5" beneath the surface, and 3-4 inches separate from one another.

Most suggest planting garlic in October/Nov - this is really for those growing outside. You want to plant before it gets too cold but for about a month after planting, you would like to keep the pots in a cool place - about fifty degrees F. Make sure you keep the cloves well watered in this time. At this point its simply a matter of watering constantly - again you do not need the cloves sitting in water and so decaying, but you do not want the soil getting too dry either.

Follow these steps then approx 10 months later you should have full bulbs prepared to crop. A quick note on harvesting: It could be a little challenging to work out when to crop them. If you harvest the garlic bulbs too early, then they're going to be small. There are two ways that you can figure this out - if you dig up a bulb and check the layers, if there are 3 layers on the outside then it is prepared, if there are rather more then it is not. On digging up bulbs - don't pull them out by the plant, instead utilise a shovel and completely dig them up. An alternate way to tell they are prepared is to wait for the leaves to start browning. If you planted in October/November, this will be around Aug/September the following year.

About the Author:

Joseph Robertson has always loved the convenience and freshness of having an indoor herb garden. On his website, you will find helpful articles on all you need to know about developing your own indoor herb garden.

Part-time Indoor Herb Garden

By Joseph Robertson

Having a part-time indoor herb garden; this is for those people that are living in an area with cold winters "too cold for their outdoor plants to survive in. By transplanting or bringing the plants indoors, they can survive the less warm months and add greenery inside the home. There are some points to consider and preparations that should be made before you choose to become a part-time indoor gardener.

The most vital point to consider before bringing a plant inside is whether it will survive being an inside plant. If the plant has high or very high light wants and your home does not get plenty of light in winter time "it might not be a good solution. As a back-up you can invest in an artificial source of illumination to bolster the natural light the plant will get.

How can you get the plant indoors? If the plant is in a pot that will fit inside it is straightforward enough to move it inside. But if the plant is in the ground you need to find a pot sufficiently big to contain the root system and one that can not be too hard to move. Keeping in mind that when a large plant is transplanted (re-potted or put in a pot for the 1st time) it may go into shock. Although with careful attention, you can nurse your plant through this.

Most likely you have been looking after your plants outdoors and they do not have any pests or bugs on them. However it is smart to double-check.

By bringing an infested plant inside you are putting your other indoor plants in danger of becoming infected too. Either forego bringing the plant within or treat the pest problem before the cold weather arrives. You may enjoy having your plant inside all winter that you decide to keep it there come springtime.

About the Author:

Joseph Robertson loves to help people grow their own indoor herb garden . Try the blog for more on growing your own indoor herb garden .

Pruning and Care Tips for Indoor Herb Garden Plants

By Joseph Robertson

To keep your indoor herb garden plants healthy and flourishing they'll occasionally have to be pruned or re-potted. The process is similar to out of doors plants and equally as critical. Dead or sick branches could affect the overall health of the entire plant and should be cut off. And there is the esthetic side of pruning, it gives you plants a nice and tidy shape.

If you're pruning a branch off a plant that is sick (with fungus) it is highly important to clean your pruning shears after using them. If you do not, and continue to prune your healthy plants there is a chance the fungus will spread to your other plants. A solution of bleach and water will kill the unwanted organisms well.

When you glance at the plant if it would seem too full you can thin it out, this is important round the base trunk or stem. You would like good air movement around the plant and if the branches and leaves are too choked this may not happen.

Trim enough of the excess foliage away to let the plant "breathe". When you're trimming branches to keep a uniform appearance to your plant just trim what's required. Prune the new growth to keep it inline with the rest of the plant.

As plants grow so do their root systems. If your plant is not prospering or you notice that the roots are perceivable around the outside of the pot, your plant is most likely root bound. It is important to transplant the plant to a bigger pot. Once you have chosen one and have prepared it for the plant extremely gently loosen the roots on the exterior of the root ball. Then put the plant in the middle of the new pot surrounding it with new potting soil.

About the Author:

Joseph Robertson loves to help folks grow their own indoor herb garden . Check out the blog for more on growing your own indoor herb garden .