Do you love plants and flowers? Are you looking for a way to enjoy their beauty all year long? If so, then indoor gardening might be the perfect hobby for you! There are many different types of indoor gardens, each with its own unique set of benefits. In this blog post, we will take a look at the three most common types of indoor gardening and see which one is right for you!
Container Gardening With Soil
A tiny garden might be organized in a large container or a built-in planter, which will give it lots of areas and allow different plants to live together. Indoor container gardening is one of the most common ways to cultivate plants indoors.
You may construct your own self-watering container out of anything you want, as long as it’s waterproof. It can be made of metal, plastic, or ceramic, or it might be constructed of concrete.
To continue with this approach, you must replicate everything else Mother Nature provides.
- Light – Locate the containers in a sunny area, such as next to a south-facing window or in a sunroom. Making a lean-to greenhouse out of thin air against a big window or doorway will add brightness to your indoor space.
- Watering – Water the root system of big, healthy plants with a long-spout watering can. You may wind up losing many plants in one fell swoop if you don’t water them. Drip irrigation is the answer to this problem.
- Soil – A loose soil structure allows for excellent drainage and air circulation around the roots. Prepare the potting soil according to the specific demands of your plants. Herbaceous plants with delicate roots thrive in fine dirt, but cacti and succulents require a gritty mix. Readymade potting mixes eliminate the uncertainty factor.
- Temperature control – The average temperature for a houseplant is 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Although they can withstand lower temperatures, providing them with more heat may enhance their performance, which makes a difference with vegetables. Heating pads within the containers might provide additional warmth to the roots of the plants.
Vertical gardening, which is also known as container gardening, revolves around maximizing space while growing the maximum number of plants in the smallest amount of space.
Vegetable seedlings or ornamentals are placed in containers that can be stacked or connected to a frame. Vertical gardens may be grown against indoor walls that receive a lot of sun, or grow lights may be utilized.
Drip irrigation or a wicking system included in the design is used to water vertical gardens most frequently.
Greenhouse Gardening
Indoor gardening may also be done in a greenhouse. Greenhouse gardening is one type of indoor gardening. Depending on your requirements and budget, you may build a variety of greenhouses.
Greenhouses can be as basic or elaborate as you like, and some even feature temperature controls or only rely on the heat from the sun. You may grow plants year-round in your greenhouse if you can get the right conditions.
Soilless Indoor Growing Methods
Growing plants indoors without soil is a method that is gaining more and more momentum.
Hydroponics
Soilless cultivation is defined as the use of media that can’t nourish or support plants, such as pebbles, perlite, expanded clay pellets, and so on. The main purpose of the medium is to assist the plant. This method also keeps the roots hydrated while allowing excellent drainage.
The nutrients in this system are all delivered via a distinct hydroponic nutrient solution.
The following are some of the most popular types:
- Water culture – Water culture is a type of hydroponic system that involves growing plants in individual containers or large trays filled with an inert substance. They are then immersed in a nutrient solution contained within a larger vessel. To aerate the roots, an air pump is used to produce bubbles in the solution.
- Drip system and ebb and flow method – The nutrient solution is circulated through the growing medium with the aid of a pump in a continuous drip or periodically, which helps to prevent chemical accumulation in the medium and provides more aeration to the root system.
- Nutrient film technique – In the NFT, no medium is used. The roots of the plants are placed into holes cut in a PVC tube and allowed to dangle into the nutrient solution that flows through the tube.
- Aeroponics – Aeroponics is a form of hydroponics that utilizes aeration without the use of a growing medium or flowing water. The nutrient solution is applied to the roots of the plants using a mister. It delivers excellent root aeration, which results in robust growth.
The delicious veggies that taste best when handpicked include lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, and spring onions. Root vegetables, on the other hand, will not thrive in this type of garden environment.
Tower gardening is a form of hydroponics or aeroponics vertical gardening that incorporates the principles of both systems.
The main structure is a tall vertical column containing a growing medium, and planting holes are available on all sides. The nutrient solution is dripped into the medium either continuously or in small amounts.
Some ready-to-use grow towers don’t require any media. Instead, a hydroponic solution is sprayed onto the roots within the column.
Aquaponics
Aquaponics is a form of hydroponics that combines aquaculture with hydroponics to produce one solution to two issues: the disposal of fish waste and the recurring cost of hydroponic nutrient solutions. The following are some advantages offered by an aquarium:
- Water from the fish tank, which includes nitrogenous waste by-products, is channeled to a hydroponic tray containing plants growing in a media.
- The nutrients are absorbed by the plant roots, while the medium removes solid particles.
- The fish tank is refilled with water.
The operation of an aquaponics system may appear to be simple, but it is in fact complex. The majority of the cleaning procedure is completed by microorganisms that colonize the growing media. The bacteria break down the solid waste into fewer components that may be utilized by the plants.
Aquaponics is both environmentally responsible and cost-effective because of the recirculation of water. The plant container is placed on top of the fish tank in a basic system. An aquaponics system should be located where the plants receive plenty of light, whether indoors or out.
Before committing time and money, be sure to learn about the finest plants to cultivate in this type of systems, such as beans, carrots, and lettuce.
Best types of indoor gardening
There are a few common types of indoor gardening that can be great for you, depending on what you want to grow. Whether you’re looking for an easy way to garden without having to worry about the outdoor elements or you’re interested in trying out aquaponics, we’ve got you covered. Start with one of these three and see what you enjoy the most!
