Posted on by

A Quick Guide to Indoor Gardening for Beginners

Nov 23, 2022    By Begrit Tom Robert

Are you a beginner to start indoor gardening? A bit worry? A bit nervous? Relax… Here I will show you how to start your own indoor gardening. You will find it so easy and funny to get it start 🙂

In this article, I will be exploring indoor gardening by examining various techniques and strategies to help answer questions like: 

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a step back and talk about indoor gardening.

What is indoor gardening?

Indoor gardening is similar to growing an outdoor garden with the benefit of year-round harvests. You can grow fruits, vegetables, herbs and even flowers that brighten your living space. The climate-controlled features of your home make it possible to produce table-ready food with a few inputs.

Growing a garden is more than a way to reduce trips to the grocery store or provide greens to your kitchen table like Begrit grow trays. Whether it’s walking through the rows of tomatoes or sneaking past potted peppers, gardening can be an excellent source of stress relief.

Cultivation methods of indoor plants

Indoor gardening comes with various choices, ranging from easy to more adept techniques. Here are 4 options to consider before beginning.

Soil Culture: mainly with garden soil, peat soil, rotten leaf soil, sand and other mixed platform into easy, fertile basin soil. It is easy to manage if you plant one plant in each basin. But if a variety of plants are planted in a large planting basin, the formation of a combination of planting, it is more complex to manage them, but the appreciation will be greatly improved. When choose combination planting, the plant species need with small difference to light, temperature, moisture, humidity requirements. A high and low strewn at random, each show its appearance. Awesome! Suggested to insert with water pipe or a few appropriate flowers.

Medium cultivation system: Although the Soil Culture has a long history, due to the poor hygiene, it is not appropriate to be used as an indoor cultivation method. However, the medium culture and hydroponic can overcome the shortcomings. The medium materials are pottery and gravel, perlite, locust stone, pumice, peanut shell, peat, sand and so on. After adding nutrient solution, we can also provide oxygen, water, nutrients to help fix and support the root.

Epiphytic culture: In the tropics, especially in the rain forests, there are many epiphytes. They do not need soil but attached to other plants or deadwood. Using the plant fibers as the epiphytic matrix. Epiphytic plant landscape is very beautiful, which is the main cultivation method of the key landscape in the exhibition greenhouse. Common epiphytic cultivated plants are orchid plants, bromeliaceae plants, ferns and so on.

  • Bottle cultivation: suitable for small plants with high temperature and high humidity, by using a transparent wide mouth bottle glassware. Plants such as Saxifraga, Peperomia obtusifolia, Fittonia.

Top 6 considerations for a garden indoors

There are lots of tips on indoor gardening for beginners, but let’s dive deeper into the most accessible and versatile system: working with a soilless medium. There are six things to consider as you prepare your indoor garden: location, light, water, temperature, a growing medium, and nutrients. Let’s jump into each of these a bit more. 

1. Location

Determining the ideal location for your future indoor garden is fundamental to the success of indoor plants. Consider your indoor environment first. Plants positioned farther from a south-facing window (for those located in the Northern Hemisphere) may require supplemental lighting to be equally as productive. The location in the house also determines what you can grow. For example, a bathroom window may not be the right place for a large tomato plant, but it could be ideal for a small tropical plant.

Ideally, when indoor gardeners want to grow larger plants, they find a space that accommodates their eventual max size. But when limited on space and wanting to produce something like a tomato or eggplant, consider “patio” or “miniature” varieties. These plants grow into a more compact size and are less likely to overtake your other crops.

PRO TIP: Consider choosing a location based on a plant’s hierarchy of needs. Does the location have light? Is it close to a water source and is it in a place that won’t easily be forgotten?

2. The right light for photosynthesis

Plants require light for photosynthesis, the process that fuels them, but how much light? When choosing a location, ask yourself if you can utilize natural sunlight with a south-facing window or if you will need to grow under the glow of artificial lighting? On average, annual vegetable plants will need between 6 and 8 hours of direct sunlight to produce flowers and fruit.

When working with limited natural light, remember that the opposite sides of the house produce a different quality of light. Eastern morning light is less harsh; excellent for delicate plants that only need 4 hours of direct sunlight. Meanwhile, the western afternoon sunlight is hot and intense, great for those sun-loving hot peppers.

Finally, there are various options to consider when exploring artificial lighting, ranging from Fluorescent to LED and even High-Intensity Discharge (HID) for the home-grown professional. Be sure to research which light may be best for your unique space. And while we’re here, it is essential to note that some plant growth stages require various sunlight hours (a response that informs the plant that the seasons are changing). If you are growing with grow lights, make sure to research how to adjust your sunlight hours to match your chosen fruits and vegetables.

PRO TIP: When growing next to a window, it is natural for indoor plants to want to lean towards the bright light. Be sure to rotate your containers frequently to ensure distributed growth.

3. Remember to water your plants regularly

Novice and expert gardeners alike have had a moment of panic from forgetting to water their plants. Under watering a plant can lead to stunted growth while over-watering can result in root rot. An incorrect watering strategy can lead to the death of your plant, so be sure to check your plants at least once a week to see if they need a drink.

The easiest way to see if a plant needs water is to poke a finger an inch into the soil to see if it is still damp. For larger containers, gently lift them to determine how much water remains. Now there are many automatic water absorbing flowerpots on the market, such as Begrit’s double-layer water storage flowerpots, which can help greatly reduce watering times and avoid various watering operations.

PRO TIP: Using the proper pot or nursery can avoid the embarrassment to watering too much or forgetting to water your plants. If you don’t know which basin to choose, leave me a comment below before buying.

4. Choosing the temperature plants prefer

Regardless of how hardy your plants are, even the strongest will struggle against the hottest days of summer or frosty nights of fall. Luckily, indoor plants can take advantage of the climate-controlled security of your home.

Your indoor garden will generally enjoy temperatures between 60-75F (15-24C). But each plant will have different preferences, growing best at select temperatures. If you like your home or apartment at a specific temperature, consider finding plants to match your unique environment.

Some perennial plants use the cool winter months as a period for them to go dormant. If you have selected one of these plants, research its dormancy period. Depending on the specific plant’s recommendations, withhold fertilizers and reduce watering, as plants don’t require near as much during this stage.

PRO TIP: While you’re choosing a place to house your indoor plants over winter, take care not to place your tender plants in cold zones that can shock them, limiting plant growth. These can occur around windows and doors that you may open, even briefly.

5. Select a medium to grow

A growing medium can be as simple as traditional vegetable potting soil and complex as a custom-crafted mixture. Regardless of your medium, ensure you select one that contains enough minerals and nutrients to support early plant growth.

It is essential when growing indoors not to use outdoor dirt. The dirt outside is a combination of sand, silt, and clay, which is great for the ground but not for potted plants. This mistake can lead to a compacted pot that drains slowly and chokes plant roots. Outdoor dirt can also bring harmful bacteria and pests to your plants, potentially damaging or killing them.

PRO TIP: Choose a well-draining soil or make one that combines compost, peat, and vermiculite, providing an airy soil with good moisture retention. Consider using an equal part combination as seen in Begrit Herb Pots 3 Pack.

6. What nutrients to feed your plants

Beyond selecting a proper potting soil, choosing the proper plant food can help plants to thrive indoors. Composting at home, whether in a backyard space or inside, can allow you the opportunity to grow plants using your own processed nutrients.

But as your plants grow, they will slowly consume the initial nutrients present in the growing medium. Depending on how quickly your plant feeds, you will need to feed it monthly, or potentially even less. As you provide food for your plant, it is helpful to understand how each nutrient deficiency varies visually. This knowledge will allow you to remediate the problem without potentially overfeeding your plant the incorrect nutrients.

It is essential that your plants get a balanced diet of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K), as these are the primary nutrients. Often overlooked, Calcium (C) and Magnesium (Mg) are secondary nutrients that are just as important to the healthy development of a crop.

PRO TIP: You don’t need to worry about the details of the nutrients, you just need to purchase the corresponding nutrient solution of the plant. Of course, it is best to look at the instructions first to determine that this nutrient solution is suitable for your plant.

What types of plants are best for an indoor garden?

Once you’ve gathered the supplies necessary for your indoor garden, it’s time to plant your seeds or seedlings. Each plant has different needs, so instead of looking at the perfect single plant, let’s examine three separate categories: Leafy Greens, Aromatic Herbs, and Vegetables.

1. Leafy greens

Great for making salads, these herbaceous vegetables do well in moderate light and are more tolerable to cold. As a bonus, some leafy greens can be used in a cut-and-come-again strategy, allowing you multiple harvests over an extended time. But be cautious when choosing your leafy greens, as certain varieties like Kale can grow to be quite large.

Some popular leafy greens include cruciferous vegetables—such as arugula and collard greens—and other plants such as spinach, lettuce, swiss chard, and even flowering Nasturtiums.

2. Aromatic herb garden

Herb gardens make a great addition to any indoor garden. With their alluring aromatic oils, it can be difficult to walk past your favorite fresh herbs without rubbing the leaves between your fingers or sneaking a nibble of the robust flavor. But, like leafy vegetables, be sure to select your indoor herb garden wisely, as many plants can vary drastically in preferences.

Plants such as oregano and sage do well in dry conditions, while mint and parsley do better with regular watering. While chives prefer full sun, they benefit from the early morning light. On the other hand, thyme also enjoys full, late-afternoon sun, likely due to its Mediterranean origins.

3. Indoor vegetable garden

Most people think of larger vegetable crops when fantasizing about their ideal indoor garden. And while you’ll never get rows of carrots or towers of tomatoes, you can grow plenty of food from your windowsill. The only downside with more vigorous vegetable production comes with light and container limitations. These vegetables may require supplemental lighting and the occasional repotting if you want to get the most out of your garden. Ultimately, not all vegetables will prosper indoors.

For the indoor gardening beginner, some great crops to consider include carrots, hot peppers, and tomatoes. Carrots are great root crops, needing a deep container to grow appropriately. The incredibly hard-to-kill tomato plant is also an excellent starter for new gardeners. When searching for the right plant, select a patio variety and install a trellis or cage in the pot over the young plants. If you don’t, you’ll have a runaway tomato in a few months!

If you’re struggling to get the 8-hours of direct sunlight for your plants, consider other root crops such as beets and radishes. These crops can still produce a quality crop with 6-hours of daily light. And finally, avoid both heavy feeding plants and adventurous travelers like pumpkins, squash, and watermelons.

The 3 essential products & tools every indoor gardener needs

The best way to tell which tools will work best for your garden is to begin and see what you can use to make your life easier. Ultimately, your gardening shouldn’t become a daunting task that you dread, so let’s explore a few essential products that will help you and your indoor garden.

  1. Begrit Kitchen Herb Pots 3 Pack

Plant a few pots of vibrant herbs on the kitchen windowsill this winter to create a greener interior and fill your home with hopeful beauty.

  • Why you need it: If you love gardening, you deserve a more durable pot, thicker design, more than 2 coins thick, strong enough to be used for several seasons. The pot and bottom tray are made of food-grade #5 PP materials, as well as the matching pure natural coco coir soil disc, so that the herbs grown are healthier and safer, and can be picked and eaten at any time.The bottom of the 360-degree breathable and water-permeable design can make the plant grow better, and the patented bottom breathable hole design increases the air permeability by more than 3 times compared to the same kind of single drainage hole pot, so that the plant roots get more oxygen and higher yields.

2. 1020 Flat Seedling Starter for Growing Sprouting Propagator Seeds

These mesh bottom seed trays are ideal for soil block propagation or for anyone that needs a tray with extra drainage. Our soil block trays are built with Extra-Strength so they won’t sag, break or warp even while transporting heavy loads.

Why you need it: Mesh bottom provides idea hydroponic solution for germination, microgreens, wheatgrass, fodder

Perfect for Seed Starts, Microgreens, wheatgrass, nursery & greenhouse use.

Mesh bottom drain holes make trough watering from below feasible. Once it has drained off after watering you can set the tray with holes into a tray without holes so you don’t drip water everywhere. You can nest this tray inside a tray without drain holes to use it as a drip tray.

3. Garden Toolset

If this is your first time gardening, purchasing a complete kit to have handy would be worth it. Look for necessities such as hand trowels, gloves, pruning shears, spray bottles, and garden ties.

Why you need it: While it is possible to garden using materials you find around the house, having access to a complete garden toolset will make the process faster and cleaner. Even if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, using the proper tools will reduce the chance of damaging your vegetables, leading to infection or death to part or all of the plant.

Top 5 useful indoor gardening tips for beginners

Learning how to start an indoor garden can be overwhelming. No matter how much reading and preparation you make, there is always a chance that your garden’s needs will eventually catch you off guard. Just remember these five helpful indoor gardening tips.

  1. Water regularly: It is essential to keep your plants well-watered, but don’t confuse this with overwatered. Plants prefer to have their roots in a moist environment, so allowing the soil to dry out can damage the vital root system of the plant. Make sure your pots have holes in the bottom to let excess water leave the container.
  2. Feed on a schedule: Plants get hungry and show signs of stress to let you know they’ve gone too long without plant food. The feeding frequency will change depending on how mature the plant is, so closely monitor your garden’s feeding schedule to prevent unnecessary stress.
  3. Watch for disease and pests: When a plant stresses from a lack of water or food, it becomes weak and susceptible to both disease and pests. In a closed environment, such as an apartment, when problematic insects find their way into the garden, it can lead to an infestation that affects all neighboring plants. Keep an eye out for the common pests (aphids, spider mites, thrips, etc.) and be prepared to act fast.
  4. Give your plants room to breathe: The bushy bodies of your plants will block airflow and trap moisture when they’re too close together. Keep some space between your plants to promote airflow and reduce the likelihood of mold or fungus forming.

Give yourself room to breathe: Whether this is your first, tenth, or hundredth time gardening indoors, remember to take a step back and breathe. Every time you grow a new plant, it is an entirely new moment full of unique challenges and rewards. Remember to enjoy the moment, be present, and learn from any successes and failures you experience.

With these tips and tricks, you’re well on your way to starting your indoor garden! Wish you to start a pleasant planting trip！

Posted on by

Vegetables grow better together with vanilla plants

Oct 25, 2022    By Begrit Tom Robert

Growing vegetables indoor is easy to grow worms due to insufficient light and poor ventilation. Vanilla and vegetables are excellent symbiotic plants. Planting vegetables with them can not only repel insects, but also grow better.

1. Cherry tomato+basil

They are not only good cooking partners, but also good symbiotic partners. Planting several basil trees near small tomatoes can not only increase each other’s taste, but also repel insects. The smell of basil can drive out some pests, and also make the tomato taste more delicious. The leaves of rice tomatoes can release the unpleasant smell of cabbage butterflies and cabbage caterpillars, and also help basil drive away insects.

2. Cabbage+dill

Chinese cabbage is the first choice for growing vegetables on the balcony. It is easy to grow insects and the sweet flowers of dill can attract parasitic wasps. The parasitic wasps are the natural enemies of cabbage caterpillars, aphids and beetles. Therefore, planting several dills beside Chinese cabbage can effectively reduce insect pests.

3. Green pepper+ marigold

A marigold plant beside green peppers can not only repel mosquitoes to a certain extent, but also emit a chemical substance to remove nematodes. This product is more likely to be attacked by nematodes than direct pesticide spraying. A good companion for our vegetables;

4. Cucumber+Eclipta

The flowers of Eclipta lactiflora will release a chemical substance that can drive away beetles eating cucumbers, aphids, whiteflies and other pests, and can promote its growth when planted with cucumbers. The flowers of eupatorium can also be used for salad.

5.Eggplant+thyme 

eggplant is relatively easy to grow, and is also popular with balcony party. They want higher output of eggplant. You can plant a thyme nearby. The smell of thyme can drive away many pests, including mosquitoes

6. Pumpkin+Oregano

Pumpkin on the balcony is easy to grow aphids. The smell of oregano can drive away aphids or diamondback moths. It can be planted with most vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables and guggars.

7. Lettuce+Sesame+Chamomile

Sesame and lettuce are both leafy vegetables. They are easy to grow aphids when planted together. They can effectively prevent insects when planted together with chamomile with unique smell. Rice chamomile is also a “plant doctor” to improve soil. Its roots can increase calcium and potassium content.

8. Carrot+rosemary

Rosemary can avoid carrot flies and moth. Planting a pot of rosemary beside carrots can effectively reduce the diseases and pests of carrots.

Mixing vegetables with herbs can not only reduce pests and diseases, but also promote production, and also meet the family’s demand for special herbs.

Posted on by

Fast growing up food in indoor garden

Oct 10, 2022    By Begrit Tom Robert

Are you as excited as me when you harvest your own food and enjoy it at the table? Growing your own food is incredibly rewarding, but it’s not always clear how soon you can expect to start harvesting. This guide outlines some of the fastest-growing greens and food from seed so you can start sampling tasty greens and veggies as soon as possible!

In this article, you can find foods with different growth cycles as follows：

10-15 DAYS MICROGREENS

14-21 DAYS  BABY ARUGULA & PEA SHOOTS

25 DAYS BABY LEAF LETTUCE, SPINACH & RADISH GREENS

30 DAYS BABY KALE & SWISS CHARD

PRO TIP：

You can harvest the “baby” forms of most leafy greens within 2-3 weeks. Just be sure to leave a few plants to grow to their full size, so you can enjoy a bigger harvest later!

Since you’ll be harvesting these crops young, you only need shallow containers with drainage holes. Seed-starting trays are ideal, but even clean takeout containers (with holes poked in the bottom for drainage) will do the trick. If you’re planting outside and have raised beds, take advantage of their earlier soil warmth.

You may have success indoors if you have a sunny location that gets at least four hours of sunlight for pea shoots, six hours of sun for microgreens, and up to twelve hours of light for lettuce. For best results use a grow light — it will give you a consistent light source and better results.

Most greens are cold-hardy and can be planted outdoors 2-6 weeks before the last spring frost. Be prepared with a protective cover, such as Plastic Sheeting Clear Polythene, in case of a cold snap. The cover’s added warmth will speed up germination too!

10-15 DAYS MICROGREENS

Microgreens can be grown under lights or on a bright windowsill. Whether you choose seeds that are mild or zesty, you’ll grow a nutrition-packed topping in a couple of weeks.

Microgreens are easily grown indoors. Cover the bottom of your shallow container with an inch or two of moistened potting soil. Flatten gently to even surface without over-compressing the soil. Scatter seeds on the top, press gently into the surface and cover with a thin layer of soil. Cover the container with a clear plastic to let light in while keeping soil moist. Spray once or twice daily with a mister to maintain moisture until germination. Once seeds have sprouted, remove cover and continue to mist each day. Harvest with scissors when the greens reach about 2” tall, or when the stem produces the first set of true leaves.

 

  • 14-21 DAYS BABY ARUGULA & PEA SHOOTS

Enjoy spicy arugula and spring-sweet pea shoots just a few weeks after planting. They’re fabulous in salads, sandwiches and wraps, even on top of pizza!

A member of the mustard family, arugula has a smoky, peppery, complex flavor and scent. It’s often found in mesclun salad mixes, where it lends a pleasant bite. Plant arugula seeds 1/8” deep, lightly covered with potting soil. Arugula can be densely planted and thinned with each harvest—plants in each subsequent harvest will be larger than the last! Sow additional seeds in the open spaces to begin your next crop.

Pea shoots require fewer hours of sunlight than many greens, so they are a good choice if you don’t have more than a few hours of sunlight indoors or in your yard. Soak dried pea seeds in water for 24 hours. Fill your container with moistened potting soil. Sow seeds densely across the top of the soil, even touching each other, since you will be harvesting the shoots! Cover with a ¼” layer of potting soil. Water the surface lightly. Keep the soil moist until shoots reach 3-4 inches tall. To harvest, pinch off each shoot just above the bottom leaves.

  • 25 DAYS BABY LEAF LETTUCE,SPINACH & RADISH GREENS

Leaf lettuces are super easy to grow, and are available in many varieties. Harvested young, the leafy tops of radishes and beets are a tasty addition to salads.

When it comes to choosing lettuce seeds, and you’re planning to grow indoors, loose-leaf varieties, such as Baby Oakleaf, Tom Thumb, and Black-Seeded Simpson are good choices. If you are growing indoors and lack the ideal 12 hours of sunlight, try varieties that are known to grow well in winter light, such as Arctic King, Winter Marvel, and Winter Density. A grow light will give you the best results.

Moisten seed-starting mix or potting soil, then fill containers with about 3-4″ of prepared mix. Scatter seeds on top of the mix, trying to keep them about an inch apart. Cover the seeds in a very thin layer of planting mix. If you’re using a multi-cell seed starting system, plant three or four seeds in each cell.

Place your containers in a warm and sunny location (12 hours of sunlight is ideal). To maintain moisture, cover them loosely with plastic wrap or a lid. Once sprouts appear, remove the cover and thin the seedlings so they’re about an inch apart. Keep the seedlings moist. Harvest outer leaves first, allowing inner leaves to continue to grow.

Spinach is a cool-weather crop, so you can plant directly into the garden or outdoor container, four to six weeks before the last spring frost. To get better and quicker germination, soak the seeds for several hours before planting. Plant seeds ½” deep in potting soil mix, covering seeds to the top of the planting holes with additional soil. Keep moist but not wet until germination. Harvest spinach as you would lettuce. Either cut off all the leaves about an inch or so above the soil level and let the whole plant grow back (this technique will usually produce two or three crops), or simply harvest the largest leaves as you need them.

Harvested young, the leafy tops of radishes and beets are a tasty addition to salads, and add a flavor dimension to pesto. The radishes themselves can also be harvested within 3-4 weeks of planting, depending on the varieties.

Radishes can be sown outdoors 4-6 weeks before the last average frost date. germinate quickly. Sow radish seeds ¼-1/2” and about 1”apart. Thin to 2 inches apart after sprouts appear.

  • 30 DAYS BABY KALE & SWISS CHARD

Kale and chard are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are delicious raw in salads or cooked in soups, sautées, quiches—even tacos!

Like beets, Swiss chard “seeds” are actually a package of several small seeds clumped together. This means you will need to thin the seedlings, even if you have carefully spaced the “seeds” far apart.

Plant chard seeds ½” deep in potting soil, covering with a layer of potting soil, and watering gently. If you are planting chard outdoors, wait until a week before your last spring frost date.

Swiss chard can be a heavy producer, and there are several techniques to get the most from garden-grown plants.

Kale can be planted outdoors up to 6 weeks before the last spring frost.

If you leave some plants to harvest later, much around them with shredded leaves, or straw to keep the soil cool and moist. Plants seeds as you would chard, above. Kale can also be grown as microgreens or baby leaves.