Growing food improves self sufficiency, and is gratifying and rewarding. Environmentally, it could be said fewer greenhouse gases are created because having the food at home eliminates the need for vehicular transportation of the product. The ability, even the right, to walk to even a snippet of earth and select a fresh delectable to enjoy for free without fear of contaminants like pesticides is a pleasure worth working for.
Many Food Plants can be Grown Indoors
Not having a garden should never be a stumbling block to producing food. Even without land resources, there are vegetables, herbs and fruits that can be grown indoors provided there is a good source of sunlight for at least part of the day. Beet tops cut off and gently pushed into soil in a pot in a sunny location will supply healthy salad greens for quite some time with little care. There are strawberry varieties that can be grown in pots and will still produce fruit. Parsley is anti-carcinogenic, contains high amounts of vitamins like ‘A’ and ‘C’ and the minerals iron and calcium, and goes with almost any dinner dish. Parsley can be grown indoors even through the winter for a constant supply of the decorative herb.
Thyme can also be grown indoors with some success. Interestingly, insects seem to be repelled by thyme. A solution of thyme tea sprayed around entryways can keep bugs from coming into the house.
Other culinary plants that can do well in containers:
- Lettuce and beet greens
- tomatoes
- spearmint
- chives
- greek oregano
- savoury
- dwarf Bananas
- basil
Many grains, nuts and seeds can be sprouted and grown indoors on windowsills in trays, bottles or pots. Some plants can manage with low light, enclosed areas and even poor soil. Dwarf bananas will yield fruit and actually prefer low light conditions. Some thyme is so hardy it can be placed on walkways to release a beautiful smell when stepped on. Chamomile is beautiful to line walkways behind smaller plants like thyme. This relative of the daisy family is extremely hardy and a prolific bloomer of tiny white flowers that make a delicious and soothing tea. Chamomile is anti-inflammatory in nature. The chamomile, grown in behind the thyme, will supply a constant blush of white flowers to border the greenish/purple herb. The flowers can be gathered all season, dried and stored up for a medicinal winter tea.
Many plants can be brought indoors from outside, say for the winter, but some precautions should be taken to ensure they acclimatize and don’t carry pests. Greenery should be introduced to shade outdoors for a bit before being brought in if the original location was in full sun. That will enable the plants to adjust to lower light levels, according to Conrad Richter of Richter's Herbs in Goodwood Ontario. For indoor food plants that require high light levels, Richter recommends using fluorescent or high-intensity discharge (HID) lights.
Discarding most of the soil from outside should help ensure freeloading pests aren’t brought into the house if a plant is being brought in from outdoors or someone else’s garden. New plants should always be kept away from the established plants in the home for at least a month to see if any infestations surface.
Plant needs
Every plant has its own preferences, and with a little research and time, just the right amount of sunlight, water and nutrients can be determined and dished out. Richter says sharp sand or perlite should be added to a good sterilized compost-based soil especially for herbs grown in planters.
The botanist recommends feeding herbs fertilizer once a week when plants are actively growing, but not when dormant. He says potted plants should have supplementary feedings with liquid fertilizer or organic fish emulsion. Leftover tea, used fish tank water, and aged manure and compost at least a year old are great, natural –and free- fertilizers.
As for watering, Richter prefers to have soil feel dry to the touch before running water through a container. A good rule of thumb for many indoor plants is to never let the soil completely dry out, and never let roots stand in water. The type of pot used will have an effect on how often the plant will have to be watered. Clay pots are porous, and soil in them will dry out much faster than in plastic pots. Pots without drainage holes will obviously be able to hold much more water for longer, so they are suitable for water loving plants and someone who always forgets to water. The soil in enclosed containers especially, though, should always be felt for moisture before watering to ensure the roots don’t drown.
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