Growing plants indoors, while rewarding, requires time and commitment as well as knowledge about the proper temperature, lighting and soil for the plant you want to grow. Additionally, there are several methods of growing plants in pots.

Inspect the area where you plan to keep your plants before you do anything else. The potted plant must be placed in an area where it will get several hours of natural sunlight every day. If you have the budget for it, artificial lighting is another option. Special indoor lights and lamps are available that you can use to replace natural sunlight. You can ensure that the temperature of your home is ideal for the plant yourself, since this is the easiest factor to control.

Choose a container that is the appropriate size for your potted plant. The bigger the plant, the bigger the pot should be. If you put a big plant in a small pot it can become unhealthy due to the roots’ inability to “breathe” properly and stunted growth. Similarly, using a large pot for a small plant will look odd — although the plant may eventually grow to fit the pot. Alternately, you could grow your plant in a smaller pot and then transplant it to a larger one when it grows to large for the smaller one. You can also choose from various styles and sizes. As a general rule, the diameter of the container should be at least half the height of the plant. To prevent the roots from drowning, ensure the pot has draining holes in the bottom.

Look for the proper soil or growing medium next. Garden soil is usually not suitable, because it doesn’t drain properly. Additionally, insects or fungi that might be harmful to the plant could be in the garden soil. Choose a packaged potting soil that can hold moisture while aerating the plant’s roots.

Several factors can affect when the plant should be watered. Sun, rain, wind, heat and the type of plant you’re growing are among these factors.

You should regularly water most plant, although not to the point of drowning. That said, desert plants like aloe vera and others tend to do better when they’re allowed to dry out rather than being flooded with large amounts of water. For this reason, people who find it difficult to remember to water their plants regularly may do better with desert varieties. The amount of water any plant needs can vary each day.

Compared to plants that grow in the ground, potted plants dry up more quickly. To find out whether a plant needs to be watered, you can stick your finger into the soil. If it is dry, then it needs to be watered.

In general, you should fertilize potted plants every two weeks. You flush the nutrients from the growing medium when you water a plant. If you have children or pets in the house, are growing edible plants, or are growing plants for personal care or medicinal purposes, your best bet is to use organic fertilizers.

Note that some plants are poisonous to humans and/or animals. Properly research a plant’s risks before you bring it into your home if you have pets or children. (See Pets and Plant Poisoning for more information on this.)

When you grow a plant in or around your home, you should do what you can to protect it from destructive pests. Insects can enter your home and destroy your plant even if you house it indoors. To combat this problem, you can use one of the organic pesticides on the market.

Growing pot plants – whether inside the home, in a window box, on a patio or balcony, or in an outdoor garden, is a rewarding and worthwhile endeavor. In addition to their beauty, potted plans can be used to make natural remedies or teas, provide fruits and vegetables, emit fragrance, or as decoration.

As is the case with any gardening project, growing indoor plants does require a bit of study and application of standard practices and proper growing techniques, but this will become easier with practice, and will be well worth the trouble.

About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn to live greener and more eco-friendly lives. Find out more about green living at her blog on Resourceful Living.

Source Article: Growing Plants in Pots.