Hydroponics was derived from the Greek word hydro, which means “water” and ponos, which means “labor or water-working”. Hydroponics gardening involves growing plants with their roots in other nutrient solutions and without soil.

Hydroponics gardening is as simple as ordinary gardening. Both of them necessitate sufficient light, water, temperature, light, and humidity. But with hydroponics, no soil is used. Instead a soil substitute holds the roots while nutrients are carried by the water. Indoor hydroponic gardening is not that hard and plants respond well to this method of growing.

This is one of the major considerations in hydroponics gardening since it sustains the plants. One has to make sure that this nutrient solution maintains a pH level of 5 to 6 after dilution. In hydroponics gardening, the plants should be watered more than three times a day. this is usually done using a pump and timer.

If your hydroponics garden is located indoors, the most suitable temperature is between 71 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, this temperature may change depending on the different types of plant you are working on, e.g. tropical plants.

Place your plants somewhere they can receive ample amount of light. Otherwise artificial light must be used. High pressure Sodium lights or bulbs are a suitable substitute for natural light.

Humidity is good. When the room’s temperature rises, the air will be able to hold the sufficient amount of moisture your plants will need.

A hydroponics system can be fully automated. Since it is water-based, the gardener has no soil to dig or weeds to pull. Also, the water can be re-used to prevent wastage.

With hydroponics, an excellent yield of quality plants can be easily achieved. Home hydroponics systems and DIY kits are are readily available in most hardware stores.

Hydroponics Gardening is a post from: Gardening Guide

Pests and diseases are as much a threat to indoor plants as they are to outdoor plants, so an excellent gardening indoor tip is one that tells you how to prevent the problems they cause, or rectify them should they occur.

The number one gardening indoor tip is to inspect plants before you buy them and take them home. Your new plants should be free of pests and disease. Even if your new plants appear to be clean and healthy, when you get them home, quarantine them from your other plants for about forty days. You can put them in a separate room, or put them in sealed plastic bags, with adequate water and light. If a new plant proves to have pests or disease, you can throw it away or treat it until the problem is gone. This gardening indoor tip also applies to any of your older plants that show symptoms of pests or disease or appear to be weak.

The next gardening indoor tip is to keep open doors and windows screened during spring, summer and early autumn. This will help prevent insects and spores from coming into your home. You can buy special anti-insect screens from greenhouse suppliers.

If you have been working in your outdoor garden, do not immediately go to your indoor plants when you go inside. You could be carrying pests or spores. Have a shower and change your clothes. Do not use the same gardening tools for your indoor plants that you use for outdoor plants.

Another important gardening indoor tip is to keep your plants clean and remove all dead or yellowing leaves and flowers. This helps to keep your plants healthy. Strong, healthy plants produce chemicals that make their leaves unpalatable to pests.

Wash your plants under the shower or with some spraying device every few months to get rid of dust and general household grime. This will also remove hidden spores and pests. Do the washing early in the morning so the plants have the whole day to dry off before nightfall.

At a garden center or nursery you can buy sticky traps (not the same as pest strips) that you can hang in the same room as your plants. If the sticky traps catch insects, search your plants to determine which ones are hosting the pests. Separate those plants from the others so the infestation does not spread while you deal with it.

The last gardening indoor tip is a simple one. Give your plants consistent good care with sufficient light, water and nutrition. Healthy plants are not as attractive to pests and diseases as weak ones are.

Gardening Indoor Tip is a post from: Gardening Guide

Indoor gardening is an art, but even those with a ‘black thumb’ can make a
success of it with the right type of plants. Indoor gardening serves a
number of purposes: beautification, purification and source of activity and
relaxation. Many persons are unable to keep an outdoor garden because they
live in apartment buildings or the climate just is not conducive to outdoor
gardening.

To get the best out of your indoor gardening efforts, the following tips
will come in handy:

• Select the right type of plants
Some indoor plants are easier to care for than others, so depending on the
time you have available this is a serious consideration for indoor
gardening. The best plants to use indoors are foliage plants because they
are generally easy to maintain since they do not require a lot of attention.

• Types of containers
The container used for indoor plants must be drainable, that is, water
shouldn’t sit in there after the plants are watered. If the pots do not
allow drainage some plants will die as the roots will rot, plus mosquitoes
will use the still water as a breeding ground. Also, some indoor plants need
very little water such as cactus.

• Temperature control
Humidity and temperature control are also vital to the health of indoor
gardening. House plants need a certain level of humidity to grow well.
Humidity can be maintained by using a humidifier, but you can also help by
spraying water on the leaves in the morning. It is not advisable to do this
at night since there is less evaporation and this can result in the plant
rotting. Try to maintain a temperature range of between 65 – 75 degrees
Fahrenheit. Most plants can stand fluctuation of between 8 – 10 degrees
daily; anything greater or lesser can result in poorly growing plants. If
your plant leaves begin to turn yellow it is an indication that the
temperature is too low; if the plants fail to strive the temperature may be
too high.

• Arrange for adequate lighting
Most plants need some amount of sunlight to strive, however this is not
always possible. If you are unable to provide enough natural light for your
indoor gardening needs, consider installing artificial lighting.

• How to water plants, when and how often
Watering indoor plants calls for observation of certain rules. These
include:
• try to use room temperature water so as not to shock the plants
• Wet the soil and allow to drain so that it does not become soggy
• Do not over water the plants

Indoor gardening, also commonly known as container gardening is a great way
to brighten a cold winter’s day.

The Art of Indoor Gardening is a post from: Gardening Guide

Indoor gardening houseplants are almost as varied as the plants that grow outdoors. Horticulturists say “almost”, because some species of nature’s flora are not suited to be indoor gardening houseplants. Some are too big, not very attractive, or produce an unpleasant odour. There are basically two categories of indoor gardening houseplants, foliage plants and flowering plants. Foliage plants are mostly leafy, like the rubber plant, although some do produce flowers. Flowering plants are those that are prized for their blooms, like the African violet, but they can also have very attractive leaves.

Indoor gardeners who are just beginning often find foliage plants the better ones to start out with, because they are generally easier to grow and do not require as much light. Some varieties, like the heartleaf philodendron, are excellent plants for hanging baskets.

Horticulturalists recommend several varieties of foliage plants as good indoor gardening houseplants for beginners, but these species are also popular with experienced indoor gardeners. These are hardy plants that look good in any home and can survive the occasional error of the novice gardener. The arrowhead plant has dark green, arrowhead shaped leaves that sometimes have silver, cream or pink veins or shading. It can grow to lengths of eight inches to three feet. It grows best in good light, but can get along well with medium light or even low light. You can grow it in a hanging basket, or in a pot on the floor or a table.

The beefsteak begonia has large heart-shaped leaves that are dark green on top and deep red underneath. It does produce small pink flowers, but is valued mainly for its leaves. This plant does well in medium or bright light and is very robust.

The Chinese evergreen has dark green, leathery leaves with sliver marbling. It sometimes produces pale green flowers and red berries. This easy-to-grow plant can reach three feet, and is great for floor or table display.

Flowering plants require more care than foliage plants, but their blooms make the time and effort worthwhile. Some species are less demanding as indoor gardening plants than others. The angelwing begonia is one of the easiest of the flowering plants to grow. It produces clusters of deep-pink flowers and can grow up to six feet.

The Lady Jane anthurium is a hybrid that blooms continually all year. This plant is as easy to care for as a foliage plant. It produces a uniquely shaped pinkish flower. The peace lily is also one of the easiest indoor gardening houseplants to grow. It produces a white bloom that is very fragrant at night. This flowering plant comes in dozens of varieties that range in size from one foot to over four feet.

There are thousands of other indoor gardening houseplants for you to choose from, whether you’re a new gardener or an experienced one.

Indoor Gardening Houseplants is a post from: Gardening Guide

All houseplants need light to survive. They get energy from light just as humans get energy from food. Indoor gardening lights come from two sources. One is the sunlight that shines through windows. The other is artificial light.

There are a few things you can do to maximize the amount of sunlight that is available to your indoor plants. Keep your windows clean. Dirty windows reduce the amount of sunlight your plants receive. Move plants nearer to windows that receive more sunlight. Pale coloured walls, especially white, will reflect more sunlight through the room. Well placed mirrors also help to do this. Remove any obstacles, inside and outside the windows, that block the sunlight.

If your houseplants do not receive enough natural light, especially if you live in a region where winter days are short and the sunlight is not strong, you can use artificial indoor gardening lights. Ordinary incandescent lamps can be of some benefit to indoor plants, but generally they are not well suited for use as indoor gardening lights. The best indoor gardening lights are known as grow lights, and there are two kinds: fluorescent lights and high intensity discharge lights. Your plants will thrive under either type of light. Some indoor gardeners use both kinds. They use fluorescent lights for short plants and for starting seedlings and cuttings. They use high intensity discharge lights for taller plants. In either case, the plants should receive fourteen to sixteen hours of artificial light a day.

There are artificial indoor gardening lights to suit any location in your home: the basement, a closet, under a stairway or on a bookshelf in the living room. For really tight spaces there are small, circular fluorescent lights, though their intensity is not as strong as that of the long lamps. Fluorescent lamps can last up to two years under average indoor gardening use, but many indoor gardeners replace them after a year, when the ends begin to turn dark.

Either the plants or the indoor gardening lights should be supported in such a way that the distance between the plants and the lights can be adjusted. Foliage plants should be one to two feet below the lights. Flowering plants should be six to twelve inches below the lights. You will have to make adjustments as the plants grow.

If your plants are not getting enough light they will have small leaves and will get stem and root rot. There will be a weak, elongated pale green growth called etiolation. There will be poor blooms, or no flowering at all.

If your plants are getting too much light there will be stunted growth, wilting, thick yellowed leaves, downward curling of foliage, and brown spots called burns. Make sure your plants receive just the right amount of light.

Indoor Gardening Lights is a post from: Gardening Guide

An indoor gardening magazine can be both enjoyable and helpful to an indoor gardener whether he or she has many years of experience or is just getting started. Online, at the newsstand or through subscription, there is an indoor gardening magazine to suit every need. Indoor gardening magazines are written and edited by people who know and love houseplants, and want to share their knowledge and experiences with other gardeners.

In an indoor gardening magazine readers will find information on pots, planters and hanging baskets, explaining which ones are best for certain plants, as well as what to avoid. Readers will find helpful hints on the selection and maintenance of containers and the whole range of indoor gardening tools.

If a reader has questions about lighting for houseplants, an indoor gardening magazine will tell the reader all he or she needs to know about grow lights and how best to utilize sunlight in the home. There will be information on potting soil, fertilizer, watering, air circulation, and the science of hydroponics. If a reader needs to know about pests and plant diseases, the indoor gardening magazine will either have the answers or will give directions on where to find them.

The magazines are very well illustrated with photographs that show the reader just what prize flowering or foliage plants should look like when they are at the peak of their beauty. The magazines also carry pictures of plants that have symptoms of disease or pest infestation, so the reader knows what to look for on his or her own plants.

An indoor gardening magazine will not only tell the reader the best way to grow household plants, but will also show through illustrations and text the best ways to display them, with professional tips on location and lighting. The magazines even have helpful tips on preparing and displaying dried floral arrangements.

The indoor gardening magazine provides a forum for the millions of people in the world wide community of household plant enthusiasts. It tells the reader about new developments in houseplant care, of newly developed hybrids, and occasionally even about old species thought to be extinct but now re-discovered.

The letter section in the magazine permits readers to express their own opinions on things relating to indoor gardening, and tell of personal experiences. Announcements provide information on contests, flower shows, and exhibits. What more relaxing way to spend an afternoon or evening than sitting in a quiet room surrounded by the beautiful blooms and foliage you have grown yourself, reading about all that is happening in the wonderful world of indoor gardening?

Indoor Gardening Magazine is a post from: Gardening Guide

To maintain a good indoor garden it is necessary to have all the right supplies. Indoor gardening supplies include a wide range of equipment, accessories, seeds, plants, containers etcetera.

One of the best things about sourcing indoor gardening supplies is that it can all be done from the comfort of your home. Yes, with the abundance of indoor gardening supplies stores online, you need never go to a physical store to find what you need.

Second to the convenience of online shopping is the availability of advice and tips to be found online. Many gardeners, especially beginners are happy to be able to get help if they have questions about their plants. Best of all, many online indoor gardening supplies stores also have a help section for customers as well as FAQs.

With the great number of indoor gardening supplies establishments competing for your dollar, consumers can expect special offers such as free shipping. Comparison shopping for the best price is also made so much easier with the availability of online shopping. To get the best prices for indoor gardening supplies it is a good idea to check out the offerings from wholesalers. Because they sell in bulk they can afford to reduce their prices significantly. For those gardeners who actually like to touch items before purchasing there is always the visit to the mall or the neighborhood gardening store.

But for the beginner the question now remains, where do I start? What do I buy from this vast array of gardening supplies? The first thing you have to do is determine the total space you will be using for your indoor garden, as this will help determine what size equipment and amount of plants and containers you will actually need. Some indoor gardening supplies that you will definitely need are:

• Containers
The pots you use can make the biggest difference to how well your indoor garden does. As such seek advice when buying containers.
• Soil /growing medium
Another important item that is needed for growing an indoor garden; especially since not all plants do well in the same growing medium
• Plants
It is always best for beginners to start their indoor gardens with foliage plants. These are hardier than many other popular flowers such as African Violets and orchids and demand much less care to strive. Once you have the hang of it, then by all means explore and add different plants.

Unless the indoor gardening will be established on a windowsill or you already have a suitable table to place pots on you may need to consider getting yourself a stand. Tiered stands are great for indoor gardening because they accommodate a larger number of pots in a smaller area. Most indoor gardening supplies stores will have a wide selection of these in various colors and sizes.

Where to find Indoor Gardening Supplies is a post from: Gardening Guide

This indoor gardening tip tells you several ways to make sure your plants get watered when you’re away from home for an extended period of time. Most indoor gardeners who are going to be away on vacation or for some other reason simply leave a key with a neighbour or a friend or relative who lives nearby. If that person is not an experienced indoor gardener, an extra indoor gardening tip is to make sure he or she knows how frequently to water the plants and how much water each plant requires. Some indoor gardeners will even hire the services of a professional plant sitter.

If you are a frequent traveler who loves houseplants, a very sensible indoor gardening tip is to beautify your home with plants that require infrequent watering. Cacti, succulents and certain orchids can be left unwatered for weeks. Just be sure to give them a good watering before you leave.

Most horticulturists advise against leaving plants soaking in water. But there is an indoor gardening tip that will enable you to do that with most plants to keep them alive while you are away. Move your plants at least five feet away from any windows that admit a lot of sunlight. Fill their saucers with water, then wait until all the water has been absorbed. Now fill the saucers with water again, right to the top. Your plants will be adequately watered for two weeks.

Another indoor gardening tip for watering your plants when you’re away from home involves the use of your kitchen sink. This works best if the sink gets some sunlight. First, make sure the plug is not in the drain. Put several layers of newspaper in the bottom of the sink and put the plants on them. Water the plants until the excess water drains out of the bottoms of the pots and saturates the newspaper. Open the tap so that it drips once every thirty seconds to once a minute. Your plants will be watered for as long as you are away.

The sealed plastic bag is another good indoor gardening tip for when your plants are home alone. First, trim the plant of anything that might drop off and rot: dead or yellowed leaves, flowers and buds. Water the plant thoroughly and place it in a clear plastic bag. Large dry-cleaner bags are perfect. Blow the bag up with air and close it with a twist tie. Place the bag away from sunny windows, but in a spot where it will still receive some light. Plants in this mini-greenhouse will stay fresh and green for up to twelve weeks. Do not use this method for cacti or succulents. They will die and rot. You can now enjoy your trip without worrying about coming home to dead plants.

Indoor Gardening Tip is a post from: Gardening Guide

All workmen, in this case, gardeners, need to have the tools of their trade to work well. Like traditional gardeners who work outdoors, gardeners who work indoor also need their tools. For each job there is a special indoor gardening tool that can make the job easier or quicker. Additionally the right tools will minimize clutter as you will need less if you spend time on selecting just the right gardening tools.

There is a wide selection of indoor gardening tool on the market to choose from; so large that some are not even known by avid indoor gardeners. Tools range from common items like rakes to the little known such as finger gloves, feed spoons for fertilizer as well as accessories such as ‘grow light’ to ensure enough light for proper growth.

Why is there a need for specific indoor gardening tool? Simply because indoor gardening is generally container gardening and therefore the space being used is much less than that of an outdoor garden. Few, if any regular sized gardening tools can be used safely for indoor gardening. The small, confined area of the containers used as gardening space just does not allow this.

With everything being ergonomically correct, you can rest assured that even these ‘baby’ tools are designed to minimize wrist and hand strain. A good quality indoor gardening tool is normally a lot stronger than their small size may indicate. Getting your indoor gardening tool is as easy as turning on a computer, finding an online gardening store and ordering what you need. Once you have bought the tools you need, you must take care of them. Here are a few standard maintenance tips for any indoor gardening tool (works for outdoor tools as well):

• Always remove the dirt from any tool after use
• Dry all tools before storing them
• If any chemical such as fertilizer is on the tools pay special attention when washing them off

Taking proper care of your indoor gardening tool not only keeps it looking good but will also increase its durability. Cleaning before and after use also ensures that you do not transfer any possible contaminants or pests to other plants.

Your indoor gardening tool, regardless of purpose can also be a great conversation piece. They are often so tiny and attractive that people are always fascinated by these miniatures. Jazz up your gardening tool area with the appropriate tools for the job instead of using makeshift implements. They also make great gifts for the gardener in your life.

Indoor Gardening Tool – All you need to know is a post from: Gardening Guide

Indoor gardening watering systems determine how much water you give your houseplants, and how often. There are different indoor gardening watering systems for different types of plants. You must also take into consideration such things as the temperature and humidity of the room the plant is in and even the type of pot the plant is in.

Plants require plenty of water if they are actively growing, have thin and delicate looking leaves, are in a very warm room, have many large leaves, have a mass of large and healthy roots, are in relatively small pots, are in dry air, are from bogs or marshes, are in clay pots, or have budding leaves and blossoms.

Plants need less water if they are resting or without buds or flowers, have thick leathery leaves, are in a cool room, have recently been re-potted, are in a humid room, are in a water-retentive potting mixture, are in plastic or glazed clay pots, have thick and fleshy roots, or are naturally adapted to storing water for long periods of time (cacti).

Indoor gardening watering systems have three basic methods of applying water. With top watering you pour water onto the surface of the potting mixture. This gives you better control of the amount of water the plant receives. It also flushes away accumulated excess mineral salts. With watering from below, you pour the water into the saucer in which the pot sits. This method forces mineral salts to the upper layer of the potting mixture. You can flush them away with occasional top watering. With large open plants, use bromeliad watering, which means using a narrow spouted watering can to pour the water directly into the “cup” at the centre of the plant.

You can usually use ordinary tap water for indoor gardening watering systems, but it must be tepid, not cold. Allow the water to stand overnight in a container so it reaches room temperature. This will also allow some of the chlorine to dissipate. If the water has a high lime content, boil it first. Do not use water from a water softener, as the chemicals will damage your plants. Rainwater is good in rural areas, but rainwater in urban areas is often polluted. Distilled water is lime free, if you want to go to that expense.

Indoor gardening watering systems require you to use water sparingly, moderately or plentifully, depending upon the type of plant and the plant’s environment and stage of growth. If you water sparingly, barely moisten the potting mixture. If you water moderately, moisten the mixture all the way through, but allow the top layer to dry out between applications. If you water plentifully, keep all of the mixture moist, including the top layer.

Indoor Gardening Watering Systems is a post from: Gardening Guide