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Window Gardening
Do you live in an apartment that doesn’t have a balcony or other outdoor area? You can still have a garden to produce flowers or food, if you have a window that gets enough sun. Read on to learn more about window gardening.
Choosing the Right Window
It is important to choose the right window for the plants that you intend to grow. A north facing window means that plants will receive little direct light except for early morning and late afternoon, so shade loving plants will do better here. A south facing window gets full sun for most of the day. East facing windows get good sunlight in the morning and are great for both sun and shade loving plants. West facing windows means that your plants will get afternoon sun and will need to be watered more often. Check the care label on the seed packet or seedlings to see how much sun your plant requires.
Choosing the Pots and Soil
The pots that you choose for growing your plants depends on the size of your window sill. Ensure that the pot is sturdy on the sill and not likely to tip over. The pot needs to be well drained – if you are on the forgetful side, you can buy pots with a water reservoir, meaning that you don’t have to water as often. Choose from plastic, metal, or terracotta. It really is up to personal taste. Fill the pot with a good quality potting mix. Ordinary garden soil will not work.
Good Plants for Window Gardening
Plants that are suitable for window gardening include:
• basil
• dill
• thyme
• parsley
• chives
• garlic chives
• marjoram
• mint
• oregano
• parsley
• rosemary
• sage
• salad greens such as lettuce, Asian greens or mustard spinach
• pansies
• lilies
• geraniums
• lavender
• petunias
• daisies
• zinnias
• jasmine
Tomato plants are another great option if you have a pot that is large enough, and an area that gets a lot of sun. Even if you are growing the tomato indoors, adequate amounts of sunlight means that you should get plenty of fruit to eat.
Window Gardening – Remember the Sun!
If you are growing your plants indoors, remember that they will need at least five hours of direct sunlight a day. There are some exceptions however – mint, parsley, thyme, and lettuces can handle less sun. If you are willing to go to a little more expense, you can supplement the natural sunlight with some fluorescent lights, positioned so that they are about six inches above the tops of the plants.
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References
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Garden Designer
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