Considering Part-Time Indoor Gardening?

What is a part-time indoor gardener? These are the ones (like me) that live in an area with cold winters – too cold for most of their outdoor plants to survive in. By transplanting or bringing the plants indoors, they can survive the colder months and add greenery inside the home. There are some considerations and preparations that should be made before you decide to become a part-time indoor gardener.

Image by wockerjabby via FlickrThe most important point to think about before bringing a plant indoors is whether or not it will survive being an inside plant. If the plant has high temperature or very high light requirements and your house does not get a lot of light in the winter time – it may not be a good solution. As a back-up you can invest in an artificial light source to supplement the natural light the plant will get.

How will you get the plant indoors? If the plant is already in a pot that will fit inside it is easy enough to move it indoors. But if the plant is in the ground you need to find a pot large enough to contain the root system and one that will not be too difficult to move. Keeping in mind that when a large plant is transplanted (re-potted or put in a pot for the first time) it may go into shock. Although with careful attention, you can nurse your plant through this.

Most likely you have been taking care of your plants outdoors and they do not have any pests or bugs on them. But it's always smart to double-check. By bringing an infested plant indoors you are putting all of your other indoor plants at risk of becoming infected too. Either forego bringing the plant inside or treat the pest problem before the cold weather arrives.

With a bit of attention to these considerations, it's easy to become a part-time indoor gardener, and you may find you enjoy having some of your plants inside all winter so much that you decide to keep some of them there come springtime!