Indoor gardening 101

First, let's get the difference between indoor and outdoor gardening out of the way. Outdoors, plants rely on natural light and water sources and are subject to frosts, droughts, and any other weather changes.

Indoors, you control the plants' environment entirely; plants' sources of light, shade, water and other elements are all in your hands. The benefit to indoor gardening, aside from the obvious gardening opportunity for property renters, is that you can cultivate plants in special environments (say, tropical plants in a terrarium) that will last for more than a season (like an outdoor plant).

While special plants can require more work, the labor pays off beautifully. Here, we'll go through the basic steps for setting up your own indoor garden.

The space

First, determine where your garden will go. Look for open spaces that receive indirect sunlight; though some plants will prosper in full sunlight, many will actually burn in it. Instead, look for areas that receive indirect sunlight. If you don’t have any spaces lit naturally (or you don't have any big enough for a few pots or a planter), choose a different spot with ample overhead room for growing lights. Also, look for a relatively low-traffic location; too much motion can disturb the plants' environment and cause unsightly soil spills. Unused closets and basements are well-suited to indoor gardens as you often can control their temperature and humidity easily.

The preparation

For spaces lit by natural light, virtually no preparation is really required. However, for the more serious indoor gardener, or in spaces where light is lacking, prepping the space for an indoor garden does take a little effort.

• Reflect. Cover walls with reflective mylar or white paint; the layer will allow more light to reflect on your plants and, thus, your plants will absorb more energy.

• Protect. Place drop cloths or plastic trays under plants set on wood, carpet, or tiles surfaces to prevent water or other damage to those surfaces.

• Ventilate. Utilize an oscillating fan (or, for a windowsill garden, an ajar window) to foster air and humidity flow around your plants. Make sure air is constantly moving; if an air supply fixes directly on a plant for too long, it can dry the plant out.

• Illuminate. While you can use fluorescent lighting as a substitute for natural light, most indoor growers use HID, or high intensity discharge, lights above plants. HID lights efficiently convert electricity into useable energy for plants; though they can be pricey, they're very durable and usually long-lasting. Most HID lights will hang down from the ceiling, and the size of both your garden space and plants will determine the wattage required.

The plants, containers and troubleshooting

Keep in mind that an indoor garden need not be large to make an impressive statement; often times, a few ferns or creeping plants in striking containers will do the trick.

Certain types of showy plants thrive indoors as well, and a few well-placed varieties will enliven your interior landscape easily. For example, many tropical plants, such as palms, do well indoors.

Houseplants are susceptible to a few problems. Over-watering or inadequate container drainage can cause root rot, inadequate lighting and excessive climate changes can prevent plants from flourishing, and pests can cause significant damage.

Combat these problems by monitoring waterings carefully, using distilled water over tap water. Move plants out of harmful light rays or supplement them with artificial light, and use natural pesticides, such as dish soap, to keep unwanted houseguests from taking up residence in your garden.