Basics of Indoor Gardening: Things You Should Know

You might be a great outdoor gardener or maybe this is your first time growing plants and you
are just wanting to have some fresh veggies during the cold winter months. It’s important to
know some indoor gardening basics to give you the best chance to grow productive plants. You
might want to consider growing plants either in soil or in simple hydroponic systems. This
handout will give you ideas for both of these options. Just know that sometimes it takes time
and a lot of trial and error to figure things out. Anyone can learn how to garden indoors!

Save yourself some of the hassle by understanding the basic principles of what’s going on above
and below the stems and leaves. First let’s look at the basics plant needs that you must
consider:

The 6 Things Plants Need To Grow

 Light - Plants use light as energy to turn water, carbon dioxide and nutrients into the
sugar that they can eat, a process known as photosynthesis. When they have low levels
of light, they can be starved because there is no energy for them to make their own
food.
 Water - Needed to perform photosynthesis and enables the plant to draw nutrients
from the ground. Water also provides necessary humidity around the plants.
 Carbon Dioxide - Plants breathe in the carbon dioxide in the air around them to use for
the photosynthesis process.
 Growing Medium - Most commonly soil, plants need something to dig their roots into
so they can hold themselves upright and draw upon nutrients from the growing
medium.
 Nutrients - Just like humans need nutrients for good health, plants require nutrients
which provide a variety of functions such as aiding photosynthesis or helping them build
a strong root system. All plants require different levels of nitrogen, potassium and
phosphorus to live. These top three nutrients, also called NPK, will always be in that
order on any fertilizer. Micronutrients, all the others, are also important to healthy plant
growth. In hydroponics, you must add nutrients to the water you are using. Follow the
directions for any added nutrients to insure accurate dosage.
 Warmth – Plants need warmth to grow. Not too much, not too little. Plants do best in
temps of 68-72°F. If you are doing hydroponics, adding a simple fish tank heater in the
nutrient water can help you to control the consistency of the temperature.
Plant Parts Basics
Seeds
The seed is a fascinating part of plant life. Seeds grow into new plants. All seeds require oxygen,
water, and the proper temperature range in order to germinate. Oxygen and moisture, initially
taken in through the seed coat and later by the root, help the seed get energy from its food
supply.  Different types of seeds have specific temperature requirements and preferences for
germination.  Many seeds also require proper light conditions to germinate: some require light,
while others are inhibited from germinating by light.
There are three “basic” parts of a seed: the seed coat, the endosperm, and the embryo.
Each seed has a seed coat that protects the seed until it is ready to germinate. Within the seed
coat is an embryo containing tiny leaves, a stem, and roots.  The seed coat protects the embryo
while a temporary food supply nourishes it, either as an endosperm packed around the young
plant or stored in special leaves called cotyledons.  

Seeds have their own source of nutrients, in the cotyledons or endosperm, to sustain them
through early life, so they do not require additional nutrients in the first few days after planting.
The proteins, fats, and carbohydrates stored for the benefit of the young plant are what makes
seeds such a rich and vital food source for humans and other animals.

Seeds remain inactive until conditions are right for them to begin to grow or germinate. When
a seed is exposed to proper conditions for germination, water is taken in through the seed coat.
The embryo’s cells begin to enlarge, and the seed coat breaks open. The root emerges first,
followed by the shoot, which contains the stem and leaves.

If you store your seeds in a dry, airtight location, they won’t move on to future phases until
conditions are right. Seeds can be viable for years, although the endosperm will gradually
decline over time and reduce germination.

Germination
Germination is when the seed stops being dormant and comes out of its shell. Two conditions
need to be met for a seed to germinate:

1. Add Water: Seeds soak up water and rehydrate, which triggers the growth process.

2. Provide Warmth: Different plants require different levels of heat to germinate properly.
If it’s too cold or too hot, the seed will decide to stay dormant.

Germination can take anywhere from a few days for most vegetables to weeks for some plants.
Information on germination times is generally located on the seed packet. Here’s what can
inhibit germination:
 1. Planting the seeds too deeply. Make sure to follow the instructions on your seed packet
and don’t just throw any amount of soil on your plants. Some seeds can be placed on
top of the soil. Others want to be under the soil’s surface.
2. Poor quality seeds. Seed manufacturers have to test their seeds for germination rates to
ensure they aren’t selling a bunch of duds. Stick with organic and non-GMO seed
distributors to ensure the highest quality. And if you have leftover seeds from a previous
season, test a small handful of the seeds by placing them in a wet paper towel in a
plastic bag– if they germinate, then go for it.
3. Too much or too little water. Most seeds like evenly-moist soil to sprout in. If it’s too
dry, they’re not going to germinate. Too much water can actually drown the young
plant!
4. When the seed first germinates, it relies on its endosperm for initial growth. It sends the
root into the ground to establish a support system that will draw upon nutrients from
the soil to allow it to grow further.

Vegetative Growth Stage

Once the seedling has grown its roots downward to absorb nutrients, it will put out the first
cotyledon leaves so it can start gathering light to produce the energy it needs. These first leaves
are very important to the success of the plant. Once you see them, be sure that the light isn’t
too far away. 2-3” is ideal. During the vegetative stage of growth, plants grow their stem,
branch, and leaf areas to reach light areas. They grow more leaves and bigger leaves so they
have a greater surface area to absorb light.

While doing this, they’re hungry for nitrogen (N on the N-P-K fertilizer labels) to produce
chlorophyll, the material that allows the plant to absorb energy from light. Fun fact: most
chlorophyll is green, giving many plants their green color!

Roots
While we may admire a plant for what’s above the ground, what’s underneath the stems and
leaves is where the magic happens. Roots are the IV of the plant. They absorb the air, water and
nutrients from the soil and transport it to the leaves for photosynthesis (which is how they
produce their energy to grow). If the roots don’t have adequate space to grow, then the plant
will reach a certain size and not be able to grow any further.

If your plant is growing great and then looks sickly, that could be a sign that your roots need
room to grow to support the plant. Now would be a good time to repot the plant. On the flip
side, indoor gardeners can run into issues where they have too much space for the roots to
grow.

Too big of a container is called “overpotting”. The problem is not with the roots but ultimately
too much soil. Whenever you water your plant in a larger than needed container, the water sits
in soil that can’t be absorbed by the smaller root system. This reduces the aeration of the soil
and causes the roots to rot rather than expand. It doesn’t happen in nature because the soil
drains much better.
And what happens if you damage the roots of your plant? The good news is that a plant can
regrow their roots if damaged. The key is how much of the root system is damaged. If there
aren’t enough roots for the plant to draw in enough life (water, nutrients, air), then the plant
will wither.

Leaves
Leaves are adapted to perform their function of processing light, carbon dioxide, and elements
in the air to produce sugars which the plant needs to grow. For example, they have a large
surface area and many chloroplasts to absorb sunlight. Chloroplasts are the tiny structures in
plant cells where photosynthesis happens. Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll, a green pigment
that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis. Leaves contain many cells with chloroplasts.
However, chloroplasts are not found in all plant cells. For example, they are not found in root
hair cells. These cells absorb the water needed by the plant for photosynthesis. However, since
they are usually underground and in the dark, they are unable to photosynthesize anyway.

Leaves are often broad so that they have a large surface area to absorb sunlight. Broader leaves
enable more sunlight to be absorbed. Narrower leaves often found on evergreen plants still
photosynthesize, but generally more slowly. Their narrow shape and the fact that they are
often coated with a waxy substance allows them to handle cold temperatures, remain on the
plant and photosynthesize year-round.

Here’s how to know what you plant needs by listening to the leaves:
1. Starting to turn yellow? Your plants need less H20 or more nutrients! First, try watering
your plants a little less often but still giving them enough water (don’t punish them for
turning yellow on you). If they continue to turn yellow, then that could be a sign of a
nutrient deficiency and they will need some plant food. Read more about plant
nutrients.
2. Brown and crunchy? Your plant needs more H20! Don’t overwater them but make sure
the soil is damp. Find the right consistency of water where the soil continues to dry up
but the leaves aren’t turning brown and crunchy.
3. Developing yellow spots? Pests can get to indoor plants just like they can to outdoor
ones. If your plant’s leaves are starting to form yellowish spots, you may have a spider
mite problem. Scale also can happen indoors and can cause other problems.

Flowers and Fruit

If you are planting plants with fruits you wish to eat, such as tomatoes or squashes you will
need to learn about how the plant will produce the fruit. The reproductive phase is when the
energy that was going to plant growth is now dedicated to flowering or going to seed. During
reproduction, phosphorous is an important nutrient, as it assists with flowering or fruit growth.

This phase can be triggered by a change in length of daylight. Plants are sensitive to these
changes, and the sensitivity itself is called photoperiodism. But plants just notice light itself, not
where it comes from. That’s why artificial lighting can be used to control growth of plants
indoors. As long as there’s a good spectrum of light that’s similar to natural sunlight, your plant
will grow.

In this stage, you will also find pollination, which is how plants start to develop seeds and
reproduce. If you have an indoor garden that needs to be pollinated, that means you have to
pollinate them yourself.

Most people do this with a cotton swab, gently brushing it against the interior of a flower and
then moving on to the next flower and the next. It’s not a difficult process and isn’t necessary
on plants you don’t want to fruit or that you’re not collecting seeds from.

Essential Plant Growth Components

Soil
Soil is dirt that is “alive”. It contains nutrients, organic matter, water, air and even living
organisms like bacteria or fungi. The soil is necessary for indoor plants so they can draw upon
the nutrients in the soil to live.

What soil should you buy? For indoor gardening, it is highly recommended to use an organic
potting soil rather than soil from your garden which can bring pests and plant diseases into your
home or greenhouse. How long does soil last? Soil can still be usable years down the line, but
the nutrient content might be depleted from microbes eating it. Refer to the fertilizer section
on how to ensure the soil will have the nutrients it needs.

How should you store your unused potting soil? When not in use, put your soil in an opaque tub
and put the tub in a stable, dry area like a garage or basement. You don’t want the soil to get
wet and you don’t want to keep it in an area where it can get common garden pests or become
infected with bacteria. Check your soil every few months to make sure it’s in good shape and
isn’t spontaneously growing anything.

Fertilizer
Fertilizer is a concentration of nutrients to replenish the original nutrient content of the soil. If
you don’t understand why that’s important, reread the “how do plants grow” section. Fertilizer
can come in many different shapes and sizes: could be a packaged fertilizer, maybe some worm
poop and even your own poop could be fertilizer (that’s why I said many different shapes and
sizes…too far, sorry).

For the basics, most fertilizers are talked about in “N-P-K” which stands for Nitrogen,
Phosphorus and Potassium, the essential nutrients for a plant to grow. Different fertilizers can
have different NPK ratios to feed different types of plants.

What fertilizer should you buy? Depends on the plant but the best bet is to get organic
fertilizer. These are made to improve your soil over time, unlike synthetic fertilizers which can
slowly degrade soil quality.
How should you apply fertilizer? Water your plants before you add dry fertilizers, so they are
ready to absorb the nutrients. And then follow the instructions on the package on how often
you should use the fertilizer. If you are using a packaged fertilizer that is not specific to indoor
gardening, consider using only 1/4 to 1/2 of the recommended dosage since you’ve got a
smaller amount of soil to fertilize. Liquid fertilizers can be used when diluted to a houseplant
strength (check the label), and should replace a regular watering.

Should you “flush” your plants? Fertilizer nutrients get absorbed by the plants but other parts
of the fertilizer will sit in the soil which can have adverse effects. If you have drainage in your
pots, consider heavily watering them and letting them fully drain out on a monthly basis. This
will flush out the extra fertilizer parts and keep your soil healthy.

Water
Overwatering is the most common cause of death for indoor plants, let’s make sure you are
watering your plants not too much, not too little, but just right. When should you water? Don’t
focus on how often, focus on how much. Pay attention to the leaves as mentioned in the How
do plants grow section. Also, pay attention to the soil. Does it still look wet? Does it still feel wet
on top or if you stick your finger in the soil?

If it’s still wet, you don’t want to keep watering the plant. The water needs to drain so that way
it doesn’t become stagnant and lead to mold. If you put way too much water in your container,
then you risk drowning the plant too because the plant’s roots still need air.

How should you water your plant? Some plants do best with bottom watering (with moisture
“wicking” through the soil) while other plants will do best with pouring water directly on the
top of the soil. Since it is so dependent on the variety, research what will work best for your
specific plant. When in doubt, opt for bottom watering as the biggest roots should be able to
reach.

Do you need drainage? If overwatering is the number one cause of death for indoor plants,
drainage could be argued as the number one lifesaver for indoor plants. Drainage accounts for
your mistakes in watering. The rule of thumb is that you should absolutely incorporate drainage
if you can. Some plants are easier to take care of so you can risk it if you’d like, but it is easier
on your if you just have some sort of drainage hole.

If you don’t have any drainage, what should you do? Be conservative in how much water you
give your plants and pay attention for how long it takes the soil to dry. Does it dry within a few
days? That’s good for most houseplants. If the soil is staying wet all week, then that’s a sign you
need to figure out a better solution for improving air flow or watering less.

If you are growing vegetables or microgreens indoors, you want dry soil sooner than a few days
because they are more prone to developing mold in a shorter time frame.
Keep in mind, it’s easier to bring back a dying plant from under-watering than a dead plant from
overwatering.

Light
Light influences more than photosynthesis, it can also influence the reproductive growth stage
which is the time when the plant is ready to produce flowers, fruits, or seeds. For most plants,
you can control growth by manipulating how much light you give your plants. This can be
especially important if you are growing vegetables such as lettuce which becomes bitter and
edible when it goes into the flowering stage.

How much light do your plants need? Since this is so dependent on individual plants, look
specifically for how much your plant needs. Plants will generally fall in this range:

1. Direct light: Some plants require hours direct light daily in order to grow strong. This
means that the sun is shining right on them, even if it is through a window.
2. Indirect light: There are two situations when you want indirect light. The first is when a
plant prefers indirect light because they are sensitive to too much direct light. The
second situation is when you don’t have access to direct light so you can try increasing
how much indirect light you can give the plant so it can grow.
3. Low light: And then there are some plants who do well with only a few hours of indirect
light a day.

Is indirect light as strong as direct light? Indirect light will usually not be good enough for direct
light needs because it does not have the same intensity as direct light. Light coming through
windows is already weaker than regular sunlight. Light intensity can also be cut in half even
with the plant being moved a couple feet away from the window.

Are grow lights as good as sunlight? Grow lights have been engineered to produce the specific
wavelengths of light needed to encourage plant growth. If you are thinking about a grow light,
then check out this guide on indoor grow lights. A simple LED shop light will provide the
wavelength needed for optimal plant growth for a low cost option.

Remember to read your plants as they will tell you what they need. Are they getting yellow
leaves or any burn spots? Are they looking long and leggy? Get them some more light so they
don’t continue to grow to reach for the light.

Be sure the plant light source is 3-5” from the top leaves for optimal growth. Have the lights on
a raising and lowering system, like a pulley or a chain, to maximize the light absorption and
prevent leggy and sickly plants.

Temperature
Plants perform best in a stable environment around their ideal growing temperature range. If
you let your plants get too hot or too cold, then you risk slowing down their growth or
inhibiting their ability to photosynthesize properly which can lead to wilting or a crunchy (dead)
plant.

Generally, the best temperature to aim for is one where you are comfortable because most
plants can grow in this range. If you are someone who can tolerate snowy weather in a t-shirt
and shorts, “comfortable” is around 65-80°F (18-26°C).

Even if this is not the ideal temperature for the plant, it’s going to likely fall within their range
so you are happy and your plants are happy. If you have a dedicated growing environment,
then you can look specifically for what your plants need. Most houseplants will likely be in the
70-80°F (21-26°C).

Temperature for watering. When you water your plants, use room-temperature water so you
don’t shock your plants. Clean out an old water jug, large juice or soda bottle, or a watering can
to make this easier to store water in the room.

Seedling heat mats are also popular to use but be sure the temp of the mat is the right one for
your plants. Read the directions on the package and never have the plants directly on the heat
pad.

Air Flow
You can’t talk about watering without talking about air flow. Air flow and water are the two
major influencers of plant mold and diseases. Air circulation enables water to evaporate quicker
and prevent mold growth which is essential when you are growing your own food indoors.

How much air flow does a plant need? You don’t need to always have a fan blowing directly on
your plant but the easiest way to tell if you have enough air flow is by monitoring how fast the
soil dries up. If the soil is taking longer to dry than it should, experiment with improving the air
flow to understand if that is the best solution for you to get your plants to dry sooner.

How to improve air flow? You can be creative but here are a few ideas.
1. Put a small fan in the room to increase air movement.
2. Have a ceiling fan.
3. Don’t keep the door closed to the room you are growing the plants in.

Humidity
Most homes have lower humidity than plants like. Plants prefer higher humidity levels than
most homes usually have. Most plants need some humidity to survive because dry air causes
them to lose moisture that is difficult for them to absorb from their roots alone. Kind of like
trying to fill up a leaky bucket.

The average house is commonly under 30% humidity, especially during winter, whereas most
houseplants thrive above 40%. How to increase humidity? You can get a humidifier but there
are ways to slightly increase the humidity around the plant.
 1. Group your plants together so they have a microclimate around them that supports a
higher humidity level.
2. Create a pebble tray that encourages water evaporation near the plant. Take a shallow
tray and place pebbles in it, then add a small amount of water and set the plant on top
of the pebbles.
3. If your plant can tolerate misting on the leaves, then mist the leaves periodically. Be
careful not to soak the leaves – just a very light spraying is enough to increase the
ambient humidity.
4. Can you have too much humidity? Very high humidity levels for extended periods of
time can encourage mold and rot. Your plants are more likely to need higher humidity
levels, but if you are increasing humidity past 60% when they don’t need it, then you
might run into problems. White mold can develop on your soil or even on the leaves
themselves. Pay attention to your plant for mold and if everything is good, then keep on
keeping on.

Can you have too much humidity? Very high humidity levels for extended periods of time can
encourage mold and rot. Your plants are more likely to need higher humidity levels, but if you
are increasing humidity past 60% when they don’t need it, then you might run into problems.
White mold can develop on your soil or even on the leaves themselves. Pay attention to your
plant for mold and if everything is good, then keep on keeping on.

Adapted with info from an article on epicgardening.com.