Tuesday, October 15, 2013

By Stacey Rogers


There are numerous ways you can create vertical planters outside, but how about indoors? Indoor plants provide gardeners a way to keep up something they enjoy all year long, plus plant arrangements make special gifts during the winter season.



There are numerous choices when making indoor vertical gardens, however, you should beware about the types of plants you select and the container you utilize. There are no set rules when it comes to plants or vertical gardening containers, but following these three tips from experienced gardeners can help make your indoor task simpler and less discouraging.

1. Use the Right Kind of Plant

To start with, stick with species that thrive growing inside. This generally means tropical plants or succulents. You can likewise grow some natural herbs too, but it's a good idea to place your planter near a window or bright area.

2. Choose a Location the Plant Will Like

Second, location is important also. Indoor plants typically do better in a location where they get more natural sunshine than not. If you don't have space close to a window or skylight, think of using a mirror to reflect light to your selected location. This can sometimes be a simple fix.

Also consider where your heater vents are. Warm air can dry out plants quickly, and tropical plants specifically prefer a more humid climate. Place your vertical garden far from heater vents if possible.

3. Install a Simple Drainage System

Third, plan your drainage system before setting up your garden. You don't want water dripping out of the bottom of your container onto the floor or down a wall.

Succulents don't need a great deal of water, so they can make a great, low maintenance indoor vertical arrangement. Other types, such as tropicals, will require routine watering and good drainage. There is actually a simple solution for this.

There are garden kits designed for using indoors that include a drainage basinand an irrigation system that re-circulates the water. This means that your indoor garden can get watered automatically, and about once a week, you can look and refill the basin with additional water. This can be a simple way to keep your plants fertilized too.

After evaluating these suggestions, you might think that you're very limited. Nevertheless, looking at a few creative strategies opens up a lot more options.

Consider Silk Plants

I know, this idea may not be appealing to everybody, but it gives people the ability to put your container in a basement, close to a heater vent and you never need to hassle with feeding it or putting in drainage. You can also add silk flowers that let your arrangement remain in bloom throughout the year.

Using silk plants also enables you to forgo the dirt and water and use a foam base instead, making your arrangement much lighter in weight. This makes it a lot easier to create a bigger vertical garden.

Point Plants Up

Use a variety of regular planters attached to a wall or aligned on shelves. This concept is similar to how ceramic pots are placed in rows or a pattern on a fence or outdoor wall.

Naturally, you need to design a drainage system, and a quick is to use pots that don't have a hold for drainage. Be mindful not to over water and you should be ok.

Utilizing plants that hang, like philodendrons or spider plants can work rather well using this design, since they can eventually conceal the entire container, giving the appearance of growing out of the wall.

Whichever way you decide to make your indoor vertical garden, this can be a fun wintertime activity and a creative gift-giving idea for the holidays.




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