Confession - I garden indoors

**vickilynn** · 10-24-2009, 09:11 PM

I love the tomatoes, hate the heat. So, for me I'm growing violets and house plants. Today I worked with the violet nursery - growing babies from leaves and transplanting violets. Made cuttings from house plants to grow as gifts. And took cutting from the begonias, impatiens and coleus to grow for next year on the porch.

Next year, my outdoor gardening will be blooming flowers and within distance of the irrigation system....I just hate the heat. But I love going out in the morning to cut the flowers

Anyone else an indoor gardener?

**Contrary Housewife** · 10-24-2009, 09:33 PM

I can't get anything to survive indoors. I just brought my houseplants inside. I have a few pothos vines and some pathetic looking christmas cactus. Well, the cactus are actually blooming, so they must have loved being outside this fall. I told DH I wanted some grow lights this year, I think it will help. We bought some steel wire shelving and rigged up a light and I'm hoping it will help the plants.

I would love to keep herbs and other plants indoors but they just don't make it. How do you keep coleus alive? I have tried putting leaves in water to root them and they just turn brown.

**OOwl** · 10-24-2009, 10:58 PM

Veggies no, but I'd like to have a windowbox herb indoor garden. I have orchids that I grow indoors year-round. I have about 20 and, for some reason, they LOVE my house. Must be the humidity from 8 aquariums.

**vickilynn** · 10-25-2009, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Contrary Housewife

I can't get anything to survive indoors. I just brought my houseplants inside. I have a few pothos vines and some pathetic looking christmas cactus. Well, the cactus are actually blooming, so they must have loved being outside this fall. I told DH I wanted some grow lights this year, I think it will help. We bought some steel wire shelving and rigged up a light and I'm hoping it will help the plants.

I would love to keep herbs and other plants indoors but they just don't make it. How do you keep coleus alive? I have tried putting leaves in water to root them and they just turn brown.

hum, I root coleus in water with no problem, be sure to take off all but about 2 or 3 leaves and don't let the leaves get in the water.

I'm using the new energy efficient lights over some of the violets and rotate them to windows every now and then. I use the light bulbs that are grow lights too. Haven't seen it run up the electricity bill even though they're on for 14 hrs a day.

good luck

**vickilynn** · 10-25-2009, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by OOwl

Veggies no, but I'd like to have a windowbox herb indoor garden. I have orchids that I grow indoors year-round. I have about 20 and, for some reason, they LOVE my house. Must be the humidity from 8 aquariums.

Hope to start orchids next!!!

**Lady_V** · 10-25-2009, 01:07 PM

I had actually thought about making a grow closet because we have few windows and next to no natural light coming in anywhere-- and then I got scared because there have been quite a few drug raids in my complex!

I don't think I could convince the police "but... but... but... look at my tomatoes"

So... needless to say, I am trying to figure out a way to grow inside, with limited space, and without looking like a drug dealer

**vickilynn** · 10-25-2009, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by Lady_V

I had actually thought about making a grow closet because we have few windows and next to no natural light coming in anywhere-- and then I got scared because there have been quite a few drug raids in my complex!

I don't think I could convince the police "but... but... but... look at my tomatoes"

So... needless to say, I am trying to figure out a way to grow inside, with limited space, and without looking like a drug dealer

yeah be !

**Tai** · 11-02-2009, 10:43 AM

I had a couple of stunted tomato plants that sat on my porch and refused to grow. So I planted them in one of those upside down planters- and they're actually growing! I am excited at the prospect of having fresh tomatoes in the dead of winter!

**itlw8** · 11-04-2009, 09:43 AM

When we built our addition I finally had a place for indoor plants but I am still learning. It is so great to have my Christmas cactus bloom and several times during the winter all those things I had read were false it just needed plenty of sun.

I want to learn violets

I do have a question can I over winter geraniums in the house? I am trying anyway It will be great to take starts if it works.

**madhen** · 11-04-2009, 11:18 AM

I grow herbs indoors all year round, and I start all my veggies inside. I am fortunate enough to have a whole wall of s/w facing windows with sills, so it is like a greenhouse in here.

I have fantastic luck with cacti, but I think it is because I don't have central heat/air. Cacti need a cold period every year, or they don't do well. Mine bloom like bandits, but they also sit downstairs in 40-50F temps during the winter.

I grew some lettuce indoors last winter, but had no luck with tomatoes. It is like they KNOW that it is winter....

I am going to setting up a winter salad garden upstairs this month - all types of lettuces, some carrots, maybe a radish or two. I might try tomatoes again, but I don't hold out much hope.

**shoiji** · 11-04-2009, 02:49 PM

I have a few houseplants strategically placed so the cat can't eat them. Once and a while I will leave her parsley on the floor. She could be in a dead sleep and coming running into the kitchen when I water the plants. Really wish I could grow more plants. My place doesn't seem to have the best lighting either. Over the summer I put most of the houseplants outside. They loved it. Hopefully they will make it to next spring/summer.

There is a huge birdcage that I am salavating for at Pier One. Thought I could place a bunch of plants in it and put it in a window. That way the kitty could definately not get into it!!

**vickilynn** · 11-04-2009, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by itlw8

I do have a question can I over winter geraniums in the house? I am trying anyway It will be great to take starts if it works.

Here's a site that teaches 3 ways to winter over....I take several cuttings and dip into rootone then plant in very loose soil. Some make it and some don't.......so I'm not an expert...hope this helps.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...er_winter.html

**itlw8** · 11-09-2009, 10:09 AM

Thanks for the web site I am going to try those ideas I have enough I may try them all. the bag method sounds interesting so I might as well try

**vickilynn** · 11-09-2009, 01:29 PM

good luck......let us know which works best

**Charles C** · 11-16-2009, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by Tai

I had a couple of stunted tomato plants that sat on my porch and refused to grow. So I planted them in one of those upside down planters- and they're actually growing! I am excited at the prospect of having fresh tomatoes in the dead of winter!

I like the sounds of that, be looking for how those maters turned out, I miss mine after Ferbruary.