It’s that time of year when gardeners are looking ahead to spring and beginning to plan their summer gardens.  Those of us who like to start our plants early from seed are probably preparing our indoor greenhouses to do so.  If you are new to gardening or are hoping to start a garden this year, now is the time to purchase an indoor greenhouse kit.  In this article, we’ll explain how to get it set up and prepared for growing your seedlings.

First you’ll need to choose an appropriate location for your indoor greenhouse.  The best possible place would be in front of a sunny, south facing window or patio door.  You’ll also need to consider the ambient room temperature and humidity.  The ideal levels will vary depending on the types of seeds you’re growing, but generally speaking, most seeds will germinate best at temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent.

If you don’t have the perfect place in your home that meets all these conditions, don’t worry.  Most of us don’t!  With a few pieces of equipment, it’s easy to artificially create the right conditions.  To make up for a lack of sunlight, you’ll need grow lights.  Grow lights are a special type of full spectrum light bulb that replicate natural sunlight.  The bulbs can be purchased at most hardware stores and will fit into standard fluorescent tube light fixtures.  To make up for chilly temperatures, you can also add a heat lamp to your indoor greenhouse.  Take care when positioning the heat lamp, making sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  It’s important not to place it near anything that could be flammable.  Lastly, if your home’s air is rather dry, as is common in the winter, a simple humidifier will solve this problem.  Look for a humidifier with a humidity gauge on it, allowing you to set the unit to maintain a specific humidity level of your choosing.  The humidifier will then it will automatically turn on and shut off as needed to maintain that level.  Anytime you’re using electronic devices, always remember to take caution with the cords.  You don’t want to string a cord across a traffic path and inadvertently create a tripping hazard.

Once your indoor greenhouse is set up in a good location, it’s time to begin planting your seeds.  You’ll probably want to begin by taking an inventory of supplies, and you may need to make a shopping trip to your local garden center to pick up anything that you don’t have.  A bag of good seed-starting soil mixture is a must-have item, as are some small peat pots or other containers for planting.  One option is to purchase plastic trays from your garden center that feature small individual cells for starting seeds.  These plastic trays are usually economical enough that you can recycle them at the end of the year and buy new ones next year.  An even less expensive option is to wash and save yogurt containers, drill holes in the bottoms, and use those for planting seeds.  Last but not least, you’ll also need to have a spray water bottle for keeping the soil moist.  You won’t want to use a watering can in the beginning, because the flow of water will be strong enough to wash away the seeds and young seedlings.  A spray bottle will allow you to lightly mist the soil, keeping it moist without damaging the fragile young plants.

Growing plants from seed is an enjoyable and rewarding hobby.  Not only does it give you something fun to do inside during the last few months of winter, but it also saves a lot of money as opposed to buying young plants at the nursery in the spring.  If you’ve never tried indoor greenhouse gardening before, go out and buy a few supplies and get started today!

Home Products ‘N’ More offers free shipping on all indoor greenhouses and other home greenhouse kits. Visit us today at http://www.homeproductsnmore.com/Mini_Greenhouses_s/414.htm
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Gardening is often seen as an outdoors activity that is limited to certain weather conditions. When it comes to herbs, a windowsill facing south or west is an excellent area to grow and harvest herbs all year long. It also add beautiful natural beauty to that window and fills the air with the sweet scents. A windowsill herb garden doesn’t need to be very big, a few pots can produce enough herbs to satisfy your needs.

Tools and material needed to start a herb garden:

• various containers with drainage holes
• waterproof saucers to contain excess drainage
• potting soil or a soil-less seed-starting mix
• natural fertilizer
• herb seeds or plants of your choice

Herb growing requirements:For the majority of herbs, a good 5 to 6 hours of sunlight coming through a south or west-facing window is sufficient. Watering should keep the soil slightly moist at all time. Fertilize twice a month using a half-strength solution of an all-purpose fertilizer. Compost is added in a small quantity every few months.

Choice of containers:The pots you plan to use can come from various sources ranging from recycling to buying ”designer” containers.You can group certain herbs together in a pot when they share common needs. Plants that need particular care should be planted individually. The diameter of the pots should be 4 inches for individual plants and 10 inches for grouping plants together.

Choosing herbs you wish to grow:Choice herbs to grow on the windowsill are those that remains dense and compact. Thyme and oregano are always a good choice, you can also grow mint offered in a wide array of flavors. Parsley is a good choice as long as you keep it especially when kept trimmed. These plants all do well in small containers ranging in 4 to 6 inches in diameter.Other choice of herbs popular include basil, cilantro, dill, rosemary and sage.

More Tips:

• Most herbs grows well in a sunny, south-facing window, supplemental fluorescent lights or grow lights will help during the winter season.
• Place the plants so that the foliage are not in contact with cold windows.
• Turn the pots around occasionally so that the plants get sunlight on all sides to grow evenly.
• Be aware of the preferences of each variety of herbs you grow. For example, basil enjoys warmth, while sage and rosemary prefer cooler temperatures.
• Pinch back branching plants such as basil. This will help keeping them shrubby instead of leggy.
• When choosing herbs to grow, go for the compact or dwarf varieties.
• Growing herbs on the kitchen windowsill will keep fresh herbs close at hand when preparing meals.

A windowsill herb garden adds a wonderful, attractive look to your home decor. Creating this project is quite simple and inexpensive and fills the air with a pleasing aroma that can be enjoyed by everyone in your household.

Eustache Davenport is a gardening enthusiast and author. He lives in Montreal and enjoy teaching his gardening secrets to work groups on how to setup, optimize and maintain an amazing herb garden. For more information and great tips to start home garden, visit http://www.herbgardeningonlineguide.com.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/how-to-start-a-healthy-productive-windowsill-herb-garden-1603014.html

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Please Note... All links within articles are placed by their author-owners and not by this blog.Products with in those links may or may not be the best in the world.If it sounds too good to be true it could be a scam.Articles are posted for their info,ideas and or entertainment value only.

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