While growing plants indoors can be rewarding, it requires commitment and time in addition to knowledge about the necessary lighting, soil and temperature for the plant you want to grow. In addition, there are several techniques for growing plants in pots.

Inspect the area where you plan to keep your plants before you do anything else. You must place the potted plant in an area where it will get several hours of natural sunlight every day. If you have the budget for it, you can also use artificial lighting. You can use special indoor lamps and lights to replace natural sunlight. Ensure that your home’s temperature is ideal for the plant, since this is the easiest factor to control.

Choose a container that is the appropriate size for your potted plant. The larger your plant will grow, the larger your pot should be. Stunted growth of the roots and the inability to “breathe” properly can result from putting a big plant in a small pot. Although it’s possible it will grow large enough to fit the pot, putting a small pot in a large pot usually doesn’t look good. Or you can simply grow your plant in a smaller pot and transplant it to a bigger pot when it grows. You also have the option of selecting various sizes and styles of pots. The diameter of the container should ideally be half the plant’s height. Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of the pot so the roots will not drown.

Next look for an appropriate growing medium or soil type. Because it doesn’t properly drain, garden soil is usually unsuitable. It might also contain insects or fungi that can be harmful to your plant. Choose a packaged potting soil that can hold moisture while aerating the plant’s roots.

There are a few key factors that can affect the timing of when the plant should be watered. These factors include wind, rain, sun, heat and the plant type.

You should regularly water most plant, although not to the point of drowning. That said, desert plants like aloe vera and others tend to do better when they’re allowed to dry out rather than being flooded with large amounts of water. Because of this, people who find it difficult to remember to regularly water their plants may find desert varieties more suitable. The amount of water any plant needs can vary each day.

Potted plants dry up more quickly than their counterparts that grow in the ground. Stick your finger into the soil to determine if the plant needs to be watered. If it is dry, then it needs to be watered.

In general, you should fertilize potted plants every two weeks. You flush the nutrients from the growing medium when you water a plant. If you have children or pets in the house, are growing edible plants, or are growing plants for personal care or medicinal purposes, your best bet is to use organic fertilizers.

Note that some plants are poisonous to humans and/or animals. If you have pets or children in your home, ensure you do proper research on a plant before you bring it into an environment where they can access it. (See Pets and Plant Poisoning for more information on this.)

Always take precautions to protect a plant from destructive pests when you grow a plant in or around your home. Insects can enter your home and destroy your plant even if you house it indoors. To combat this problem, you can use one of the organic pesticides on the market.

Growing pot plants – whether inside the home, in a window box, on a patio or balcony, or in an outdoor garden, is a rewarding and worthwhile endeavor. In addition to their beauty, potted plans can be used to make natural remedies or teas, provide fruits and vegetables, emit fragrance, or as decoration.

As is the case with any gardening project, growing indoor plants does require a bit of study and application of standard practices and proper growing techniques, but this will become easier with practice, and will be well worth the trouble.

About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn how to live greener and more environmentally friendly lives. Learn more about green living at her blog on Living Resourcefully.

This article was originally posted at How to Grow Potted Plants.

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