February is the time to Start Your Indoor Green House For Spring Planting from the Specialists at Dye Home Improvement February 14, 2019 Do you like having a garden? There are gobs of benefits to developing and growing your own food. Possibly you are a greenskeeper with yearning for the outdoor air, but just can’t get out in the harsh cold? Your green house can start amazingly indoors in the wintry months. Having raw herbs/vegetables is a great way to supplement your diet and the gardening system can also turn to learning events for young ones. All you need are some starter plants or seeds, soil, pots, a growing light or sun, and lots of love! There are plenty of ways Dye Home Improvement can service you in getting your green house or indoor garden started in Monticello and Monon. We offer stuff like garden supplies, lawn supplies, and lawn tools. Good outlining is the chief thing you need when it comes to your indoor green house. Developing a seed-starting schedule or calendar can help. Also, mapping out your outdoor garden bed so you know how many seeds to start growing. After that, to begin, you will need sufficient size pots with acceptable drainage. A 4” pot is routinely enough for mirco greens and herbs but you will need 1-2 gallon pots for plants like cherry tomatoes. Anything larger you will need a 5 gallon pot. You can start a plant from seeds or you can buy starter plants that are already grown up a little. Some pros get help by purchasing peat pellets, seed starter kits, and peat pots. Some Effortless Plants to Begin With: HerbsGreensCherry TomatoesSpouts and Micro greensIf Planting Seeds: Plant the seeds at the depth the seed pack recommendsCover the soil with plastic to keep it from drying outPlace it in a warm window or where there is some warmthThey don’t initially need sun to germinateAfter they germinate, remove the plasticPlace in a sunny area that faces south or under grow lightsOnce they reach 2-3 inches and have some leavers, transplant them to their own separate containersPlants should be watered regularly in the winterPick a place that is cool such as a basement or spare roomHarvest your vegetables and herbs throughout winter When the time to move them outdoors comes you shall have a good size plant that you can now take to your outdoor garden and transplant into the ground or into a bigger size pot. Adapt your plants and seedlings to the outdoors for several weeks before moving them to your garden or outdoor pot. This operation is called hardening off. The hardening off duration permits your seedlings to transition from convenient growing conditions under lights to the regular weather conditions they will experience in the outdoors. This method can be a process, but will be very rewarding. About a week or two before transplanting, place your plants outdoors in a protected spot under an umbrella or patio table that is safeguarded from the wind, rain, and sun. Leave veggies, and plants out there for only a couple hours, then bring back inside. Follow this by deepening the exposure to the outside a hint more each day. Do this, by adding hours and altering if they are in the shade or sun, since the springtime is sometimes freaky weather. Be sure to watch for drops in temperature. And also analyze them repeatedly for dry soil, since they will be in the sun more often. You do not want your plants soil to dry out, thus starving your plants of needed minerals and nutrients. Ultimately you will be able to leave your plants outdoors all night and in the full rain, sun, and wind. be sure to watch for below freezing temperatures, as you would want to hurry and bring them back inside. After your veggies and herbs are now hardened off they can be moved to their more fixed location in the outdoors. You should water your plants well after transplanting. This system is so important and pays off in the end with tenacious hardy plants that can withstand a lot of the elements! If wanting to do some gardening outdoors in the cold winter months, see below for some cold-harded plants and veggies. Make sure whatever plants you choose, that you look at the recommendations on the container or seed packet. The guidelines will inform you to the particular variety that is best for the area and temperatures. Pay attention especially to the frost dates and what the plant can live with. Veggies that are cold-hardy and mature in 100 days BeetsBrussel SproutsCabbageCarrotsOnions Parsnip Veggies that are middle maturing and cold-hardy and mature in 55-70 days. KaleRadishTurnipsCollardsChardLeeksKohlrabiScallions Plants that are quickly maturing and cold-hardy and mature in 40 days. Salad greensBok choiLettuceSpinachChicoryArugulaEndiveWell, there you have it. Hopefully you are one step nearer to getting your indoor garden started. If you happen to have questions or need some gardening tools, fertilizers, or supplies; the masters at Dye Home Improvement in Monticello and Monon can help you get started on the correct path to gardening happiness. Don’t hesitate to call us at 574-583-7181 or swing by the store. Lawn, Garden, & Outdoor, Lawn Care, Scotts Back To Project Blog