National Gardening Week – 10 Best Things to Plant Indoors
National Gardening Week runs from the 27th April to the 5th May and is the perfect time to try your hand at planting new things, especially if you’re not the green-fingered type. While plants and flowers traditionally belong in the garden, not everyone is lucky enough to own or even rent a plot of land, but this doesn’t mean it’s not possible to grow your own indoors. We’ve researched a list of our 10 favourite things you can plant indoors to celebrate National Gardening Week – let us know if you try any of these.
- Pothos Plant - Also known as the Devil’s Ivy, this plant thrives in areas with little sunlight or only fluorescent lighting, making it perfect for apartments. The Pothos Plant can help to purify indoor air of harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, and looks especially impressive when hanging from the ceiling with its long, trailing vines. Unfortunately, this plant can be toxic to pets if eaten, so either steer clear or keep out of reach of your fur babies.
- Aloe Vera- As a succulent, the Aloe Vera Plant is well suited to dry conditions as long as it has plenty of light, so should survive on a windowsill with only fortnightly watering. The really useful thing about this plant is that its gel can be used to heal minor burns (like sunburn) and small wounds; just snip of an aloe leaf as closely to the stem as possible, and rub the juicy end on the affected area. The gel can also be used as a DIY hair conditioner – just make sure not to eat it as it can be harmful when ingested.
- Avocado Tree - This one’s as easy as taking the stone from a shop-bought avocado and half-submerging in water until roots begin to grow. Plant in hummus soil and water as needed and soon you’ll have a lovely little avocado tree. Unfortunately, it can take up to 15 years for the tree to bear fruit, however these trees add a bit of flair to any home and are a fun way to experiment with indoor gardening for beginners.
- Herbs - You can buy an indoor herb garden starter kit online for around £10-£20, and other than that all you really need is a sunny windowsill. Different herbs require different amounts of watering, so it’s prudent to keep a schedule to reap the full rewards of these plants – other than that you can just sit back, relax and wait to harvest the fruits of your (small amount of) labour.
- Tomatoes - Growing tomatoes can be a little bit more work than other plants, depending on where you live and the time of year, but it can be well worth it in the long run. Tomato plants require around 8 hours of sunlight per day, so you might have to invest in a grow light in order to give them all the rays they need, but as long as you do this and keep the soil moist you should be able to harvest a batch of juicy tomatoes in no time. Look out for cherry and plum tomato plants, as these thrive best indoors.
- Lemons - Meyer Lemon trees grow best indoors, just make sure to find one that’s already 2-3 years old as growing from the seed inside might not bear fruit as well as an older tree. All you need to do with this plant is place by a window and water on a weekly basis. Fertilizer is a good investment with a lemon tree, as well as a good pair of pruning shears to keep it manageable.
- Salad Leaves - There are two options for sowing salad seeds, depending on personal preference. You can either buy a mixed bag of seeds containing a variety of different leaves, or pick ‘n’ mix your favourite ones for a custom salad patch. Once you’ve made your choice, sprinkle about a quarter of a teaspoon onto compost, followed by another layer of compost and a sprinkling of water, and finally covered with cling film. You can remove the film once sprouts appear, keeping the container on a windowsill, and once your plants are around 3” tall they are ready to harvest.
- Mushrooms - Mushrooms are, of course, a fungus, and so thrive in dark environments. Whilst they’re pretty simple to grow, the process can get a little bit gross, so maybe steer clear if you have a weak stomach. If not, get yourself a box of mushroom spawn, mix with straw and leave in a warm environment until white fuzz forms on the top (we told you it gets a bit gross) and then leave in a dark, cool place until mushrooms appear. Maybe leave out the part about the white fuzz when serving up your home-grown mushroom stroganoff to dinner guests.
- Carrots - Another fairly simple vegetable to grow, all you need is seeds, compost and a large pot to put it all in (a 2 litre drinks bottle can work too if you want to be really eco about it). Make sure the seeds are spread as evenly as possible, keep the soil moist and ensure they get plenty of sun, and within a few months you’ll have a crop of fresh carrots ready to enjoy.
- Chillis - Chilli plants are among some of the most common indoor plants, and are as simple as keeping in the sun and watering around once a week. The only thing a bit more troublesome about chilli plants is maintaining them; they can be prone to attacks from aphids or become infested with fungus gnats if over watered. For best results only water when necessary, with water that has been left to stand for 24 hours (as water contains too much chlorine when used straight from the tap) and keep an eye out for any insect intruders.
