Indoor gardening has become increasingly popular lately. Just a few years ago, reports showed that at least 60 percent of people across the globe were growing flowers, vegetables, and herbs indoors. Today, that figure has surged even higher.
What It Takes to Grow Healthy Plants
Plants need an array of resources to grow strong and healthy. They also need those resources to produce fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Several essential elements come together to foster healthy plants. While they get those elements from Mother Nature when grown outdoors, indoor gardens need outside intervention. Indoor gardeners can see more at primal, but a few basic points are available below.
Water
It’s a well-known fact that plants need water; in fact, they’re mainly made of water. It allows them to draw nutrients from the soil through their roots. It also enables them to distribute moisture and nutrients throughout their stems and leaves. Without water, plants would not only dry out but essentially starve to death.
Nutrients
Nutrients are also crucial for plants. Generally speaking, plants primarily require nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Those are known as macronutrients because plants need them in large amounts. Plants also rely on a range of micronutrients, or vitamins and minerals needed in small amounts. Each nutrient plays a role in keeping plants healthy, helping them to grow, and allowing them to create flowers, vegetables, and other produce.
Light
Plants likewise need light to carry out photosynthesis. That’s the process plants use to make food and eliminate waste, such as oxygen. Some need different types of light at different times. They also need varying amounts of light.
Air
Air is yet another essential element for plants. They mainly draw in carbon dioxide from the air and use it in photosynthesis. Air also helps to regulate plants’ temperatures and discourage mold growth among other benefits.
Helping Indoor Plants Flourish
As mentioned, outdoor plants naturally receive the elements they need though they sometimes need a little help from their growers. On the other hand, indoor plants rely on gardeners for everything they need. That’s where grow equipment comes into play.
Grow lights come in many forms, including LEDs, fluorescent lights, metal halide lamps, and high-pressure sodium bulbs. Some provide blue light to help plants during their vegetative stages while others generate the red and orange light certain plants need during the flowering and ripening stages. Certain grow lights offer full-spectrum lighting to cover plants’ needs throughout the growing process.
Ventilation systems are also important types of grow equipment for indoor gardeners. They circulate air and remove toxins from indoor plants’ growing environments. They also aid in regulating temperatures and keeping excess moisture at bay.
Keeping Indoor Gardens Healthy
In addition to grow lights and ventilation systems, a range of tools is available to help indoor gardeners keep their plants healthy. Thermometers, moisture sensors, pH monitors, and a long list of other helpful equipment are on the market to ensure indoor gardens flourish just as well as outdoor ones. With time, attention, and the right tools on hand, indoor gardeners can see their plants through to fruition.
