My #1 rule for gardening outdoors is simple but powerful: put the right plant in the right spot.
My #1 rule for indoor gardening is the same. Plant location is paramount and, further, light is the most crucial need to supply.
Plants need light. Why is light essential to plant health?
Because we humans run on food, we tend to think that plants depend on fertilizer (as "food") in a very fundamental way. Certainly they do, but plants derive most of their energy from light. ~ Barbara Pleasant, The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual
In the presence of the complex, green pigment called chlorophyll, plants have the awesome and unique ability to carry out the process of photosynthesis. In the presence of sunlight, plants transform carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and sugar. This sugar is their source of food and energy.
If a plant doesn't receive enough light for adequate photosynthesis, it starves to death.
Assess light levels. Since, of course, you want healthy plants, let's evaluate light in the home. Address the following questions and understand their consequences should provide essential information. (Although artificial lighting is an option, most people depend on natural light from windows.)
• Which direction do windows face: east, west, south or north? East light in summer and winter (although weaker) is excellent as it is bright but never hot. West light in summer is harsh and scorching while in winter is fine light. Due to the extreme declination of the winter sun at our northern latitude, light from a south window is fairly weak while from that same window will be intense in summer. North windows in the winter provide almost no light but in summer offer enough light for many plants. • Is light blocked by awnings, roof overhangs or a covered porch? • Do trees block windows? Conifers could severely limit available light but deciduous trees will be bare during the peak indoor gardening season. • What color are the interior walls? Pleasant wrote: "In rooms with dark walls, good plant-growing space is limited to 12-24 in. from the windowpane, while rooms with light-colored walls can accommodate large plants, or plants placed more than 24 in. from the window."
What if the assessment shows that the best light in your home is under the big window in the living room where the couch is placed? Easy. Move the couch. Ditto for the awnings. Remove them.
Finally… In indoor gardening, portability should be a key consideration. I have trays in different sizes and styles that can be loaded up with plants and placed on different tables depending on the season.
Think also about portable furniture, such as shelves and plant stands, that can be moved easily from window to window and from inside to outside. About 30 years ago I bought a stainless steel wire Metro shelf that has been everywhere with me. Many, many plants have been grown on those shelves–and in various living rooms, kitchens, garden rooms and porches.
This also appeared in the Askov American, Askov, Minnesota.
