As I get older, I realize the horrible things that are being put in our food. The GMOs, the gluten, and not to mention how bad corn syrup is for the body in the quantities that it’s placed in our foods and drinks. It’s scary and me being aware means I’m just getting older aka wiser in my ways. Today I’m sharing my solutions to the scary food industry, at least part of my solution for the family anyways.
- Grow light with stand.
- 5 Plastic Containers
- Happy Frog Organic Potting Soil
- Organic Potting Mix – I used to start my seedlings.
- Green Seeds & Herb Seeds
- Tiered Container for Container Garden
- Optional: Sunnydaze Decor Greenhouse
While I’ll always have room for growth, being of the growth mindset type, today I’m going to focus on the things I’m doing today to make changes for tomorrow. I’m growing veggies, fruits, and herbs indoors. We started the seeds sometime in January 2022 and shared the process of our homeschool container garden with friends of our homeschool world.
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Today? I wanted to share some insight, tips, and products we’re using plus a bonus on how I killed my container garden plants with non-organic soil from Home Depot. Boo 🙁
So, where to start? Oh, why did I want to start an indoor container garden?
I am a mom. My kids are 19, 15, and 13. Some things I never got to accomplish before my firstborn moved out. Such as having a garden bounty, land owned, and whatnot but so is life. It moves quickly! No matter what though, I’m still a mom with goals. Whether my kids are grown and flew the coupe or they’re here living under my roof; I want to provide the best imperfect example of being a human being.
Growing an indoor garden is part of a few small goals I have:
- To be more self-sustainable.
- To prove I don’t have a forever black thumb 😉
- To provide my kids and as many others with fresh veggies, fruits, and herbs.
- To learn something new and show everyone “an old dog can learn new tricks”.
- Last, but not least, to have fresh options for a healthier lifestyle.
What did you buy to get started with an indoor container garden?
I’m so glad you asked! I’m working on getting a nice greenhouse perhaps from Sunnydaze Decor to use outside with my containers or perhaps a smaller sized one to use indoors. Either way, I don’t have a greenhouse setup … yet!
I do, however, have some pretty awesome products that are helping my seedlings grow grow grow …
Grow Light with Stand
The Full Spectrum Plant Light is equipped with 100 high-efficiency LEDs that emit full-spectrum light from 380nm up to 800 nm, which makes it perfect for indoor houseplants. This plant sun offers increased luminous efficacy and reduces your electric bill at the same time!
Homenote Plastic Planters
These stylish white pots for indoor plants come in five different sizes, which are perfect if you’re looking to plant a variety of small and medium-sized herbs, veggies, and plants.
Fox Farm Happy Frog Organic Potting Soil Mix Indoor Outdoor Garden Plants
What’s the best way to make sure your potted plants are happy and healthy? Happy Frog Potting Soil, of course! It’s amended with organic soil that can help improve root efficiency as well as encourage nutrient uptake.
Organic Potting Mix by Perfect Plants for All Plant Types
This is the potting soil that I started the container garden with and our seedlings sprouted super fast. I just bought the soil that’s above this one recently as I tried the potting soil from Home Depot and killed my poor seedlings. I believe that you need a nutrient-rich organic type of potting mix when growing plants indoors. This helps them get all of the nutrients they’d typically get when planted in the ground outside.
Heirloom Non-GMO Lettuce and Greens Seeds Variety Pack for Outdoor and Indoor Gardening & Hydroponics
5000+ SALAD GREENS SEEDS VARIETY PACK – You will find everything you need to grow your own home garden and feed your family healthy: Blue Curled Kale Seeds, Bloomsdale Spinach Seeds, Buttercrunch Lettuce Seeds, Green Oak Leaf Lettuce Seeds, Cimarron Red Romaine Lettuce Seeds, Iceberg Lettuce Seeds, Bibb Lettuce Seeds, Arugula Seeds, Swiss Chard Seeds, Prizehead Lettuce Seeds.
Survival Garden Seeds Herb Collection II Seed Vault
Inexpensive Grow Light Option for Beginners: Koicaxy Grow Light for Indoor Plants
Growing herbs is an excellent way to add some flavor and nutrients to your diet. Freshly picked herbs can also be dried or frozen for long-term storage. Safe, non-hybrid non-GMO heirloom seeds proudly sourced in the USA for your family to plant and grow for years to come. Open-pollinated, naturally grown, and selected to ensure the best germination rates.
They say that plants need light to grow, but what they really mean is 360° surround lighting. With these lights on your desk, you can guarantee every plant gets the best shot possible at promoting good growth! The full spectrum range spans 460nm-660 nm which covers all of its needs—and more importantly helps them shine bright in any situation (or weather).
Vertical Indoor Herb Garden, Stackable Planter Pots
The above container is what I used to start my seedlings, however, I am linking to a comparative one because the one above is no longer available online to purchase. This is an excellent potion to start your container garden and then transplant the ones that need larger containers. For example, we just went to Home Depot to buy some super large containers to move our garlic, watermelon, cantaloupe, and cucumbers over to.
5 Important Tips to Grow Healthy Food in Containers
Gardening has become more popular among people of all ages. It is great to get outside and enjoy some fresh air while spending time with your family, but did you know that you don’t actually need a huge yard in order to grow food? You can grow healthy food in containers, even if you live in an apartment or condo!
How deep should a container be for a garden?
While the size of your container will depend on the size of your family, it is important to remember that the bigger your container the better. For families with one or two people, a 16-gallon container works great. A 55-gallon container is ideal for families with four people or more.
What should you grow in containers?
There are many vegetables and fruits that work well in containers. Tomato plants grow especially large, so they require a larger container. Pepper plants can also get very tall, but don’t need as much space as tomato plants do.
Some great options for container gardening include:
Tomatoes.
Tomatoes are one of the most popular foods to start growing in containers. They need plenty of sunshine and can grow very large, so make sure to plant them in a container that is at least 16 gallons.
Peppers
Pepper plants grow similarly to tomato plants and require lots of sunlight. Pepper plants tend to be shorter than tomato plants, which means they do not need as big of a container.
Carrots
While carrots can be grown in both large containers and garden beds, they work especially well in containers. This is because carrots are naturally shallow rooted, which means they do not require a lot of space. Carrots grow quickly, so it’s best to plant them in a container that has plenty of room for growth.
Lettuce
While lettuce can technically be grown in a garden bed, it does best when grown in containers. Lettuce is one of the fastest-growing vegetables and grows best when planted every week or so. This means that you need to always have room for another container if you want to grow lettuce.
How should I place my container?
It is important to keep in mind that your container will get very heavy once it is full of soil and growing plants. If you place your garden where it cannot support the weight, there’s a good chance that the soil will spill out all over the floor when you try to move it.
Instead, look for a location near a patio or another sturdy surface that you can use to hold up your container.
Selecting plants for containers
Most vegetables, flowers, and herbs are grown in containers. Small and compact cultivars have good qualities for smaller pots. Select plants that match the climate and the amount of light that the containers receive.
Combine upright plants and trailing plants, edibles, and flowers to create a stunning color effect and attract the viewer’s interest. Container gardeners can enjoy it once a year without destroying the plants, or it is designed to last a lifetime.
Now that you have all of the information you need, and a list of the products I used to start my container garden for homeschool and family life; it’s time for you to use these tips to get started with your indoor garden today!