There are a lot of people that hate to see the gardening season come to an end every year with winter. This is a big hobby among a lot of Americans. "The exact number of people on planet Earth who garden remains to be exactly calculated, but the increasing interest of gardening, for various reasons, is hard to deny. Poll numbers taken in 2008 show that up to 43 million households reported they planed to grow some type of their own food, and increase pf approx. 19% from the year prior." (Excerpt from ask. com). There are a lot of people who have not looked at the possibility of gardening indoors year round. With a couple of steps and some planning it is possible to keep the most avid gardener busy in the winter months.
Of course there is always planning to do before starting any garden. A couple of things that will be needed are as follows: A good area to lay out your garden which can either be a utility room or a warm basement. Seed trays are a necessity as goes with a good starter soil. An electric heating mat will be useful in helping the seeds germinate if the plants aren`t transplanted from the outdoors. Interior growing lights will help to feed the seeds uv rays after they have sprouted.
After you have laid out your area, its time to plant. Always check your seed packet recommendations when it is a good time to plant. Starting seeds outside first can always be difficult with how the weather changes before the winter months. As mentioned before, starting seeds indoors isn`t that hard with a heating mat. A heating mat will give the seed a good start and guarantee germination when the soil remains warm. After the seed has sprouted is a good time to install the growing lights and have them remain on 15-17 hrs a day. A crucial time to monitor the soil moisture comes into play once the lights are starting to be used. The lights do help the plant but in turn can suck the moisture away just like the sun. A seed tray cover can help to retain moisture in the soil. Daily watering is a good thing to practice with indoor seedlings. The heat mat can be removed at this time once the seeds have sprouted and the lights and watering have been applied.
This a good way to extend you harvest season year round and to always have gardening at your finger tips.
