Green Thumbs Take To Planting Indoors In Thriving Organic Garden Boom
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Spring may have officially sprung, but it is still a bit too early to start your outdoor gardening.
A lot of people are taking their green thumbs inside, planting indoor, edible gardens, reports CBS2's Mary Calvi.
Toby Adams of the New York Botanical Garden says you don't need fancy equipment to build a thriving indoor organic garden.
All you need is a wooden box full of soil. Some, water and of course, a window that gets plenty of sun.
"At least six hours of direct sunlight, but (you) would do OK with less," said Adams.
Adams is the director of the garden's new Edible Academy, three acres of space dedicated to teaching people how take care of organic gardens both outside and inside.
"Some people think they may need a big space, but you can actually garden with limited space and obviously, that's of concern to people living in the city," said Adams.
He says growing edible plants and herbs indoors is becoming extremely popular. People can do it all year round, but now is the perfect time to start one.
First thing gardeners should figure out is the proper size of the container
A small pot should only fit one seedling so roots can expand, while a larger windowsill box could fit up to six as long as plants are at least four inches apart. Soil should then be mixed with compost.
"You want to fill it a little bit below the lip, so when you water it, it doesn't spill out," said Adams. "(Before planting), loosen up the roots with your hand."
Once it's planted, gently press down so roots can re-establish with soil. Adams says gardeners should also make sure water has a way to drain out of soil so it can dry in between watering.
"Most people who are challenged taking care of plants, aren't providing the optimum conditions in terms of drainage," Adams said.
For more information about New York Botanical Garden Edible Academy, see www.nybg.org/learn/edible-academy, or look on Eventbrite for tickets.