The growing season is too short and I long for fresh vegetables year-round. Whilst most supermarkets have fresh produce (at a price depending on where it came from), there’s nothing quite like growing one’s own food, indoors or out, and enjoying the benefits of the harvest.
我在室内种植莴苣和草本植物已经取得了相当大的成功，但今年我决定尝试一些不同的东西。
What Made Me Grow Vegetables Indoors?
My green peppers were just starting to produce fruit when the first frost of the season threatened. I covered them for the night and allowed the next day’s warm sun to nurture them again. It was a temporary fix and even covered, some of the leaves turned black, touched by the cold of night. I could either enjoy the tiny green peppers on the plant and give up the rest to winter’s woes, or be adventurous and move my plants indoors.
我的几株青椒生长在又大又深的花盆里，所以我不需要把它们挖出来栽在花盆里——那样对它们的生长系统会造成太大的冲击。我选择了一个温暖的日子，把枯萎的叶子都剪掉，给植物(包括土壤)喷洒了杀虫肥皂，然后把它们拖到地下室的菜园里。
(Yes, my grow-op is perfectly legal and legit: I only grow flowering plants — I overwinter some of my geraniums under the grow lights — and edible fruits and vegetables like lettuce, herbs, and now green peppers.)
Within a week, my pepper plants were picking up. The once tiny peppers were growing bigger and there were dozens of blossoms promising more.
在接下来的几个星期里，原先的辣椒茁壮成长，但花却干枯脱落了。我是不是漏了一步?花朵是否期待着授粉的昆虫和鸟类将它们带到果实中?我的研究告诉我，青椒(以及所有的辣椒植物)都是自花授粉的植物。我应该模仿授粉过程来帮助花朵生长吗?我想试试也无妨。
One site suggested I take a cotton swab, wet the end, and then gently rub it around the inside of the flower buds. I tried the process on a few of the flowers, not wanting to risk all of them until I knew which way worked best. I was gratified with the results (though they were inconclusive) as within two weeks, I had peppers growing on both the cotton swab-treated flower buds and those I left alone. Hmm … I guess I’ll let them do their own thing next time. It’s less invasive and less time consuming.
这个实验看来会成功。我再也吃不到冬青椒了。这让我想到，在漫长的冬季，还有哪些植物可以在室内成功种植。
Benefits of Growing Veggies Indoors
Less Risk of Contamination
几年前我开始在室内种植莴苣。冬天我不怎么吃沙拉;我觉得它太凉了，比起沙拉我更喜欢汤。不过，我喜欢在三明治或汉堡里放点生菜。When purchasing lettuce in the store, not only is there the risk ofE. coli, and who knows what else, contaminating store-bought lettuce, but it doesn’t keep very well. So if I want a little bit of lettuce, buying it in the store usually ends up with the unfortunate waste of at least half the product. Yes, I could purchase bags of cut lettuces pieces, but I fear these have a greater risk of contamination than the heads of lettuce.
Growing a small quantity of lettuce indoors allows me to monitor the entire growing process, reassuring me that it’s safer, fresher, and healthier than anything I would find in the store. And it’s the perfect amount.
Produces The Right Amount
I progressed from lettuce to spinach and herbs for the same reasons. I wasn’t looking to produce a big crop, just enough for my own enjoyment. Besides, big crops would require big indoor space — of which I’m in limited supply. I always have a lot of creative projects on the go. Those projects and my baking and cooking take up considerable space. The indoor garden has to fit in corners here and there.
What Grows Best Indoors
我不打算生产大量的温室气体。我不得不提醒自己，在有限的空间和照明选择下，水果和蔬菜的根的生长将受到限制，这取决于使用的花盆的大小，农产品的数量将大大少于我在室外种植相同的食物。另外，农产品的大小可能会更小。我的青椒看起来可以长到我在户外收获的辣椒果实的一半大小。我的生菜叶子比较小，但我觉得它们更好吃。而且，我的西红柿可能也会更小。
Something else to consider is that everything grows more slowly indoors, but once things take root, so to speak, there’s a substantial harvest to enjoy.
Greens and Herbs
那么，该种什么呢?我已经开始放莴苣，韭菜，迷迭香，鼠尾草和罗勒。在第一次霜冻之前，我把一些小的大葱(小葱)种在室内，让它们和几周前我在花盆里种的大葱种子一起成熟。这是我种的青椒，当然，我还种了几株番茄(因为番茄占据了相当大的空间，我不想让太多的植物挤在我的室内花园中)。我还没有开始种菠菜的种子，但不要着急，因为漫长的冬天还在等着我。
Strawberries
Other plants that do well indoors are strawberries, carrots, and potatoes. Strawberries, like tomatoes, take up space, but in a hanging pot above my other indoor vegetables, it’s doable. Carrots and potatoes are an interesting idea. As root plants, they need deep pots (large fabric pots or the new fad of potato bags works well indoors) and lots of space. Not sure if it’s an option for me.
I’m sure there are other vegetables to consider. Whatever you enjoy fresh from your outdoor garden in the summer months is likely transferable and growable indoors during the winter months. All you need is deep pots, good soil, good light, and of course, space.
Location and Indoor Lighting Options
I’m lucky to have a sunroom, albeit a small one. However, that’s not always a viable option in the winter months as we tend to have long days of overcast weather with little sunlight. Plus, the new glass they use in windows these days often blocks the good rays needed to nurture plants.
Natural and Artificial Lighting
I’ve established several locations throughout the house and basement that benefit from a combination of sunlight (when there is some) and artificial, but plant beneficial, light. You can purchase all kinds of contraptions that include potting shelves and fluorescent grow lights. Hydroponic lights are another new fad as LED lights are starting to take over from the higher energy requirements of the fluorescents. The LEDs are as effective for growing plants — unless you lower the light too close to the top of the growing plants. This position makes it awkward and perhaps not as safe.
Pots and Soils
As for pots: The bigger and deeper, the better to simulate the outdoor root space that plant roots need to nurture their fruit. Plastic and clay pots work well, but there is also some benefit to using fabric pots (or bags as mentioned earlier for growing root vegetables). There’s a RhizoPot that is being promoted as eco-friendly and better for your plants. I haven’t used them yet, as I have lots of plastic and clay pots. May as well use what I have as it’s even less eco-friendly to dispose of the old to replace it with something new (seems counterproductive to me).
There are lots of soils to consider when growing vegetables indoors. I prefer nutrient-rich soil, one nurtured to benefit vegetable crops. Or you can mix your own soil, using compost from your outdoor garden and peat moss, and mixing it with regular soil. This is not my preferred method, as my conversion from outdoor to indoor garden happens quickly when the first frost warning ignites my need to move what I can.
Indoor Pests and Pets
是的，室内害虫需要考虑:霉菌、螨虫和永远好奇的家养宠物。尽量从锅底往水里倒，防止表面的微生物和霉菌滋生。Fungal gnats are a particular problem for me, but there are some tips I found helpful indealing with fungal gnats.
I may not be headed in the direction of making a living with my indoor crops, and I certainly won’t stop supporting local farmers, many with extensive greenhouses to grow substantial quantities of produce for local grocery stores (I always try to buy local when making my produce purchases). However, it’s rewarding to grow some of your own produce all year round. There’s definitely a psychological benefit to growing your own food. Not to mention, it makes for the interesting pastime of planting, watering, growing, harvesting, and of course, watching things grow. It’s good food for the body as well as the soul.
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