Bkbanks
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 3:34 pm

Re: what plants good for indoor gardening?

I'm in MD, zone 6. Ground is wet but hopefully dry enough to work soon. My lights are on chains that can be adjusted. I started them 2 inches above, and now have them about 8 inches above thinking they may have heated too much. I'll move them back down. Saw someone suggest a fan for circulation. I'll try that too. Watering has been a question. But lately I've been watching closely letting the top dry before watering. I kept it damp early on. Maybe that is the problem? I also have a few fungus gnats and trying to control with reduced watering and a tray of vinegar soap water solution. Could the gnats be responsible for the stunting?

Thanks so much for your help!

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

One more -- what kind of soil mix? Maybe they need to be fertilized. Seed starting mixes if that was used, have little to no fertility -- I really think it's partly intended to promote the chemical liquid fertilizer method. I'm also seeing way more un-decomposed bits of wood in potting mixes lately -- ones I use as well as ones people have been talking about on the forums. Which would deplete the nitrogen in the mix.

Since last fall, I have been using paper -- newsprint type typically used for packing -- to line bottoms of my containers (to keep soil mix from falling out) and also have used k-cups without removing filters. I think the slow growth and stunted growth I'm seeing is due to nitrogen lock up in the area especially when the feeder roots grow up to the paper. Repotting/uppotting in fresh growing mix or heavily fertilizing once to kick them back into growth seems to be working.

Lining the container with paper worked perfectly fine last spring when the containers were going out for the season -- I think because the direct contact with the soil meant the earthworms etc. moved right in and started breaking down the paper right away. But I think I won't be doing this for indoor and isolated from the ground containers any more.

Bkbanks
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 3:34 pm

You might be on to something...I used a cheepo potting soil mix and noticed it has lots of wood bits. I'll repot a few into a better soil mix to see if that does the trick. I'll report back. Thanks!



Return to “Vegetable Gardening Forum”