asha3010
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:19 pm

Help with Indoor Gardening

Greetings,

I have recently moved to Romania and since I miss the herbs / vegetables from the Indian sub-continent, I thought I would take a shot at indoor gardening.

Unfortunately I have run into some problems and I do not know what I am doing wrong. The seeds (grean peas / corriander, fenugreek, ridge gourd to name a few) have sprouted but after a few days, the seedlings are either stunted or look a bit dull. For some of them, the tips of the leaves are turning yellow.

I have used potting soil purchased from the Garden store and mixed it with a little bit of the native mud which is clay-like; water & spray them regularly (no excessive watering). The pots have sufficient drainage and are placed next to the window. Though its cold outside, we receive plenty of sunlight from 9am to 3pm on most days. The windows are quite thick and do not get hot or cold depending on the temperature outside. The room temperature is about 25-26 degrees C.

Why are the seedlings not looking healthy and strong? Any help / guidance would be gratefully accepted.

Regards

thebean
Full Member
Posts: 57
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:07 pm
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

more light less water . seedlings need excessive light and not a huge amt of water. If kept moist the will do fine let them dry out just a little bit between waterings. a lot of light and good light is key here I believe.

good luck

asha3010
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:19 pm

Thanks for your response.

If there is no sufficient natural sunlight, how can I supplement it?

Many thanks
Asha

thebean
Full Member
Posts: 57
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:07 pm
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

There are specific grow lights that can be used (multiple varities). Any decent garden center can help you, or less expensively you can use a standard shop light and rig somthing up your self. search grow lights for plants

goodluck

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)

An inexpensive/immediate way to intensify the sunlight from windows would be to surround the pots with a standing cardboard screen covered with aluminum foil (not on the window side obviously, and making sure not to block the light). It helps to put aluminum foil on the surface the pots are sitting on as well. If you have mirrors, that works too. If you don't have shiny material, go with white. (Do you have those pillows or scarves decorated with little mirror disks? That might work too....)

HOWEVER, supplemental artificial lighting before and after natural light is essential because we're in the short days of the year (in the northern hemisphere, that is :wink: )



Return to “Container Gardening Forum”