When winter comes to Kansas City, it really comes! It transforms the city into a winter wonderland, but what about your precious plants? Will just sit and let your plants die in the cold, harsh winter or will you take measures to keep your plants lush and green even in January when much of the city is covered in snow?
Well, here are some tips we have that will you create a tropical haven inside your home and enjoy soothing greenery in harsh winter months.
Indoor Greenhouse
An indoor greenhouse does not have to be elaborate or expensive. As long as you can create the right growing environment and ensure proper lighting, ventilation, and humidity, you should not worry. Shelves can be easily installed with lighting for warmth and to offset the shorter days of winter.
Indoor Terrarium
Kansas City is full of homes with indoor terrariums. These little worlds in glass jars can give your home a unique and innovative appearance and also give you an opportunity to enjoy nature and its gifts throughout the year. At least an indoor terrarium takes away the worry of overwintering your plants, especially exotic tropical and sub-tropical plants. Just make sure you open the cover of the terrarium once every 2 to 3 days. This will help replenish carbon dioxide levels.
Indoor Container Gardening
Another mode of plant survival is the basic indoor container garden. Depending on the type of plant and its light requirements (full shade, part sun, or full sunlight), a ledge by a window is all that you will need to keep your plants fresh for spring. Use this gardening to grow succulents, annuals, herbs and perennials to get the pleasure of being surrounded by greenery and healthy plants even when the ground outside is covered with snow.
Starting an Indoor Garden:
When beginning your indoor garden – whether starting from seed or plants with already-established root systems – keep in mind these five basic tips when researching what your plants need to make it till Spring:
- Soil – some plants (succulents, for example) can survive in dry, sandy soil with few nutrients. Others need enriched soil to thrive.
- Water – Few plants require daily watering. Watering needs can range from a light misting every other day to a hardy watering once a month.
- Sunlight – Plant demands for daylight are divided into three categories: full shade, part sun, or full sun.
- Fertilizer – Whether your plant needs fertilizer or not depends on their soil requirements – as well as whether you are keeping them in a small container year-round or if the ground they grow in is able to replenish its nutrients from elsewhere.
- Trimming – Some flowering plants (notoriously the common petunia) demands consistent “pinching” of the dead blooms. A failure to do so will result in rotting leaves and stalks – and less blooms. (Many other varieties, of course, require no trimming at all.)
We hope you enjoyed our tips to have your very own indoor greenhouse. We are not experts on gardening, of course, although we can grow a plant or two, when required. At Bill West Roofing, our main “green” specialty is green roofing – yet another way to protect the environment through every aspect of construction and home ownership. Talk to our professionals today for more information on how our green roofing practices have made a difference in the Kansas City community.
Bill West’s Green Roofing Services