The mercury is rising and precipitation is predominantly in the liquid phase. It’s not time to put away your winter jacket just yet, but it is time to consider planning your garden. For those of us on campus or in apartments with time or space constraints, a small window box may satisfy your desire to garden and still produce something useful for the kitchen.
The first step is to find how much sun exposure your growing area receives. Choose a window with the most light; most plants need a few hours of direct sunlight per day and they often respond best to morning light. Don’t worry if your spot receives less light — this just means you will have slower growth rates and smaller overall plants.
Next decide what you would like to grow. Would you like a few small flowers to brighten up the room? How about some fresh herbs like basil or oregano? Perhaps you would just like a little green space on the windowsill? A study by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension suggested proximity to green plants reduces stress levels and others found that houseplants can improve indoor air quality. So whatever your reasons are, roll up your sleeves and prepare to get dirty.
Selecting pot size and growing medium is next on this spring’s to-do list. Larger pots will hold a greater volume of soil; more soil means more available nutrients, and all of this space and nutrients mean the root system will be larger. For most indoor plants, a small- to medium-size pot will work just fine. Opt for a 6- to 8-inch-diameter pot, or, better yet, try to get your hands on one of those long, rectangular pots that fit so well on a windowsill. Any material and color will work well.
Choosing the growing medium offers even more variables. Some people will use only the richest homemade compost. Others prefer a blend of compost and worm casings — look it up, it’s essentially very expensive poop. Everyone, however, can expect a reasonable amount of success with regular, old store-bought potting soil. If you plan on eating or cooking with any of your produce, try to find an organic soil, which has fewer potentially harmful petrochemicals and unnatural components. Also avoid fertilizers: they are expensive, smell terrible and are nasty on the environment during production.
Now it’s time to select your seed. This can be done with a minimal amount of time, money and knowledge. Just choose what you would like to have growing fresh right in your window. Obviously you won’t have room for an entire row of potatoes, and tomatoes are fairly difficult to grow from seed, so consider flowers and herbs. I love having a constant supply of fresh mesclun lettuce mix, and there is nothing tastier than pesto made from fresh, homegrown basil, but a small pot of alyssum may be just what you’re after.
Check out the seed selection at your neighborhood home and hardware store. If you want quality, certified organic seed my favorite suppliers are Territorial Seed Co. and Park Seed Co. You shouldn’t spend more than a few dollars, shipping included, and it’s always fun to pick something up at the on-campus post office, right?
Now comes the fun part: Put the soil in the pot, leaving about a half-inch to 1-inch between the soil line and the rim of the pot. Follow the planting instructions on the seed packet — usually place the seeds 1 to 3 inches apart and at a depth of one-quarter to one-half inch — but this will vary widely from plant to plant. Cover with soil, water and place it in the window. Give it water every week or so (or when the soil is dry to the depth of your first pinky knuckle) and you should be enjoying spring at least a week or two before it arrives outdoors!