Julie Bawden-Davis - Indoor Gardening the Organic Way How to Create a Natural and Sustaining Environment for Your Houseplants

I am grateful to Brooke Taggart of PlantIt Earth for her guidance during the writing of this book. The seeds for the concept of gardening indoors organically were planted during our conversations over the years. I would also like to thank my daughter, Sabrina, for helping to create the book I envisioned by drawing such beautiful illustrations, my sons, Danny and Jeremy, for their helpfulness and patience during the long writing process, and my husband, Greg, who always understands my vision and constantly supports and encourages my writing dreams.

Charleys Greenhouse & Garden

www.charleysgreenhouse.com

Catering to greenhouse growers, this company has a variety of useful items, such as lighting systems, meters (for pH, moisture, and light), hydroponic growing supplies, root stimulants, propagation supplies, indoor hoses, self-watering systems, and potting benches.

Dr. Earth

www.drearth.com

For years this forward-thinking company has produced organic, biologically active soils and fertilizers containing mycorrhizal fungi and other beneficial soil microbes. They also carry organic insecticidal sprays.

EB Stone

www.ebstone.org

Here youll find biologically active soil that includes mycorrhizal fungi and humic acids. They also carry organic fertilizers, including liquid fish emulsion and kelp meal, and some organic pesticides.

GardeningZone.com

www.gardeningzone.com

This company carries a wide variety of beneficial insects for the indoor garden, as well as composting worms.

Healthy Houseplants.com

www.healthyhouseplants.com

An informative website covering all aspects of gardening indoors organically. There are articles on houseplant care, as well as features on new developments in indoor gardening, and a plant encyclopedia.

PlantIt Earth

www.plantitearth.com

This all-organic resource carries a wide variety of indoor garden products, including fertilizers and pest control, root stimulants, natural rooting hormone, soil additives such as pumice, hydroponic growing mediums and supplies, indoor lighting systems, and tools such as moisture and pH meters.

Rincon-Vitova Insectaries

www.rinconvitova.com

This company has many beneficial insects for the indoor garden.

TerraCycle

www.terracycle.net

This innovative company carries an all-purpose plant food made from liquefied worm compost. The convenient, ready-to-use spray is great for foliar feeding, and its even packaged in recycled soda bottles.

Worms Way

www.wormsway.com

As its name implies, this company carries worm castings, as well as worm farm supplies. They are also a good source for other organic fertilizers, including compost tea, hydroponic growing supplies, and HID lighting systems.

The secret to growing a lush indoor garden is nurturing plants that readily withstand the vagaries of indoor life. Ive seen many books that encourage readers to grow a variety of outdoor and very tropical plants indoors. While Im sure that someone, somewhere can grow such plants, Im not including them in this encyclopedia. The following are true houseplants that can be grown indoors by anyone, anywhere for an extended period of time. Some of these plants are more particular than others, but all generally survive in the indoor garden. Give them the organic treatment and theyll thrive.

This is not to say that I discourage growing exotics indoors. I have several. Just try specialty plants in limited doses. Master growing one before trying another.

For ease of use, the plants listed here are divided into specific categories: Foliage Plants, Vines and Climbers, Large and Tall Plants, and Flowering Beauties. Soil mixes noted can be found in chapter 2. In terms of pH for soils, acidic refers to a reading of 6.006.50, neutral is 7.00, and alkaline refers to a reading of 7.007.50. See chapter 5 regarding lighting intensity.

Asparagus Fern ( Asparagus densiflorus Sprengeri)

Light: Medium to bright

Moisture: Water when soil surface dries

Humidity: 5080%

Soil: Fern mix;

Fertilize: Spring/Fall

Care: Easy

pH: Acidic

Cast-Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)

Light: Low to medium

Moisture: Water when soil is almost dry

Humidity: 3070%

Soil: Humus-rich mix; extra perlite or pumice

Fertilize: Spring/Fall

Care: Easy

pH: Neutral

Coleus ( Coleus hybridus )

Light: Medium to bright

Moisture: Keep soil evenly moist

Humidity: 6080%

Soil: Humus-rich mix

Fertilize: Spring/Summer

Care: Moderate

pH: Neutral

Birds Nest Fern ( Asplenium nidus )

Light: Medium to bright

Moisture: Keep soil evenly moist

Humidity: 5080%

Soil: Fern mix

Fertilize: Spring/Fall

Care: Moderate

pH: Acidic

Chinese Evergreen ( Aglaonema modestum )

Light: Low to medium

Moisture: Water when soil surface dries

Humidity: 5080%

Soil: Humus-rich mix

Fertilize: Spring/Fall

Care: Easy

pH: Neutral

Croton ( Codiaeum species )

Light: Medium to bright

Moisture: Keep soil evenly moist

Humidity: 6090%

Soil: Humus-rich mix

Fertilize: Year-round

Care: Moderate to challenging

pH: Acidic

Dumb Cane ( Dieffenbachia hybrids )

Light: Medium

Moisture: Water when soil surface dries

Humidity: 5070%

Soil: Humus-rich mix

Fertilize: Year-round

Care: Easy to moderate

pH: Neutral

Maidenhair Fern ( Adiantum species )

Light: Medium

Moisture: Keep soil evenly moist

Humidity: 6090%

Soil: Fern mix

Fertilize: Year-round

Care: Moderate to challenging

pH: Acidic

Peacock Plant ( Calathea zebrina )

Light: Medium to bright

Moisture: Keep soil evenly moist

Humidity: 6080%

Soil: Humus-rich mix

Fertilize: Spring/Fall

Care: Moderate

pH: Neutral

Jade ( Crassula ovata )

Light: Bright