Show Me How to plant a garden

Dorm rooms and apartments may be small and leave little room for personal touches, but one way to add flair to your space is by planting an indoor garden.

In order to ensure your private garden thrives, the Daily Lobo met with “Madelyn,” a gardener at Rehm’s Nursery and Garden Center on Lomas Boulevard to learn how to plant a garden in a small space.

Step 1
Determine which direction your windows face before you begin gardening.

If your window faces north, you won’t have as much sunlight, so your choice of plants is limited, unless you purchase plant-growing lights. If your window faces south, consider plants that will tolerate constant sunlight, such as cactuses, because the harsh light will damage most plants. Western and eastern facing windows are ideal because sunlight is less harsh and won’t harm your plants.

Step 2
Consider watering patterns.

College students are often busy, so you may want to choose plants that are easier to maintain, such as succulents, which require almost no care whatsoever. You can ask a representative at your local nursery, or check on the back of the seed package.

Step 3
Pick a potting soil.

Fertilizer chemicals can burn potted plants, so stay away from potting soil with fertilizer mixed in. If you do choose to fertilize, only do so once a year, and be sure to use half as much fertilizer as the instructions recommend.

Step 4
Don’t overwater.

The trickiest part to making your garden thrive is using the proper watering technique. Overwatering is the number one killer of plants. When watering any kind of plant, make sure that the water doesn’t pool below the plant in the pot. Be sure to pay attention to watering instructions for each plant in your garden, because some plants require special watering techniques, such as ferns, which should be misted rather than watered directly onto the soil.

Step 5
Choose indoor plants for indoor gardens.

Repot your plants at least every other year.

When repotting, don’t increase the size of the pot any more than two inches in diameter.

Use terra-cotta pots to ensure airflow through the soil.
Use drainage pans beneath your pots to keep excess water from running.