How to Grow Indoor Plants with Minimal Space

A small space is just an excuse to get creative!

 

In the world of gardening, small spaces are never an excuse not to grow. That is true outdoors in your yard, and on the inside of your home as well. This is also a great opportunity to for new year, new plants. Living in a small space is just another reason to get creative. With our guide, you can enjoy the fresh air and vitality of houseplants, even in tiny rooms indoors!  

 

Small Space Indoor Gardening Tips 

1. Hanging Baskets: If shelf space is in high demand, the ceiling can help you bring greenery indoors. Hanging baskets give you the freedom to hang plants anywhere you have extra air space. Whether it’s a macrame hanging basket, or another kind, they allow you to grow greenery without using up any square footage. 

2. Window Boxes: The window sill is another garden waiting to blossom. With direct access to sunlight, it’s the perfect place to install a window box! These narrow planters fit snugly onto the sill, turning an unused area into a houseplant paradise. You can even combine them with hanging planters against the window above them. 

3. Vertical Planters: For indoor gardening in small spaces, consider getting a shelf specifically for houseplants. They vary in height and number of levels. The basic idea is to situate plants on top of each other, taking advantage of the vertical dimension, while keeping the horizontal plane free for other items.

  

4. Small Plants and Planters: In the world of houseplants, there is no shortage of small plants to tuck into the corner of a desk or bedside table. Succulents and cacti are some of the most famous and cutest of the smaller houseplants out there. They don’t need much water or care either. You can also look into dark indoor plants. Air plants are another favorite for small indoor spaces. They don’t even need soil or a pot, but absorb nutrients from the air, making them extra-compact!

 

5. Trailing Plants: With vining leaves, these plants can be trained to grow along walls, shelves, or to hang down from planters. They add greenery to an otherwise blank wall without taking up much volume in a room. Ivy, pothos, and philodendron are classic trailing plants that give you lots of leaves in minimal space. 

    

6. Edible Herbs: Want to grow fragrant and edible herbs that can boost your culinary game to the next level? Indoor herb gardens give you lots of value in small containers. Mint, cilantro, sage, chives, and rosemary are a few easy-growing herbs that thrive without much space. 

 

How to Maximize Light for Plants in Small Spaces 

When furnishing small rooms with houseplants, adequate light can pose as much of a challenge as space. Fortunately, there are ways to maximize lighting for indoor gardening in small spaces:

 

Reflecting with Mirrors

A well-positioned mirror can almost create as much light as another window. If you already have a mirror in your room, try repositioning it to reflect the sunshine from your window to your plants. Other reflective surfaces like shiny tiles also reflect light throughout a space.

 

Low Light Plants

Many houseplants can survive under low light conditions. Adapted for growing under a thick jungle canopy, they drink in light even when not directly in the sun, making them ideal for low light situations. These plants include snake plants, spider plants, philodendrons, calatheas, peace lilies, pothos, and ZZ plants.   

  

Grow Lights 

If you’re really ambitious, especially if you’re growing indoor herbs and vegetables, grow lights can step up the sunshine and bring rays into low lit rooms. These days, you can even grow lights that look and feel similar to ordinary lamps, allowing you to grow more plants without cluttering your space with extra lighting. 

 

Prune Your Plants

Just because you’re creating an indoor garden, doesn’t mean you have to let the plants take over. Regular pruning prevents plants from getting too big and frees up sunshine for more kinds of potted companions. 

 

Indoor Edible Gardens for Small Spaces 

Even in a small space, you can enjoy the revitalizing nutrition of homegrown vegetables. From the kitchen herb garden and beyond, here are some edible plants for small spaces: 

 

• Microgreens: With a tray of potting soil, seeds, and a spot near the window, you can grow your own microgreens in two weeks or less! These highly-nutritious sprouts are guaranteed to boost your energy and health, while adding delicious fresh greens to your daily meals. 

 

• Herb Garden: As mentioned above, growing herbs indoors is a great way to supplement your outdoor herb garden year round and is a great way to turn small spaces into a vibrant indoor garden oasis. Thyme, oregano, parsley, sage, cilantro, lemon balm, and tarragon are a few of the many choices to grow inside. 

 

• Salad Greens: You don’t have to wait until May to enjoy fresh salad greens. You can grow them indoors as well, as long as you have a sunny window. They do well in a window box or vertical planter with direct sunshine. 

 

As our furnaces bring us tropical temperatures indoors all winter, there’s no reason why we can’t let a few plants enjoy the cozy warmth, too. Even in a small apartment or room, there are many ways to create a thriving indoor garden. A small space is just an excuse to get creative. 

To see everything you need for indoor gardening in small spaces, come visit us at our garden center in Glenside, PA!