Many plants can be grown from grow bags inside your garden shed instead of being planted outside. Here, an expert shares five top tips to get your indoor produce thriving
If you’re wanting to grow your own fruit and vegetables, it can be very overwhelming to know where to begin, especially with the UK’s unpredictable weather which can make things more challenging.
Luckily, there are many plants that can be grown indoors, whether on a kitchen windowsill, in a potting shed, or in a greenhouse. To help those who are looking to begin their growing journey, potting shed expert Sam Jenkinson, from garden building retailer Tiger, has shared his expert advice for growing fruit and vegetables from your garden shed.
Use grow bags to grow vegetables
Many plants can be grown from grow bags inside your garden shed instead of being planted outside. For example, you can create a potato tower in a bag that can be grown vertically which is great if you have limited space.
Not only does this save you space, but it also helps at harvesting time, as instead of having to dig through the soil, you can just empty your bag and separate the vegetables. To help your plants thrive from their grow bag, keep the soil moist and position them near a window as they love sunlight. If you don’t have space near a window, you can also buy a grow light which will do the same job.
Rotate your plants
By regularly rotating your plants that are growing indoors, you are providing them with a balanced exposure to sunlight. This is crucial when growing plants from your potting shed as they typically have windows along one side of the building.
Rotating your plants is an easy fix to encourage even growth on all sides, resulting in healthier looking specimens as well as helping your plant’s ability to photosynthesis effectively which will result in tastier fruit and vegetables.
Use food scraps
Forget throwing away your food scraps. The stems butts and seeds from many common fruits and vegetables can be turned into a fresh new plant, with the addition of soil, water, and sunlight. Foods such as garlic, celery, peppers, tomatoes and strawberries can all be grown from scraps.
Instead of taking up space in your home, you can plant these alongside the window in your potting shed which will give them enough light and warmth to germinate and grow into new plants. You can then transfer these into a bigger container once they emerge.
Grow herbs
Herbs need a lot of natural light, so placing them alongside your window in your potting shed is perfect for helping them grow. They need at least four hours of sun daily but can also flourish with grow lights.
Observation is key as you only need to water most herbs when the soil surface is visibly dry. When watering them, do so with room temperature water instead of cold tap water as this will shock them!
Grow vertically
Make the most of the limited space by utilising vertical gardening techniques. You can grow herbs in hanging baskets, use tiered shelves that hold multiple plants or install a vertical fabric growing system. This will allow you to grow more fruit and veg without having to sacrifice floor space.