Apartment Gardening: A step by step guide to set up your own urban farm

Being in a metropolitan city, one can only think of growing plants according to the size of their balcony. But if you don't have the privilege of a balcony, apartment gardening is your go-to option. There are some plans and strategies required before you think of setting up apartment gardening. Right now, people are growing everything from chives and rosemary to lemons and tomatoes in their apartments, and you can do it too! Check out this six-step guide to set up your own urban farm. 

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How To Grow Lush And Healthy Plants In Your Apartment

Sunlight

Most of the fruits and flower plants need a full day of sunlight, which is six to eight hours of daylight. However, it is quite difficult in apartments. You need to place the pots where they receive a maximum period of sunlight. Balconies and rooftops stand the best chance of offering full sun. However, if you don't have one, you can place or hang them in your windows. 

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Soil

Plants depend on the soil they are planted in for water, air, and nutrients. Since in apartment gardening you will grow in containers, you cannot use ordinary garden soil. It will compact in pots, preventing water from flowing through and there will be no space for air. To avoid this, a good well-draining potting mix is necessary. 

Water

Container plants need more water compared to the open garden. You will have to water your plants several times a day. Consider purchasing a hose that can be attached to a sink drain. It’s handy when you need it and can be folded when you don’t.

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Humidity

Humidity is needed to be adjusted for apartment gardening. If you are growing your plants on an indoor windowsill, you will need to render some extra moisture when the heat is on. You can either do spritzing with a fine mist or place a water tray on a nearby radiator.

Wind

Apartment gardening in cities is mostly affected by wind issues like heavy wind flow or pollution. It can split through leaves and overturn top-heavy pots. You can either attach a wind block or use wide containers that anchor your plants.  

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Weight

Make sure your windows can handle the heaviness of soil in the pots. Window boxes will need to be secured at the window sill. Keep in mind that containers full of soil are heavy and once watered, they can increase the weight to triple times. 

Image Source - Unsplash by Kaufmann Mercantile