The temperatures are freezing, snow has arrived and winter is here. By now, you should be done with all of your outdoor tasks and you have nothing pending until the beginning of spring when the snow will thaw and you can get started with your gardening all over again.

While it is too cold outside and the ground is completely frozen and impossible to work with, it does not mean that you cannot grow fresh vegetables. Surprised? Let us see how you can do this. If you could follow a few simple rules, you could have a garden right inside your home.

If you think about it, for a plant to grow, what you need most is good soil and light. As regards soil, you could fill some in a window sill box or containers made of plastic, wood, ceramic or even clay.

Place them where you can get plenty of sunlight from a southern window as this is the direction from which you get daylight in winter. If there is no particular window from which you get sunlight in your home, then move these pots around to catch the maximum sunlight.

And, if this too is not possible make use of artificial light. They can be used in addition to natural light for up to sixteen hours a day. The quality of soil and the proper mix that you use will also determine the health and growth of your plant.

An ideal nutritious soil mix would consist of equal parts of soil, sand, vermiculite and peat with small quantities of lime and phosphates thrown in. Water is very important too. Ensure that you pour water at room temperature or warm water in order to maintain the health of the roots so that your plant can grow well.

There are many fast growing types of vegetables which you can replant as soon as you have harvested your produce. You could also grow your plants in a certain time lag so that you have a constant supply of your favorite vegetables. Lettuce, carrots, beets and radish can grow very well indoors.

If your pot is small, ensure that you plant something that does not grow too rapidly. If you have large pots, you could even grow your own onions, garlic, shallots and cloves. What's more, if you have a really deep vessel, you could even try your hand at growing potatoes. Potatoes of course take a long time to grow but when you harvest you can get some really young new baby potatoes home grown!

Imagine that! For those of you who are willing to go the extra mile and be a little more adventurous, you can even grow dwarf variety of tomatoes and peppers. People are even known to have grown orange trees inside their homes.

You will require a really deep pot and you will also need to help your plants along for pollination. When your indoor plants start to flower, you need to brush them or shake them up to ensure transfer of pollen grains.

Indoor plants are very attractive with beautiful flowers and leaves. The fruit produced by indoor plants are much smaller but equally plentiful. I think we have give you all the input to get you excited and started.

The very thought of growing your own fresh vegetables for a salad or a broth in the confines of your own home during the biting cold of winter can definitely add a lot of warmth to your days!

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Planting Organic Vegetables

If you've become part of the organic food movement because you want to live a healthier lifestyle, you may have found that eating this way costs more than just buying your food anywhere. All of a sudden, your food bills have been rising, and just because you want to eat what comes out of the ground in your local area and you don't want it grown with toxins.

It seems like a situation you just can't win, but there is a solution. That's exactly when you may want to consider putting in your own vegetable garden. With your own garden, you'll be able to harvest your own vegetables that you've grown without pesticides. You'll have the sense of accomplishment from picking your own produce, plus save money while knowing that everything you eat is all natural.

The first step is to think about which vegetables you actually cook with on a regular basis. There's no sense in growing green peppers if you and your family really don't like them. Grow what you love or think you'd like to try and then you won't be wasting your time and energy. Put in some herbs, too, like basil and oregono if you use them on a regular basis. It's always a treat to use fresh rather than dried herbs.

Decide where you want to put your garden and see what the soil is like there and how much sun the plot gets. Measure that against the vegetables and herbs you want to grow and see if it has the conditions you need. You do need enough sunlight for most to grow well and you need a soil that's rich enough to sustain good growth. If the area that has these conditions is small, consider a container garden that you can start with very little space.

Then decide when to plant because different plants need different timing. Some need to be planted in early spring, other in late spring, and others not till summer. Once you know what will be planted next to what, decide on how to keep the various plants separate from each other. There are decorative partitions you can buy or you can make little flags or signs so that you remember where things are in your garden.

If you plan well, after a few weeks you'll be picking your own fresh tomatoes, peppers, basil, and whatever else suits your cooking and eating style. Sure, you can go to the supermarket and get these things, but they've been grown with toxins that make them easier to grow and harvest. They've often been transported from far away and have lost much of their nutritional value by the time you get them.

Organics are considered by most people in the know to be the best, and growing your own organic produce is an amazing way to eat well and stay in touch with nature.

Learn more about Stihl Trimmers.