Any indoor gardeners here?

[niglefritz]

I like to try growing unusual things. I have tried a few different things outside and some unusual plants inside.

I have grown tomorillo, granadilla, passion fruit, star fruit, dragon fruit, pomagranate, citrus (not sure whether mandarins or lemons,  mango, pineapple, and some other things that I can't recall at the moment.

I will be trying sugar cane shortly. It is sitting beside me at the moment. I would also like to get some seeds for a plant that has red sap. It is called a dragon tree. You can buy the seeds at rarexoticseeds.com. I also did a search for dragon's blood, and found a great article on the usefulness of the sap: dragon plant sap I also want to start a banana plant and a baobab tree even if it never can get big here.

[Journey's End]

My house is usually too cold to grow anything inside. I do have two cherry tomato plants still producing, and I'm wintering a citronella plant.

[Fowler]

Our house is too dark. Person that built didn't plan out the window locations very well.

[niglefritz]

You know, our house is fairly cold. I try it anyway and try to out my plants in the most sunny location...if they are fine with that. If it doesn't work there, I just keep trying new locations.

Fowler. ..oh how I feel for you. I said that when we buy a house, it will always have to have lots of windows. I have lived in a place that hardly had any windows and it was awful. I enjoy the natural light myself and like to look out. I don't care for dark places. They either feel creepy or smothering. Also, I feel a place that has no plants at all feels dead, especially in the winter. I find it depressing actually.

Have you ever considered installing sun tunnels in your ceilings to bring in more light?

[Fowler]

I had to fix a leak in my sister's skylight once. After I got reading about them, I would never put anything like that in my roof. Sounds like they're just a leak waiting to happen.

Our problem isn't so much the number of windows as the placement. House is oriented east/west. Fair number of windows on these sides but most are in spots where you can't put a plant. No windows at all on the South side and I'm sure there is a special place in Heck for the person responsible.

[niglefritz]

I understand that sun tunnels don't have the same issues as sky lights...but never having had either, I have no experience there.

On a slightly different note, I finally got soil for my sugar cane. Soaked pieces last night and planted it this morning. Covered it with a garbage bag for darkness and put them in front of a vent. Growing them is supposed to be easy. We will see in 2 weeks.

[Peppygal]

Oh, I'm excited to hear how your sugar cane works out. I tried to do some researching on it, but couldn't seem to figure out how to do it here. Good luck!

[Fowler]

Where the Heck do you get sugar cane in February?

[niglefritz]

I found ours in SuperStore in the fruit/veggie section. I read that it is a part of Chinese New Year celebrations. This is the first year that I've ever seen it. The piece looked like a purple bamboo and was about 3 1/2' tall and 1 1/2" wide.

I have read that you can find them in Asian food stores. The best parts of the plant to get are the top sections. I have no idea what I have, but am hoping it works just the same. A local lady sprouted hers, so I am hopeful.

[niglefritz]

Peppygal, what were the issues that you were running into...lighting, soil...?

I never thought about it before, but I got some nut seeds for someone's snack bowl. I got raw walnut, almond, and hazelnut. I will see what I can find on these and try them too. Boy, I need more space...this experimenting could land me a strange, huge indoor forest one day.

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