Troubleshooting a Windowsill Garden

An indoors windowsill garden can be pretty easy to manage and maintain. Even the least green fingered among us can give it a go. But there will be times when not everything goes according to plan. Your plants may fail to thrive, and if they don't, you need to know how to go about troubleshooting a windowsill garden. If pests are the culprit, it will usually be able to see. For example, you may see aphids or other insect pests on the plants. But often, the cause of the failure is not as immediately apparent. If your plants are not doing so well, here are five things to consider:


Consider Your Watering Regime


Watering too much, or watering too little, is the number one cause of problems in an indoors container garden. It is important to understand that not all plants require the same watering regime. It is imperative that you understand the plants that you are trying to grow, how much water they require, and how water requirements change over the course of the year.


Consider Extreme Temperature Fluctuations


Another common cause of problems in an inside windowsill garden is extreme temperature fluctuations. Consider – are your plants experiencing a huge plunge in temperature at inopportune times? Are they located too close to a radiator or other artificial heat source that is causing temperatures to get too high, or range to widely?


Consider Ventilation


Temperatures could also rise to high if there is a lack of ventilation. Indoors plants sometimes suffer if there is not enough air flow where they are located. Can you create a through-breeze on warm summer days? Inadequate ventilation can also often cause disease to thrive.


Consider Low Light Levels


In winter, low light levels can cause plants in a windowsill garden to become leggy and weak. Think about whether plants can be moved so as to maximise the light they get during the coldest months and, if this is still not enough, consider investing in some low-cost LED grow light strips, which could give your indoors plants just the boost they need to truly thrive.


Consider Fertility


Finally, it is important to remember that plants grown in containers can quickly use up the nutrients at their disposal. If plants seem weak and lacklustre, it could simply be that they need a boost when it comes to fertility. You may need to re-pot plants or top up containers with fresh compost. But you could also consider making and using organic home-made liquid feeds to fertilise the plants.


Not all problems have easy solutions when it comes to any garden. But thinking through the five main issues described above could help you get to the bottom of any problems in your windowsill garden.