6. PROVIDE REGULAR MAINTENANCE TO YOUR GARDEN

Now that your window garden is planted, there's only one small task remaining: keeping the sucker pretty. Caring for plants is easier than caring for a pet or a spouse, so quit whining and read:

Water your garden regularly
Fertilize your garden
Dead-heading
Pinching and pruning new growth
Cultivate your soil

Water your garden regularly

Regularly does not mean "whenever you remember" or "every third Tuesday." Your garden needs to be watered almost every day, perhaps even twice a day in hot summer weather. The only way to know whether or not your garden needs water is to check the soil each day. Stick your finger an inch into the soil, and see if the soil is moist down there. If the soil is waterlogged, you can skip a day or two (constantly wet soil prevents the roots from taking up air). Otherwise, the soil should be moist about an inch below the surface. If it isn't, your plants aren't getting enough water. Don't forget to wash your finger.

To water properly, position the spout of your watering can at the base of the plant before pouring to prevent too much sudden force. Use tepid water, which plant roots absorb more quickly than cold water. Excessively hot water may scald the plant, and excessively cold water can shock the plant's system.

Fertilize your garden

Fertilize the first time you water after transplanting and then every two weeks thereafter. Fertilizer is necessary in window gardens because nutrients are drained from the soil. Fertilizer is available in both chemical and organic forms to suit your personal philosophy, but the most important part of fertilizing is mineral ratio. Use a fertilizer with 15-30-15 ratio. What do these numbers mean?

  • The first number refers to nitrogen, which promotes lush growth.

  • The second number refers to phosphorous, which governs root development, bud-set, color, disease resistance and maturation.

  • The third number refers to potassium, which is responsible for general vigor.

Yes, we realize that 15% + 30% + 15% add up to 60%, but that's because the rest of the fertilizer is composed of filler (that is, dirt and trace minerals). If you can't find a 15-30-15 mix, then use similar ratios (5-10-5, 10-20-10, etc.) to emphasize stem growth and root development. Too much nitrogen gives you lush foliage but few flowers.

Dead-heading

It has nothing to do with communing with Jerry Garcia. Rather, "dead-heading" is the removal of dead, dying, or faded flowers and their stems from your plant to discourage it from sapping the energy from the rest of the plant. Dead-heading forces your plants to send up new flowers, and it also keeps it looking neat and well-tended.

Pinching and pruning new growth

To force thicker foliage in perennials and trailing plants, occasionally pinch off the new growth at the end of a stem or vine (known as "terminal growth"). The plant will respond by sending thicker growth along the side buds (known as "radial growth").

Cultivate your soil

Aerate your soil by occasionally poking gently with your cultivator/kitchen fork. Mulching the top layer of soil 1) helps it hold in water, 2) protects against sun, and 3) prevents weeds from rooting. Be especially cautious about weeds-you should remove weeds by pulling them from the base of their stems to guarantee removal of the root system. If your plants become infested with pests or insects, you may have to spray with insecticide. Bear in mind, however, that insecticides will also kill beneficial insects (like ladybugs) and attractive insects (like butterflies). So we suggest that you first try to eradicate pests by misting the plants with hot water before resorting to chemical sprays. Yes, hot water is bad for plants, but bugs are worse.

You now have a window garden that will make your house the envy of everybody else on the block. Even if you don't create a spectacular garden your first time out, there's always next season.