You don’t need to be a professional gardener to grow Lentils indoors.
Understanding the growth nature and the favorable environment where lentils do well, puts you in a better position to cultivate the plants indoors.
Even though it’s your first time or you had a bad experience, you can still grow productive lentils indoors.
Let me share with you my experience of growing lentils indoors in the past years:
To grow lentils indoors, fill a planter pot of 8 inches deep and 2 diameter with compost soil. Plant 2 – 3 lentil seeds on each pot. Each seed should be ½ inch deep into the soil. Then water after 5 hours of planting to keep the soil 1 inch deep moist. In addition, expose the lentil seeds to full lights immediately after watering.
The above is the quick summary of how to cultivate lentils in an enclosed space. In this article, I will discuss in detail how to go about growing Lentils indoors in the subsequent subheadings — and answer some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Let’s get started.
4 Factors To Consider When Growing Lentils Indoors
Several factors are important when growing lentils indoors. These factors also help to speed up the germination of lentils especially when they’re not planted on the ground.
The factors to consider are:
- The size of the planter pot
- The nature of the soil
- The effective of the growing light
- The watery system
Note: Most times, lentils that grow indoors sprout out in less than 10 days compared to the ones that grow in the garden.
Lentils belong to the pea family that doesn’t require much water to grow, but full sunlight. That’s while the plants blossom under a moderate water system but hardly will it survive under partial light.
At every growing stage, the way you supply these factors will determine the productivity of the plant.
Lentils could get stunted or die during the early stages if these factors aren’t implemented effectively.
For example, if you use an undersized pot to grow lentils indoor, the plant will not have enough space to spread its fibrous roots.
Therefore, you need to know the various sizes of pot (ideally, 8 inches deep and 2 cm in diameter pot) you can use to successfully cultivate lentils inside your house. Likewise, the quantity of water you supply at every growing stage matters a lot.
Now, let’s study each of the factors in detail.
#1. Use Planter Pot Of 8 Inches Deep To Grow Lentils Indoors
The pot size matters when growing lentils indoors. Choose the right size of pot if you want the plant to thrive or blossom.
Lentils need deep pot to have enough space to spread their roots and to hold nutrients.
So, you need a sizable pot of about 8 inches deep to grow lentils indoors. This should suffice whether you’re growing a single or multiple seeds.
Use Well-Drained Pot To Cultivate Lentils Indoors
Not all planter pots are good for indoor lentils. Some planter pots don’t drain out water rather they absorb the water.
Pots that absorb water cause lentils’ roots to rot since the plants thrive under drought.
On the other hand, Pots that don’t absorb water cause the plants to florish. Even though the plants don’t require much water (more on watering lentils later).
Planter pots that are built with a drainage feature are the best to grow lentils indoors. They help to drain out water, while holding the nutrients.
#2. The Nature of Soil (How to Mix Soil Components That Is Use To Grow Lentils Indoors)
Lentils are drought-resistant plants that thrive under heat but hardly germinate when grown in the wrong soil.
Lentils are more sensitive to soil than water. Not all types of soil support its growth and development. You need to know the components of the soil before using it. Otherwise, you will end up using the wrong soil to grow the plants.
Lentils Do Well in Dampen Soil With a pH Between 6.0 Acidic and 6.5 Alkaline
The plants need more acidic soil than alkaline soil. It means the composition of soil you’ll fill into your planter pot should be 6.0 acidic and 6.5 alkaline.
The component of the soil for growing lentils indoors is very important. Test the soil with pH before you use it to grow lentils indoors — the plants do well in both sandy and loam soil.
You need to properly mix the soil and filter of other debris that could retard lentils growth. After soil care, then planting takes place.
Lentils Needs 1-Inch Planting Spacing When Grow Indoors
Planting distance is very important, especially when growing the plants indoors.
The indoor weather conditions are different from outdoors. You can regulate the weather conditions indoors but hardly will you do that outdoors.
You have the right to conditions the type of weather they grow indoors. Planting spacing is very important irrespective of the indoors weather conditions.
For example, lack of planting spacing will make the plants not to develop properly especially during cold weather.
You need to maintain at least 1 inch planting space when using planter pots to grow lentil indoors. The 1 inch spacing will allow adequate ventilation between the plants.
Plant 2 – 3 Seeds On Each Pot
The maximum number of lentils seeds you can plant on each pot is 3. Planting too many seeds on one pot causes delay in growth.
Most people crowd their planting pots with lentils, which cause air and light not to circulate properly. Also they’ll germinate but produce low quantity seeds compared to when the pot is not crowded with seeds.
For example, when using 8 diameter pots, plant 2 – 3 seeds of lentils on each pot. Once the number of seeds for 8 inch deep is more than 2- 3, then the plant will struggle to thrive.
The size of the planter pot is the determinant factor when considering the number of seeds that you’ll plant on it.
Though, there are some pots that can contain 3 – 5 seeds. If the pot is 15 inches deep can contain 3 – 5 seeds of lentils.
Remember to maintain planting spacing among the seeds. And the space distance is 1 inch.
How Deep Should The Seed Be Inside The Pot?
The seeds should be ½ inch deep on the planter pot. This depth will enable the seeds to thrive during harsh summers.
Planting spacing is important when repotting. Without adequate spacing, you’ll not be able to repot lentils easily because they have fibrous roots. Lack of spacing will cause lentils to spread their roots against each other.
#3. Lentils Need Full Light When Grown Indoors
Lentils thrive in cool weather but blossom under hot weather. During drought especially when approaching maturity, the plants need full sunlight.
Full light aid photosynthesis and proper nutrient absorption. It helps the plant to lie properly instead of overshadowing each other.
Full light helps to keep the soil moist and gradually dry excess water.
Lentils that grow indoors need full light to germinate. At every growing stage of lentils, you need to supply full light, otherwise the plant will experience delay in growth.
Part of the conditions that make indoor lentils florish is full light. Full light will increase the rate at which the plants absorb nutrients.
Lentils will hardly survive when there is insufficient light indoors. Light is a factor that affects lentils that grow indoors.
Full light creates a warm environment where lentils blossom. It aids the growth rate of the plants and helps them to maintain a healthy state. Growing light that emits full light like the sunlight helps to repel pests indoors.
How Many Hours of Full Light Does Lentils Need Indoors?
Lentils that are grown indoors require 8 – 10 hours sunlights. The easiest way to delay the growth rate is when you cultivate under low light.
Lentils need full light for at least 8 hours if you don’t want to experience low productivity. Sometimes, the plants can withstand the diseases but hardly will they survive under moderate lights.
Full light and the number of hours you supply it is very important when growing lentils indoors. Especially when you’re looking to strengthen the plant stem.
The plants need light more than water. That’s why they’re called drought-resistant plants.
Is Growing Lights Good To Grow Lentils Indoors?
Growing lights are excellent means of making light available for lentils indoors. The light that comes from the growing lights serves as an alternative to sunlight.
This alternative source of lights have the capacity to produce brightness that helps lentils grow indoors. Because they’re designed to meet the same standard as sunlight.
Just as sunlight helps the plants to absorb nutrients, likewise growing lights.
Growing lights emit brightness that make lentils remain healthy to withstand the indoors diseases.
Growing lights are good to grow lentils indoors because they’re drought resistant plants — highly sensitive to light.
The brands of growing lights that have dimming features is one of the best options to cultivate lentils indoors. The dimming feature is built into it to help regulate the brightness between the day and night.
Many are of the opinion that growing light increases the cost of cultivating lentils indoors. Growing lights does not increase the cost of growing lentils indoors because one growing light can serve many years upon good care.
There are many brands of growing lights that last long and emit better brightness. They help in reducing the cost of cultivating lentils indoors.
When buying growing lights for lentils, get the one with a dimmable feature and use a rechargeable battery. These types of growing light are durable and cost effective.
#4. Do Lentils That Grow Indoors Need Much Water?
Lentils are drought-resistant plants that thrive under moderate watering. The growth rate of lentils is not dependent on much water but mainly on full light.
To grow lentils indoor, you need to know the quantity of water they need and how often you should water them.
Water indoor lentils once in a week. You need a water sprayer with a hose to properly water the plants.
The sprayer will help you to gauge and supply the quantity of water they need at any time you want to water.
The knowledge of the quantity of water lentils needed at every growing season will go a long way to make the plants thrive.
Lentils indoors need moderate watering to keep the roots healthy. Just as I said before you need pots that have a drain feature to grow lentils indoors.
Pots with drain systems help water to go out of the pot once lentils are watered to prevent water logs that cause roots to rot.
Lentils Need 1 Inch Deep Moist Soil
Keep the soil moist for lentils to thrive. No matter the weather condition maintain 1 inch soil moist if you want to cultivate healthy plants
Don’t allow the soil to be more than 1 inch deep, otherwise, you’ll destroy the roots, which will affect the growth rate of the plants.
Lentils that grow indoors don’t require much watering. Rather you need to water the plants once every week.
Though during hot weather, increase the number of times you water the plants. While increasing the number of times, watch the soil to be 1 inch deep.
Weather is not a factor that will increase the soil moist distance, rather the nature and healthy state of the plants.
The reason for twice watering per week is to keep the soil moist during hot weather. Irrespective of the drain system, twice watering per week is enough to make soil moist for 1 inch deep. The 1 inch deep soil moist helps to keep the root and the entire plant healthy during hot weather.
One Litre Of Water Is Enough To Water a Pot of Lentils Indoors
Each pot that contains 2 – 3 seeds of lentils indoors require one litre of water per watering. The one litre is enough to keep the soil moist for 1 inch deep.
Sometimes, the degree of light that shines on the pot is what determines the quantity of water.
If the growing light is effective to dry the soil within three days, then you need to water lentils indoors twice in a week. But if the growing lights make the soil for one week, then you need once in a week watering.
Irrespective of the number of times you water lentils indoors in a week, you should always maintain 1 inch deep down soil moist. The one 1 inch deep down in the soil will enable lentils roots to absorb the nutrients and survive under hot weather.
Alway watch out for 1 inch soil moist while watering your lentils. Indoors lentils are watered twice a week during hot weather to maintain a healthy state.
The effectiveness of pot drain systems and growing lights are the two major factors that determine how often you’ll water lentils indoors. Because excess water logs damage lentils roots.
How faster does the water drain out from planter pots is what determines if you should water once in a week or twice in a week. As the drain system works, growing lights on the other hand help to keep the soil dry as well.
When you take planter pots with lentils close to the window to receive sunlight, you’ll notice that the water dries easily and quickly compared to under growing lights.
Growing lights are not effective in dries soil compared to the natural sunlight. Watering once a week with 1 litre of water, is an effective way to keep lentils healthy.
However, there are some growing lights that their performance is like the sunlight. They dry water off pots easily and faster than the sunlight. When using such growing lights, you can water twice in a week.
How To Care For Lentils Indoors
Lentils grow indoors are easy to care for and maintain.
Aphid is one of the common diseases with the lentils. Pest is the transmission of such disease to lentils. Aphid changes the color of lentils stalk.
The disease can be controlled by pinching out the infected areas or hose them off with a serious blast of water.
However, hardly will lentils that’re grown indoors have an issue of aphid disease.
Another common disease is Weevils. Weevils in lentils are controlled by completely unrooting any affected lentils and destroying them so as not to affect another lentils plants.
Lygus, bugs, seedcorn maggots, wireworms, and thrips are other diseases that affect lentils as well.
Conclusion
Lentils require little maintenance, which make them thrive indoors under cold weather conditions. Lentils blossom under hot weather conditions.
Make provision for an effective, solar power, dimmable features growing lights that have the capacity to offer full light.