If you are trying your hand at indoor gardening, you may find the results a little lackluster. You may have made one of several mistakes in setting up your garden, like not giving the prime sunlight to the plants that most need it. Or, you may just need to have more patience in waiting for your results. Whatever the problem is, there is no need to throw in the towel.

Map the sunlight in your home. On a day that you’ll be home all day, take a digital picture of where the sunlight hits every hour or two. Determine what spots get the most sunlight for the most hours each day. You may be surprised, as it is not always beside the window. Every three to four months, you should map again if you are planning on having an indoor garden all year round. With each season, you will notice the sun hits slightly different spots. Move your plants accordingly.

Different plants will need different amounts of light. Leafy greens may only need an hour or two of direct light each day. Fruiting plants, like peppers and tomatoes, will need much more. Give the prime spots to the plants that require the most sunlight. If you still have inadequate lighting, use LED plant grow lights for better results. The LED grow lights will act as the sun when you don’t have enough natural sunlight. Some of the top LED grow lights on the market even claim to give your plants better exposure than the sun itself.

Don’t forget about germination. You will need to use a paintbrush to hand germinate zucchini flowers since the birds and bees won’t be coming into your home to germinate the plant like they do in nature.

Be patient. If you have a less than ideal light situation, it does not mean that your plants won’t grow. It means that it will take longer for the plants to grow fully. Greens that will take 45 days outside with full sunlight may take 60 or even 75 days inside with only partial sunlight. Patience will allow your garden the time it needs to flourish.