7 Easy Vegetables to Grow Indoors
How to Grow an Indoor Garden
Whether you are craving fresh harvests during the winter or live in an area without gardening space, you can grow edibles in your own indoor garden.
Winter always seems to sneak up on me. It’s not until the first snowfall that I consider the growing season over. Up until then, I am still clipping hearty herbs and fall greens. Once the snow falls, I am reminded that soon the ground will be frozen, and the garden covered with a heavy winter blanket.
I start to miss freshly harvested greens quickly. Most years, I have a good supply of fall greens such as lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, pak choi, and other leafy greens to fill the refrigerator before the hard freeze. Some years, I lose my fall greens to the hungry deer as they prepare for winter too.
Since I can’t garden outside during winter, I began experimenting with growing food indoors. I started with herbs, and then progressed to salad greens and more.
What Can You Grow in an Indoor Garden?
Over the years, I have tried growing edibles indoors in winter. It is amazing what you can grow with just a little effort. Harvesting fresh vegetables and herbs adds lots of flavour to winter comfort foods.
For the best results, choose plants that will grow under artificial light, mature quickly, and stay compact enough to grow in containers without outgrowing their space.
7 Easy Vegetables to Grow Indoors
Most leafy greens, herbs, and some root vegetables will grow very well inside under lights. Here are some of the things I have grown successfully inside during the winter months in a cool basement:
Choose plants that will grow under artificial light, mature quickly, and stay compact enough to grow in containers without outgrowing their space. Most leafy greens, herbs, and a few root vegetables will grow very well inside under lights. Here are some of the things I have grown successfully inside during the winter months in a cool basement:
Beets
Growing beets indoors will provide you with delicious beet greens and delicate baby beets. Beet roots will need deep pots, at least 6-inches high. Harvest: Ready to harvest as baby beet greens in about 6-weeks. Harvest whole plant by cutting at the soil surface, or clip a few greens from outer edge of each plant and allow the plant to continue growing. Harvest young baby beets in about 30 days depending on the variety.
Bok Choy and Pac Choi
These Asian cabbage greens grow quickly and need lots of water, so they will benefit from a larger container with more soil to hold moisture. Bok Choy or Pac Choi is a delicious addition to soups, stir-fries, and salads. Harvest: Ready to harvest whole in 4-weeks at baby stage. They tend to bolt quickly, so go ahead and harvest them small and sow more seeds, or snip the outer leaves and let the plants continue growing.
Carrots
Short and round carrot varieties grow very well in 6-inch deep pots. Choose a deeper pot for longer varieties. Harvest: Baby carrots are ready to harvest in 6-8 weeks. Pull gently from the soil as needed for baby carrots, or allow them to develop further.
Herbs
If you can grow houseplants, you can grow herbs inside on a sunny windowsill. Adding artificial lighting increases the selection of herbs you can grow inside. Harvest: Keep plants compact by trimming and harvesting frequently.
Kale
Young kale has a milder and sweeter flavour than mature kale. Harvest: Ready to harvest at baby stage in about 4-weeks. Snip outer leaves allowing the plants to continue to produce.
Lettuce
Leaf lettuce varieties mature quickly for salads and sandwich toppings. There are so many varieties with various colors, leaf shapes, and flavours. Harvest: Snip outer leaves allowing the center of the plants to continue to produce.
Microgreens
Young edible vegetables and herbs harvested within weeks of sprouting. The tender sprouts are very flavorful and nutrient dense. Harvest: Ready to harvest when the first true leaves unfurl in 7-14 days. Snip the right above the soil line.
Radishes
Very fast-growing and their peppery flavor adds a kick to soups and salads. Harvest: Ready for harvest in about 4-weeks or when the radish is approximately 1-inch diameter. The greens are edible too.
How to Grow Edibles in an Indoor Garden
You’ll Need:
Grow Lights:
Growing Containers: Gather up pots or containers to grow your indoor garden. Pots or containers that are 4-inches deep work well for most greens while carrots need at least 6 inches. Consider using window boxes, or recycled bakery or produce containers. Use plastic trays beneath containers to prevent water from dripping.
Soil: Select an organic, all-purpose potting mix for your indoor garden. Fertilize plants with a weak solution of Fish Emulsion when leaves show signs of stress.
Seeds or Purchased Seedlings: Buy seeds or purchase plants. Herbs mature slowly, so grow from established purchased plants for a fast harvest.
Procedure:
Build or assemble your grow light system and locate in a cool area such as a basement or spare room. Try to keep it away from wood stoves and other heat sources because warm temperatures will cause the plants to bolt, or go to seed prematurely instead of producing a continuous harvest.
If growing from seed, follow sowing instructions on the back of the seed package and keep soil evenly moist until the seeds germinate. Purchased herb seedlings may need repotting if roots are showing through the drain holes.
Keep the lights about 2-inches above the plants. Adjust the lights as the plants grow. Plants grown under artificial light need at least 12-16 hours of light each day. I set my Power Strip Timer for 16 hours on, then 8 hours off.
Water twice a week or when the soil surface feels dry.
Harvest and enjoy fresh, nutritious edibles throughout the cold, winter months.
Whether you are craving freshly grown harvests during the winter or live in an area without gardening space, I hope this gives you some encouragement to start growing edibles in your own indoor garden.