6 Easy Vegetables to Grow Indoors
The cold months have finally arrived but you shouldn’t let that stop you from extending the season, why not move your outdoor garden indoors by gardening in containers, this method of gardening can have you connecting indoors with nature amid the freezing outdoor temperatures. What I also love about growing foods indoors is having an almost endless supply of fresh healthy veggies grown by my very own hands.
Growing in this manner also helps to brighten those cold winter days as we set our minds forward to when the warmer months return and we can move our indoor garden outdoors or continue to grow indoors if we prefer. Below we will be discussing how to grow an indoor vegetable garden, here are 6 easy vegetables to Grow indoors.
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Tips to Growing Indoor Vegetables Successfully
Before we discuss 6 easy vegetables to grow indoors we want to first look at a few key components in order to have success and reap a bountiful harvest. When growing vegetables indoors the following needs to be considered.
- Lighting Conditions
- The Soil
- The Container Size
- Watering Practices
- Fertilizing Methods
Lighting Conditions: Proper lighting is so important no matter how small, every plant has its light requirements in order to thrive. A west or south-facing window is the ideal spot for adequate lighting. If for some reason these areas are not producing the right amount of light then consider installing grow lights. These artificial lights are easy to install and will encourage healthy plant growth.
The Proper Soil Type: At the root of growing healthy plants is the soil which means each plant has its requirements so it’s important to give your plants the right soil to have success. When it comes to growing veggies only use soils that hold the right of water but will allow excess water to drain along with absorbing nutrients. These soils are easy to work with and will ensure success.
The Container Size: Knowing what you are growing and the size of these veggies at maturity is the deciding factor in helping to choose the right container size. Whatever containers are chosen should have drain holes to allow water to drain from the soil, also consider placing a saucer underneath each container to catch the water that drains. Grow bags can work just as well to grow vegetables.
Watering Practices: This is so important because it’s a known fact that more plants that are grown in containers die from overwatering than plants that are grown directly in the ground. Get to know your veggie’s watering needs and give them that no more no less and since it’s the wintertime you will not have to water that often
Fertilizing Methods: Knowing what you give your veggies and at what rate is so important, plant nutrients are so crucial to growing healthy plants. Before Applying fertilizers read and follow the manufacturer’s directions for the best results.
1. Radishes
Radishes are hardy cool-season veggies that can be easily grown giving you a bountiful harvest, radishes grow best in lots of light. Radishes don’t like wet feet so the soil that’s chosen can be organic or compost which will absorb water and nutrients easily. If planting from seeds the seeds should be planted half an inch to an inch deep and twelve inches apart. The seeds of radishes will germinate in about 4-10 days, for more on the growth and care of radishes refer here. How to grow radishes.
2. Tomatoes
Though considered a vegetable tomatoes are fruits that are used in so many food recipes, while growing tomatoes outdoors is common these veggies/fruits can be grown indoors successfully. Tomatoes love lots of light so ensure that they get the sufficient light they need, if planting tomatoes from seedlings plant them slightly deeper than the seedling tray they were grown in. The seeds of tomatoes typically germinate in 5-10 days.
A sterilize potting mix that has good drainage is ideal for proper growth, tomatoes require lots of water to grow but because you’re starting your tomatoes indoors during the colder months monitor the amount of water they are getting. Every other day check the top few inches of soil for dryness and water as needed, and organic slow-release fertilizer is ideal. Before applying fertilizer read and follow the manufacturer’s directions for the best results. For more on how to grow tomatoes indoors refer here. How to grow tomatoes indoors.
3. Potatoes
Potatoes are one of the easiest veggies to grow, potatoes can be grown from kitchen scraps or by cutting up a sprouting potato into chunks, the cut side of the potato should be planted in the soil with the sprout side facing up. Each sprout should be planted 3-4 inches below the soil surface, with a spacing of 12 inches apart for the plant to have room to grow. Potatoes need about 8-12 hours of light per day, the soil type should be loose, well-drained loam soil, when watering potatoes ensure that the soil is moist, not waterlogged which can lead to rot, expect your potatoes sprout to germinate in about 12-16 days. A balanced all-purpose slow-release organic fertilizer is ideal, before applying fertilizers read and follow the manufacturer’s directions for the best results.
4. Carrots
Another veggie that has gained recognition when it comes to growing edible indoor plants is carrots, carrots need a sunny location to thrive, the soil type should be well-drained that hold moisture but will allow excess water to drain. When watering, the soil should be somewhat moist not waterlogged, however when sowing carrots seeds plant at a depth of 1/4 inch deep. The germination time can take from 1-3 weeks, a fertilizer that’s low in nitrogen and high in potassium and phosphate is ideal. Carrots will take anywhere from 60-80 days before harvest time.
5. Peppers
Spicing up those recipes calls for peppers, I love peppers myself but usually use them in moderation, peppers should be located in an area that gets lots of sunlight. A rich loamy soil is a must for your peppers to thrive. The soil should be somewhat moist but not waterlogged, give your peppers a boost with a 5-10-10 fertilizer, for more on the growth and care of peppers refer to how to grow peppers in containers and how to grow chilli peppers.
6. Microgreens
Growing and caring for microgreens indoors will supply you with those needed nutrients, when growing microgreens ensure that there is sufficient lighting preferably 12-18 hours. A good potting soil that’s well drained is ideal, the soil should be kept somewhat moist and not water-saturated, most microgreens take anywhere from 2-3 days to germinate and about 7-14 days before harvest time. A complete, balanced, water-soluble fertilizer will encourage proper growth. For more on the growth of microgreens refer to growing your own microgreens.
The final word on how to grow an indoor vegetable Garden
As said earlier don’t let the colder months put a damper on things or cause you to hang up your garden gloves, now is not the time, why wait until spring comes when you can get a jump start on the season by growing an indoor vegetable garden? extend the season by growing and eating healthy, you will be so happy with the results as you reap a bountiful harvest.
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About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
Thank you for highlighting the important things to getting our indoor garden set. I was not thinking of setting up my garden but with your advice i will get my hands dirty with my indoor garden. Collecting the soil, getting lighting and watering are essentials like you mentioned. Without this essentials, one will not get any result from the garden
You are welcome and I am so happy to help, wishing you all the best of success. Have a great day.
Hi! Norman, thanks for sharing the useful article about the growing of the indoors vegetables, I am happy that the article is so informative giving high confidence to start growing the indoor vegetables.
Although my country do not have winter, but the outdoor garden is too hot to grow the microgreen vegetables. Snails and the grasshopper are a big threat to avoid them in my outdoor garden.
Other than radishes and peppers, I will follow your information to grow the indoor vegetables I need regularly. Nowadays, many families started growing vegetables at home, I have started seeding step, but the seed failed to grow indoors or outdoors. Thanks to your article, now I know why my seedlings way failed, it is because of the different depth is needed.
Thank you, I love your article so much and so helpful to me.
Hello Stephen, thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, growing indoor edible plants can be so much fun as you eat the fruits or should I say the veggies of your labor. This method of gardening is easy to maintain. Wishing you all the best of success with your garden project.
Hi Norman,
Great article with lots of information. I had never thought of growing vegetables indoors like this. Does it take a lot of room? It seems if one were to grow those veggies you mentioned that they would need a room set aside for gardening, or maybe a sunroom.
I have enjoyed gardening in my younger days. I’m in my 60s now and I tried a small garden for a couple of year. I just didn’t have the same success that I did a long time ago. I may need to try it again and read more of your tips.
One of my gardening memories is that for several years, we grew our potatoes ABOVE the ground. Have you ever tried this? We put the cut potatoes on top of the ground then covered them with about 3 feet of leaves, straw and other types of mulch. It took a while, but soon we saw the plants peeking through. The plant was so lush and green and generally bug free. We could just reach inside the mulch and find perfect spuds. It was fun!
Hell Scott, I am so happy to help, growing edible plants indoors can be lots of especially during the winter months. As far as space is concerned it all depends on what you are growing. The space doesn’t have to be that large just wide enough to accommodate your plant containers.
This is the first time that I have heard of planting potatoes in that manner, this method is very interesting and I guess you don’t have to worry about your hands getting dirty especially when harvest time. It is good to connect with nature outdoors because there are so many health benefits. Thanks for stopping by and commenting, all the best to you, and have a good day.