Would you like to have an indoor home garden?
I used to think that you needed to have a big garden to grow some delicious vegetables. But that’s not true. If we consider how expensive everything is nowadays and how plastic-y they taste, having an indoor home harden sounds more and more intriguing. It’s a terrific way to use your green thumb and saves you a trip to the food store.
If you live in a house and you’re lucky to have a backyard, I envy you, but if you’re like me and you either don’t have a garden or live in an apartment, you don’t need to let go of your gardening dream. It took me a long time to discover what veggies can be grown in an indoor home garden, and after many trials and errors, I feel like I’ve got this.
So, if you want to have the tastiest and most natural veggies, develop your green thumb, and save money at the farmers’ market or the grocery store, this article is for you! Let’s not keep this intro any longer because we have an indoor home garden to build!
1. Potatoes
We start with the big guys here, because this one might surprise you. If you love potatoes, you can grow both regular and sweet ones in your indoor home garden. The best part is that you can grow them in soil made from leftovers. Start with a sprouting potato and cut it up into chunks and then arrange the slices, sprout-side up, in at least four inches of soil.
The next step is to top them off with another four inches of soil, and according to experts, you should have potatoes in about two months. Make sure the container is big enough for these because they can get rather big, and you might need to keep adding soil to keep the potatoes covered as they get bigger.
2. Tomatoes
I know tomatoes are technically fruits, but since we commonly use them in sandwiches, pasta, and salads, I included them in our list of indoor veggies. Speaking of that, tomatoes thrive in warm weather, but they can also grow indoors.
To successfully grow tomatoes indoors, provide them with plenty of light—ideally 14 to 20 hours a day. While tomatoes are self-pollinating, you can help pollinate them by gently shaking the plant. Smaller tomato varieties often perform better in containers and will sprout quickly from seeds.
3. Hot peppers
Since pepper plants are tropical perennials, they need full sun and warm temperatures to flourish. However, because they self-pollinate, they can be one of the veggies you grow in your indoor home garden. They require 14 to 20 hours of sunshine per day, and they do best at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant them in a pot at least eight inches high, and allow the soil to dry up before you water them again.
4. Radishes
Did you know that radishes are one of the quickest growers? They take roughly 30 to 40 days from germination to harvest, so if you plant them in the spring, you can eat radishes in your summer salads.
They don’t need as much light as other veggies (or fruits) in your indoor home garden, but they need their space. So make sure you leave plenty of space between bulbs so they can grow big and delicious.
5. Carrots
Carrots tend to need deeper soil than other vegetables, but they don’t need a lot of room around them (you could call them wingspans). These veggies grow well in cold climates, at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. As long as you water them when needed and provide a minimum of 12 hours of light per day, they’ll thrive and taste delicious.
6. Leafy salad greens
Your indoor home garden isn’t complete without some delicious and iron-rich leafy greens, such as kale, arugula, and spinach. Professional gardeners say that these leafy greens thrive at around 60 degrees F and need around 12 hours of sunlight per day.
If you plant them in a compact space, they’ll take roughly four weeks to grow, and they’ll make your smoothies, salads, and scrambled eggs better, healthier, and more nutritious.
7. Green onions/ scallions
Make sure to plant some green onions in your little indoor garden, because you won’t regret it! These delicious veggies are easy to take care of and don’t need as much light as others we’ve previously talked about. You can replant the root end of the green onions after eating the top part, or you can simply use seeds to grow your own tasty scallions.
8. Microgreens
Microgreens have 40 times more vitamins and nutrients than fully-grown plants, so don’t be fooled by their tiny size. They grow the same way as leafy salad greens, but they’re harvested at the earliest stage, usually in two to three weeks. To add a healthy crunch and a vitamin boost, you can try adding them to sandwiches and salads. It will taste amazing, and your skin and gut will thank you!
9. Herbs
Since herbs enjoy sunlight, you’ll need to provide them with 12 to 16 hours of it each day. They usually do best at around 70 degrees F. Thyme, sage, parsley, cilantro, oregano, mint, rosemary, and chives are some of the best types to grow in your indoor home garden, so don’t skip on them because the flavor they bring to your meals is exceptional.
Tips & tricks to have the best indoor home garden
Once you have all of our containers, saucers, or trays ready, you can go ahead and plant those tasty veggies. Plant them with the right potting soil so the veggies in your garden can thrive. After that, place them in front of a sunny window. If you don’t have much natural light, you can invest in grow lights to emulate the outside conditions.
Professional gardeners say that the majority of veggies need at least four to six hours of sunlight per day, while fruits will need around eight to ten hours per day. While it might be tempting to water your plants until the soil is completely wet, remember that less is more. Keep your soil moist, not dry or damp, because they live indoors and probably won’t suffer from intense heat.
Moreover, the plants in your indoor home garden might suffer from low humidity, so either use a spray bottle to daily sprinkle them with water or think about using a cool-mist humidifier, such as this one.
You should be able to see some shots very fast, even without grow lights. But before you can gather the plant’s edible portion, it can take a few weeks or even months, so be patient. The greatest season to grow is summer when there will be the most natural light. However, indoor vegetables can grow year-round, so you can always enjoy fresh produce.
Regrow veggies from scraps
If you want to create an indoor home garden by regrowing veggies from scraps, you should know that celery, green onions, and lettuce are great candidates for this job. Just add the scraps to a container, let the bottoms soak in water, and place them in a spot with lots of natural light. You’ll have a wonderful indoor home garden in no time!
Don’t forget that with the proper tools, knowledge, and patience, you can have the garden of your dreams, even if you live in the tiniest apartment. Did you like reading this article? Would you like to have an indoor home garden? Let us know in the comments below!
If you find this article helpful and want to check out something else from The American House, here’s a good post for you: 7 Trees That Will Ruin Your Yard (and What to Plant Instead)
