How to Grow an Indoor Garden

Winter may have frozen your green thumb, but now is the time to thaw it out with an indoor garden!

Although an indoor garden may seem uncommon, growing a garden all year round is possible, and a great way to incorporate more herbs and vegetables in your diet during the colder seasons. By growing indoors, you get all the benefits of fresh vegetables during every season. Here are some tips on how to start and master indoor gardening.

Location

Location is one of the most important components of indoor gardening. Choose a space in your residence that matches the size you want of your indoor garden. This can be as small as the windowsill if you plan on only growing a few potted herbs, or as large as designating a whole table for plants. To save room, you can grow multiple plants on shelves. However, you will have to make sure that each plant receives enough light. It is best to have plants closer to a window for more light. Outside lighting will most likely not be enough to support plant growth, so you will need to implement a few growing light bulbs. These can be purchased online or in a hardware store. You will also want to make sure that the temperature of the room where you keep your plants is not too hot or cold, to keep the plants alive. You will want a location with tile, as water will most likely drip from the plant pots to the floors. Placing a tarp on the flooring can help with this issue.

Plants

There are certain plants that are better to grow indoors than others. You will also want plants that are more tolerant to cooler weather. The best plants to grow indoors during the winter are those that need the least light. These include lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes (if they can grow in space, they can grow anywhere!), spinach, onion, garlic, herbs, beets, micro greens, mushrooms, peppers, and radishes. You can purchase plant seeds online. Also, make sure to get a good quality soil for your indoor garden.

Additional Help

For more tips and tricks on how to indoor garden, look up online videos or check out an indoor gardening book at your local library.

Why Grow an Indoor Garden?

Plants are great for mental and physical health! Not to mention that growing some of your own food will give you that extra bit of pride when you enjoy eating it. But there are more benefits to growing indoor plants. Plants are natural air purifiers and are beautiful house decorations. Cold weather and winter can bring upon seasonal depression and starting an indoor garden may just be the thing to help brighten up your day. Additionally, eating more vegetables will provide you with more nutrients and may inspire you to cook healthier meals. Indoor plants are convenient because you do not have to deal with as many common pests that you would in outdoor gardens.

So what are you waiting for? Get started now!