Gardening Hacks For Small Spaces
Studies show that indoor plants and gardens can reduce stress, another great reason to start indoor gardening!
Are you looking to grow your own vegetables in a small space? Are you interested in self-sufficiency? Do you want to grow your own herbs or produce? Maybe you would love to have a small vegetable garden, but you live in a small apartment or lack outdoor space.
You are not alone! Growing vegetables at home and living sustainably are becoming more appealing. There are many benefits to growing your own produce. It saves you money, gets you outside, and improves your access to healthy and organic foods. Not to mention the convenience of being able to grab some fresh herbs or veggies to add to your favorite recipe without taking a trip to the grocery store.
Let’s explore what vegetables grow best indoors, and how both container gardening and vertical window gardening will maximize the use of your new home garden.
Best vegetables to grow indoors
Lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow indoors. It doesn’t require as much direct sunlight as other vegetables, making it a great choice to grow inside your house or apartment.
With the right setup, carrots are easy to grow and maintain indoors. Carrots need access to deeper soil in order to grow, however, they do not need much space to grow. As long as your carrots have access to direct sunlight, they will do well indoors. Set up your carrots in a deep pot on your windowsill and watch them grow!
Onions do very well indoors because they do not require much sunlight. You can also plant a store-bought onion in a pot with some soil once they have sprouted.
Make yourself a little indoor herb garden for easy access to fresh seasonings for your favorite dishes! Chives, parsley, cilantro, oregano, mint, rosemary, sage, and thyme do very well indoors, just be sure to make sure they get plenty of sunlight.
Leafy greens are a great option for beginner indoor gardeners. Spinach, kale, and arugula are will do well in your apartment, and they also grow fairly quickly.
Radishes grow well indoors because they also do not require too much sunlight and usually germinate in around 30-40 days. Just make sure not to plant your radish seeds too close together so the bulbs have some room.
Tips for growing an indoor garden
Many beginner gardeners who lack square footage do not know where to start when it comes to growing their own vegetables. We are here to tell you that it’s not impossible. In fact, growing a garden in an apartment is easier than you think. You’ll have to pick the right crops and make the most of the space you have. Find the right space inside your home or apartment for your plants to live. If you have space around your window, you can place your pots and containers near sunlight to grow, however, you can also grow your vegetables well with supplemental lighting.
What you need:
Indoor potting soil or seed starting mix. You can pick this up at your local home depot or on amazon.
Containers with drainage holes and drip tray. You can get creative with the containers you use for your plants. We will discuss how you can create your own gardening containers a little later.
Access to light. Make sure your plants are exposed to the right amount of light. If you do not have too many windows in your home or apartment, you can use LEDs to focus the light in one direction toward your plants for specific periods of time.
Proper air circulation. Utilize fans around your plants to promote air movement and prevent the growth of fungus or mold
DIY Containers for your indoor garden
You can save some money and the environment by recycling old juice bottles, plastic totes, glass jars, yogurt containers, storage bins, and buckets to create containers to plant your vegetables. Use larger containers for larger plants with longer roots, and use smaller containers for smaller plants with more shallow roots. For example, carrot roots grow deep into the soil, so you will want to use a container with more depth to ensure the roots have plenty of space to spread.
Make sure all your containers have proper drainage to prevent overwatering and allow the roots of your vegetables to have access to air. This will prevent fungus and mold from growing on your new plant. There are many ways to give your plants proper drainage and avoid a mess while watering your veggies. One option is to drill holes into the bottom of your recycled container and place your plant into either another container or a drip tray. Make sure to empty the drip trays regularly to avoid a mess.
