Indoor Vegetables

[KimmyMarkks]

Does anyone grow vegetables indoors? I grow a lot of herbs buy was thinking of starting an indoor garden.
I want something simple. I would buy an indoor light but nothing as extreme as a green house. Does anyone do this currently and have any recommendations?

I live in the northeast so It's really only possible to have a garden during the summer/fall months. I am looking to grow something all year round.

 

[amelia88]

I've never actually tried to grow veggies indoors. I'm interested in the idea, but I have a dog, a cat and a baby - which presents a bit of a challenge when it comes to indoor pots. I would also worry about any of the leaves being toxic to any of the members of my household - so indoor veggies might not be in my future for a little while yet!

 

[Corzhens]

This one I had already tried and I guess this is the only vegetable that you can grow indoors - ginger. Right now we have ginger in a plastic pot that we use as decoration in the living room when we are having visitors. The ginger is a sturdy plant and doesn't easily wilt without sunshine even for 1 week. With the water requirement, it can thrive in a small amount of water that you give every other day.

 

[dreamseer]

I am also interested in this. I've grown sprouts and wheatgrass indoors during the winter months, but was thinking of trying different varieties of lettuce this year. I love eating fresh produce and vegetables year-round, but the cost to do so is outrageous!

 

[NicoleM]

Does anyone grow vegetables indoors? I grow a lot of herbs buy was thinking of starting an indoor garden.
I want something simple. I would buy an indoor light but nothing as extreme as a green house. Does anyone do this currently and have any recommendations?

I live in the northeast so It's really only possible to have a garden during the summer/fall months. I am looking to grow something all year round.

Leafy greens are great for growing year-round as they are quite sturdy and can withstand different temperatures.

 

[karadawn]

Very much interested in some indoor veggie ideas myself. We have been growing jalapenos indoors since last summer (same 4 plants are still growing, blooming, and producing nice sized peppers, despite being well over a year old now), but apparently peppers are in the fruit family. I had no idea! I attempted small carrots in a big bucket, but it didn't work out well (I suspect lack of light, as the buckets were on the floor and too far from the shop lights). We started a potato bucket indoors (5 gallon bucket from the hardware store with holes drilled in the bottom) and it's been going strong for a few months now. I saw a really neat idea on Pinterest to grow carrots in soda bottles so I may try that soon. They don't get very big, but that might be easier for us to work into our normal suppers.

 

[KimmyMarkks]

Very much interested in some indoor veggie ideas myself. We have been growing jalapenos indoors since last summer (same 4 plants are still growing, blooming, and producing nice sized peppers, despite being well over a year old now), but apparently peppers are in the fruit family. I had no idea! I attempted small carrots in a big bucket, but it didn't work out well (I suspect lack of light, as the buckets were on the floor and too far from the shop lights). We started a potato bucket indoors (5 gallon bucket from the hardware store with holes drilled in the bottom) and it's been going strong for a few months now. I saw a really neat idea on Pinterest to grow carrots in soda bottles so I may try that soon. They don't get very big, but that might be easier for us to work into our normal suppers.

Thanks this is good to know. In definitely going to try to grow jalapeños! I know my dad grows them in his out door garden and the plants don't get too big but produce a lot of peppers.
Ideally I'd love to grow spinach or kale something that I can use in my salads instead of having to buy it but that doesn't seem very likely .

 

[Cassie K]

When growing indoors, it is best to grow edibles that you can eat without the pollination process. The only time I would grow tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, etc plants indoors is if I was starting them by seed. "With peppers, it’s a rather simple process of taking a cotton swab or small paint brush and dabbling around in each flower, taking pollen from one to another throughout the plant. Tomatoes are a little more reluctant to give up the goods. In nature they rely on the vibrations of the bumble bee or similar hyper-energetic visitor. To simulate this, take an electric toothbrush or other vibrating implement (I’m not passing judgment) to the main branch and side stems. In the absence of a tool, simply flick the stems gently. You should be able to see the flowers releasing the pollen as you do so. There’s no need to attempt to transfer pollen from one flower to another. Each flower is self pollinating." (GatewayGardener).
You can grow mushrooms indoors during the fall and winter months, in jars, tubs, logs, bags, baskets..You can start fruit tree seedlings in trays of small individual pots. Grow Pea sprouts, mung bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, sunflower sprouts, lettuce, arugula, micro-greens, herbs in small to medium pots (1/2-2 gallons). In medium to large pots (3-5 gallons), grow tropical plants, asparagus, carrots, radishes, potatoes; and re-grow celery, onions, bokchoy, ginger, garlic, rhubarb from the root ball. For example, when you buy greens from the store that still have their root intact, you can sprout this in water or immediately place in soil. Use a soil-less potting mix for better drainage and aeration. Add compost or liquid natural fertilizer when necessary. "Start with a formula for vegetative growth that is high in nitrogen, then as the plants near flowering stage, switch to a flowering/fruiting formula lower in nitrogen and higher in potassium." (GatewayGardener).
Leafy veggies and herbs will do fine with less intense lighting, but I recommend LED, and also keep the light 4 inches above your starter plants.

-Cassie K, veganslivingofftheland.blogspot.com

 

[headfullofbees]

Vibrators and swabs?
Give the plants a shake, it's all they need!

 

[claudine]

I tried growing a tomato plant in our previous apartment, but it didn't bear any fruits.
In general, I think that the easiest edible things to grow are berries and mung bean sprouts. All they need is water

 

[Corzhens]

I was in Singapore this weekend. We stayed in Summer View hotel, a decent accommodation in the city area. Inside the hotel, I was amused by the lettuce decoration that I was sure was made of plastic. But it turned out that it is real Singaporean lettuce that is edible. The maintenance person said they decided on the lettuce to amuse the hotel guests. They succeeded in that.

 

[claudine]

Haha, this is such a funny and nice idea! And the lettuce looks really pretty, I like it very much! The Summer View hotel sounds like a great place

 

[IcyBC]

As much as I would like to grow some vegetables indoor, I have no room or space to do this! We are moving soon to a smaller footage house, and I will struggle with this coming summer since I have even less space outside to grow things