Indoor vegetable gardening has become easier than ever, especially with an assortment of needed tools and supplies available on the Internet. Though many vegetables can be grown inside, often herbs are the easier crop for beginners at indoor vegetable gardening.
A number of supplies and conditions are required for successful indoor vegetable gardening. Before getting started, carefully consider which crops you want to grow. Vegetables that do not use a lot of space include carrots, lettuce, and radishes. You will need a number of containers, which can be placed onto a window sill, balcony, doorstep, or patio.
Indoor vegetable gardening can also be done with other crops, including beans, beets, cabbage, Swiss chard, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, peppers, squash, tomatoes, and turnips. A variety of conditions and soil are required depending on the type of vegetable you wish to grow.
Growing beans indoors requires a minimum container size of two gallons and two to three inches between each plant inside the container. It takes about 45 to 60 days for the indoor bean crop to go from seed to harvest and usually need several plantings in intervals of two weeks.
Cabbage crops need an even bigger container with a minimum size of five gallons because of the standard of 12 to 18 inches of room between each plant. Very fertile soil is required and the indoor cabbage crop takes 65 to 120 days to go from seed to harvest.
For those with more limited space, good indoor vegetable gardening options include beets, which only need a half gallon container and two to three inches between plants. The beet crop will take about 50 to 60 days from seed to harvest, and the plants need to be thinned when they grow to be six to eight inches in height. Another great choice for indoor gardeners with little space is onions, which also need a half gallon container. Onion plants need two to three inches space between each, and the crop requires a lot of moisture. It takes about 70 to 100 days for onions to grow from seed to harvest.
There are a number of free and inexpensive grow guides for indoor vegetable gardening both on the Internet and in stores across the world. Getting the right tools is important when undertaking indoor vegetable gardening. An aquarium thermometer can be used to check the temperature of aspects of your indoor garden, and a TDS meter measures the nutrient levels in your soil. Taking notes is also important, so getting a notebook and a special calendar just for your indoor garden is a cheap and worthwhile investment.
Indoor vegetable gardening is a great and inexpensive way to enjoy an easy and rewarding hobby, explore your “green” side and enjoy fresh vegetables. You can make your own salads and save money on the increasing supermarket prices of vegetables. Plus you have the advantage of being able to know what chemicals, if any, were used in growing your produce. Vegetables also make great gifts for loved ones and business associates.
