I always get a little sad when Fall comes around. I love the season, don’t get me wrong. But it’s always hard to say goodbye to my garden. I just love garden-fresh veggies! Fortunately for me, it’s pretty easy to grow all of our favorite vegetables indoors this winter. All you need is a good grow light and plenty of water. Here are the best vegetables to grow indoors this winter.
First, here are some things to consider when growing vegetables indoors. Typically, vegetables like salad greens, carrots, and beets are easier to grow indoors because they require little light. Fruiting vegetables like bell peppers and tomatoes require TONS more light and pollinators, so they aren’t the best for indoor gardening.
Additionally, you’ll want to make sure that your soil is made for container gardening. This will make sure that your vegetables are receiving the right kind of nutrition. Keep an eye on humidity levels, too, and mist plants daily. Our homes get so dry in the winter so this will be key!
Always make sure that you choose pots with drainage, and if using a grow light, keep it no more than 4-6 inches above the plant. This will help provide the sunlight it needs without scorching any leaves.
Now, lets get on to the vegetables!
Carrots
Carrots actually do exceptionally well when grown in containers, and if light levels are right they can do great indoors, too. When planting your carrots in containers, make sure that the soil is loose. This will help it grow as it should. Gardeners should also pick a smaller variety of carrot, too. Carrots should receive an average of 8 hours of sunlight every day. Keep soil moist and water your seedlings daily.
Lettuce, Spinach, or Kale
Believe it or not, salad greens like the ones listed above grow really well in the wintertime. Fill a large bucket with soil and then dust the top with a layer of lettuce, spinach, or kale seeds. I find that dwarf varieties do best. Put your plants in an area that receives at least 8 hours of direct sunlight every day and water plants so that the water stays consistently moist, but not soggy. You can expect a harvest in as little as 30 days!
Onions And Garlic
If you cook with onions and garlic, why not grow your own supply to get you through the winter? Pick a large, deep pot for both your onion and garlic plants. Space seeds approximately 5 inches apart and keep the soil moist until the seeds sprout. Onion and garlic plants need 3-4 inches of water per week and in an area of full sun. These plants love southern-facing windows. Harvest these in approximately 90 days. If you start now, you might have some in time for the holidays! And we all know how many onions that Thanksgiving dishes calls for…
Herbs
Keep your winter soups perfectly seasoned with some homegrown herbs! Growing these herbs indoors in the winter is just as easy as growing them outside, too. Chives, mint, rosemary, and basil are extremely easy to grow and do well when potted in terra cotta pots. They love the humidity of the kitchen and do well planted by a window over the sink. Keep soil moist and the plants should remain in full sun. Cut off clippings of the herbs and use them as needed. However, gardeners should be warned that if basil plants flower, they will die unless the blooms are pinched. Don’t make the same mistake that I did.
This article was originally published in September 2019 but has been updated for accuracy as of September 2020.
