Do you like fresh veggies? How about dirt? Indoor gardening is a great way to learn about plants, play in the dirt, and grow delicious and nutritious vegetables. An indoor garden will produce tasty veggies all year round, no matter what season it is.
An indoor garden can use as much or as little space as you choose. You can even grow tomatoes in a window! A larger garden can be placed on a table or bench. Shelves are a great choice. They can hold many plants while giving them enough space to absorb a lot of light.
Indoor Gardening Tools
Plants love the light! They survive by a process called photosynthesis. Just like you need to eat, plants need light to photosynthesize and grow strong. Lights are one of the most important tools you need for indoor gardening. Even if plants get a lot of sunlight, they will probably be small and thin without a grow light. You need more items than plants, dirt, and seeds to grow a healthy garden. Before you start gardening, check out this list of supplies:
Choosing Plant for Your Garden
You can grow almost any plant indoors! Some are easier to grow than others. Here are a few of the best plants to grow indoors:
These plants are known for thriving indoors. But you can try to grow any plant with enough light, fertilizer, space, and care. Get creative with your garden!
More Gardening Tips
Apart from tools and types of plants, there are few other factors to consider when planning your indoor garden.
Temperature: Most plants grow best between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. You can adjust the temperature around your plants with different lights. Plants that are too hot will be small and skinny. Plants that are too cold with grow yellow leaves that fall off.
Humidity: Humidity means the amount of moisture or water in the air. In the winter, your house will probably be dryer and have lower humidity. In the summer, humidity will be higher and your plants will get more moisture. Make the air around your plants humid by using a humidifier, setting out open water, or misting your plants.
Fertilizer: Fertilizers give your plants the nutrients they need to grow strong! A hydroponics garden will give your plants nutrients directly instead of through soil. You can also make a compost tea to fertilize your plants. Compost is the remains of old food and other organic material. You can store your table scraps and feed them to your plants. Mix your compost with water and let it sit for a few days. Then, strain that mix into another container, add more water and spread it on the dirt around your plants.
With an indoor garden, you can save money at the grocery store by growing food at home. Plants are also good for the air and look beautiful. Learn more about indoor gardening and make plants a fun and colorful part of your home.
An indoor garden can use as much or as little space as you choose. You can even grow tomatoes in a window! A larger garden can be placed on a table or bench. Shelves are a great choice. They can hold many plants while giving them enough space to absorb a lot of light.
Indoor Gardening Tools
Plants love the light! They survive by a process called photosynthesis. Just like you need to eat, plants need light to photosynthesize and grow strong. Lights are one of the most important tools you need for indoor gardening. Even if plants get a lot of sunlight, they will probably be small and thin without a grow light. You need more items than plants, dirt, and seeds to grow a healthy garden. Before you start gardening, check out this list of supplies:
- Grow lights: Different lights work well for different plants. Choose from incandescent, fluorescent, compact fluorescent and HID bulbs. HID bulbs are the strongest and can be used to grow any type of plant. Compact fluorescent lights will make your herbs grow healthy.
- Support cage: You will need one of these if you want to grow tomatoes. They need room to climb and you can attach your grow lights to the top.
- Timer: Did you know plants need sleep? Your plants need darkness and light to photosynthesize. A timer can set your grow lights to turn on and off on their own. They will get the hours of darkness they need.
- Fan: We all like a cool breeze. So do plants. Moving the air around your plants can keep away harmful bugs and leaf fungi.
- Rug or plastic mat: Protect the floor under your garden. You might spill dirt or water while working.
Choosing Plant for Your Garden
You can grow almost any plant indoors! Some are easier to grow than others. Here are a few of the best plants to grow indoors:
- Vegetables: Chard, Carrots, Beans, Peppers, Salad Greens, Kale, Tomatoes, Onions
- Herbs: Basil, Catmint, Chives, Cilantro, Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary, Lavender
- Flowers: Begonia, Alyssum, Candytuft, Geranium, Pansy, Roses, Marigold, Shasta Daisy, Zinnia,
- Fruits: Citrus, Apples, Strawberries, Blueberries, citrus
These plants are known for thriving indoors. But you can try to grow any plant with enough light, fertilizer, space, and care. Get creative with your garden!
More Gardening Tips
Apart from tools and types of plants, there are few other factors to consider when planning your indoor garden.
Temperature: Most plants grow best between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. You can adjust the temperature around your plants with different lights. Plants that are too hot will be small and skinny. Plants that are too cold with grow yellow leaves that fall off.
Humidity: Humidity means the amount of moisture or water in the air. In the winter, your house will probably be dryer and have lower humidity. In the summer, humidity will be higher and your plants will get more moisture. Make the air around your plants humid by using a humidifier, setting out open water, or misting your plants.
Fertilizer: Fertilizers give your plants the nutrients they need to grow strong! A hydroponics garden will give your plants nutrients directly instead of through soil. You can also make a compost tea to fertilize your plants. Compost is the remains of old food and other organic material. You can store your table scraps and feed them to your plants. Mix your compost with water and let it sit for a few days. Then, strain that mix into another container, add more water and spread it on the dirt around your plants.
With an indoor garden, you can save money at the grocery store by growing food at home. Plants are also good for the air and look beautiful. Learn more about indoor gardening and make plants a fun and colorful part of your home.
- Let's Move: Kitchen Garden Checklist
- Experiments Advance Gardening at Home and In Space
- Composting at Home
- Got Veggies? (PDF)
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Houseplants
- Plant Life: A Teacher's Guide (PDF)
- Growing Herbs Indoors
- Houseplants Help Clean Indoor Air
- Starting Seeds Indoors
- Vegetable Garden: Container Garden
- Let's Get Growing in Containers! (PDF)
- Getting Ready to Grow Under Lights
- DIY: How to Grow a Window Garden for Kids
- Window Farming: A Do-It-Yourself Veggie Venture
- Inside Urban Green: SIP Recycled Soda Bottles
- Indoor Gardening Toolkit
- How Does Your Cat Grass Grow? Plant a Feline-Friendly Indoor Garden
- How to Start a Hydroponic Garden
- DEEP: Home Composting
- Starting Vegetable/Flower Seeds Indoors
- Kitchen Window Treatments Overlooking Garden
Article written by Lexi Westingate
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