If you lack outdoor space and want to grow edibles in your home, try these Indoor Vegetable Garden Ideas and harvest homegrown food year-round!
These indoor vegetable gardens are the best way to grow greens in a limited space. If you live in an apartment, they will surely come in handy!
Indoor Vegetable Garden Ideas
1. Grow Green Onions in Trays
You can easily grow green onions indoors without big space. Place them near a bright window that receives at least four hours of direct sunlight, and they’ll grow.
Avoid water growing methods if you want a good harvest and an endless supply, even when it’s snowing outside.
2. Garlic in Cups, Bottles, and Pots
You can grow garlic indoors, like green onions, and harvest garlic greens and bulbs. Indoor vegetable gardening doesn’t get simpler than this.
To start, you only need a big coffee cup or a similar small container; even a plastic bottle will work. Once they grow a bit, though, you’ll need to transplant them to a bigger pot with drainage holes if you’re looking for garlic bulbs.
3. Tomatoes in Containers
If you have a south-facing window, you can grow a small vegetable garden of determinate-type tomatoes in pots, especially cherry and grape tomatoes.
Tomatoes need at least 6 hours of direct light daily, so make sure you give them that much and stakes for support—these things will help you a ton!
4. Sweet Potatoes on a Windowsill
You can plant and propagate sweet potatoes easily on your kitchen windowsill. All you need are glass jars and water.
If you’re doing it, make sure you stick the toothpicks in the right place so that when you submerge the sweet potato, only a third of it is in the water.
One fun fact about growing sweet potatoes is you can also eat young tender leaves.
5. DIY Indoor Vegetable Garden
This informative article will teach you how to grow vegetables indoors. Don’t worry if your home doesn’t have a south—or west-facing window; you can use grow lights.
You can also DIY your own grow lights. And if you’re putting in that much work, why not dedicate an entire shelf and grow as many microgreens as you can? Here are some fast-growers.
6. Ginger in a Small Pot
You can grow ginger indoors in filtered sunlight for its aromatic leaves. It’s completely edible and used in various recipes. Find out more in our article.
A pot about 8-10 inches deep and wide is a good starting point for growing many ginger rhizomes indoors. Choose an east-facing window, as these plants need morning sun and afternoon shade.
7. Vegetable Indoor Garden in Bottles
Follow this tutorial video to complete this smart indoor vegetable garden project using empty soda bottles. Check out more soda bottle ideas here.
A great tip you won’t find anywhere is shaking. Don’t press the delicate roots into the soil. Instead, put in the cuttings, add a bit of soil at the top, and shake the bottle gently.
8. Lettuce on a Salad Tray
Lettuce is perfect for indoor growing as it’s easy as long as you provide it with filtered or partial sunlight per day. You can easily grow it on a salad table and move it on the balcony for sunlight.
It’s actually really simple. You just need to make furrows in rows and plant the seeds about an inch deep or just buy transplant from a nearby store.
9. Eggplants in Small Pots
You can grow eggplants indoors if you have a sunroom or closed balcony. Learn how to grow eggplant in a pot here.
Eggplants prefer full sun, which makes this vegetable a perfect option for a balcony garden. Don’t forget to stake them and do it early so you don’t hurt the roots at a later stage.
10. Mint in Containers
You can easily grow mint indoors by providing even indirect light (but the more, the better). Our growing guide will help you!
If growing indoors, place the pot in an east-facing window in spring and summer and a west or south-facing window in fall and winter.
11. Grow Celery from Scraps
You can grow celery from scraps, plant the 2-inch base in the water, or house it in a small amount of potting soil with root-side down. New growth will begin to grow from the center.
Keep it near a south-facing window so it can get the maximum amount of daylight each day. You will see good growth, even in just 8-10 days.
12. Herbs in Teacups and Coffee Mugs
Herbs can be grown in tight spots on a sunny windowsill this way. Read all the growing details here to showcase tasty, aromatic, fresh plants in teacups and coffee mugs.
Thyme, basil, cilantro, chives, and parsley are great starting options because they’re easy to care for. Don’t wait for herbs to grow huge; keep harvesting the leaves as they grow, and you’ll have a continuous supply.
13. Grow Edibles in Water
You can grow veggies indoors on a small windowsill, tabletop, or balcony in water. Read in detail about re-growing delicious edibles in the water here.
Water spinach, taro, water chestnut, and watercress are great edible options. You’ll have to change the water every 2-3 days. If you don’t want to do that, add a tiny piece of charcoal to keep it clean.
14. Make a Window Herb Garden
If you are short on space, grow herbs in small pots on the windowsill. This way, they will get all the sunlight for the best growth, and you’ll have a fresh, regular harvest for your food!
The best part is that window herb gardens double up as decor, so you can use ladder herb garden ideas, colored pots, or even teacup herbs.
15. Grow Mushrooms
Why stop at growing vegetables indoors? You should start growing mushrooms, too. They don’t need bright light to thrive, and you can harvest them in just 2-3 weeks!
Oyster mushrooms are a good start. To grow them, grab a mason jar and stick it in a dark, humid place away from light. You can even grow mushrooms in coffee grounds!