Growing vegetables is something everyone should do. The problem is, if you don’t have land for a garden, growing veggies becomes much more difficult. But do not worry my fellow apartment friend. There are ways to grow your own vegetables inside your apartment (or on your balcony). The only difference is that you are more limited to the type of vegetables you may grow.
First things first, do you have a southern window or balcony? If so, you are in luck! You can grow a wide variety of vegetables suitable for mild climates and can find a big enough pot for. The most common apartment vegetables are lettuce and tomatoes (mainly grape or cherry tomatoes). Both are easy to take care of, grow in most climates, and do not need large pots.
Here are some other great apartment vegetables:
Almost anything leafy: spinach, endive, cabbage
Root veggies: sweet and hot peppers, carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, onion, squash, radish
If you plan on growing vegetables indoors, do not buy gardening soil. Gardening soil will generally compact in containers and will kill your crop. Try using a mixture of light soil instead, such as part potting soil, part vermiculite, part peat, and part perlite.
Be sure to water your plants daily and keep them at a southern facing window. Since water may deplete the soil’s nutrients, be sure to give the plants a supplement feeding every two weeks and do not expect the same type of crop output as an outdoor garden since lighting (even in a southern window) and pollination (even though this can be done by hand) are limited.
If you do not have a southern facing window or balcony, you can still try growing herbs. Instead of the 8+ hours most vegetables require, herbs generally need just 4 hours of sunlight, so any window ledge works great. The best advice anyone can give though is to think of several herbs you enjoy cooking with and simply look up their needs and try to accommodate them.
Of course, if you really want an indoor garden and don’t have a southern facing window it is still possible with a little help. If you have an extra room or area sealed off (like a closet), you can simply buy a sunlight lamp and leave it on during the day.
Written: May 25, 2009
Cromely
May 26, 2009 @ 1:30 am
Great tips. I would suggest being careful about daily watering, however. Before watering, always make sure the plants need it. You can probably find a cheap water meter at discount stores and gardening centers.
If plants get too much water, their roots will have trouble getting the appropriate nutrients and oxygen from from the soil. In containers, it can sometimes be challenging to keep plants from suffering from “wet feet.”