What’s better than vegetables fresh from the garden? Vegetables fresh from your indoor garden in the middle of winter, of course!

As winter descends on us, layers of snow begin to blanket our growing spaces. While some vegetables endure the colder months, most plants won’t survive between the first and last frosts. A great option, if you have space, is growing your favourite vegetables indoors. Although you can’t grow anything and everything inside, an indoor garden is a rewarding way to maintain your garden staples.

Bringing your garden indoors is relatively easy. All you’ll need are a few supplies and the proper equipment to get started!

Decide What to Grow

Growing vegetables indoors means you’ll know exactly where your food comes from, so you can be sure you’re providing your family with healthy, fresh food that may not be in season locally.

So, what types of vegetables do you want to grow?

Deciding which vegetables to grow is the first step in starting your indoor garden. Each plant will have different requirements, but generally speaking, most plants will require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.

The best vegetables to grow indoors are:

• Carrots
  • Carrots are quite accommodating. Growing them in containers is a great option for indoor gardening. A long container like a window box is ideal.
• Garlic Greens
  • Although garlic has particular temperature needs, you can easily grow a large supply of garlic tops or greens all winter long. Cloves typically sprout in just one week.
• Cherry tomatoes and mini-varieties of tomatoes
  • Tomato plants typically die off at the end of the season, but an indoor garden means you’ll have tomatoes all year long! Be sure to start with a new plant to avoid bringing disease, pests and other issues indoors.
• Lettuces and greens
  • Lettuce is a quick-growing, shallow-rooted option that will continue to re-grow all season long. Allow plants to grow at least 4-6 inches tall before harvesting.
• Microgreens
  • Microgreens are a fantastic option for your indoor garden. They’re small but mighty and can be used to garnish dishes or as a meal of their own! There are many reasons to grow microgreens indoors, and since they don’t need much soil, all you’ll need is a shallow 2-inch tray. Start harvesting when seedlings have developed about two sets of leaves.

Get Started

There are a few things you’ll want to consider before planting your indoor garden. You’ll need access to proper levels of light, a growing medium, good air circulation, as well as steady temperature.

Prepare to be 100% invested in your indoor garden for the duration of the winter! If you plan to be away for a portion of the time, be sure to find someone who will be able to take over and care for your plants in your absence.

To begin, purchase any supplies you may need such as potting soil, pots or trays, fertilizer, a watering can, spray bottle, pruning shears, and a heat mat for cold nights.

Looking for a turnkey product that is easy to use and maintain? The Danby Fresh Home Herb Grower takes the guesswork out of gardening by delivering the correct amount of humidity, light, temperature and fresh air circulation at the flick of a switch! It’s a simple solution for all your indoor gardening goals and is fitted with efficient BloomBoss® LED grow lights so you won’t have to worry about high energy bills.

Maintain Your Garden

Don’t let the soil dry out! You know winter’s dry air can do a number on our skin and hair, but it can also impact your soil’s moisture level. Check the moisture frequently. Placing a shallow tray filled with stones and water under your pots will help with maintaining humidity.

Fertilize often. Just as your outdoor plants need fertilizer, so do your indoor vegetables. Since indoor plants tend to grow more slowly than outdoor plants, they likely won’t need to be fertilized as often as outdoor plants.

Just as maintaining an outdoor garden takes trial and error, indoor vegetable gardens also require time and patience. Have questions about whether the Danby Fresh Home Herb Grower is right for you? Contact us today for more information!

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