Comments on: Indoor gardening?

Question: Indoor gardening?

mjewkes — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:25:11 -0800

What kinds of food plants will grow inside by a window?

I have a single window in my room of the shared house I am living in. It faces east and gets a bit of sun from morning to mid-day. What kinds of food plants will grow in the windowsill without a grow-lamp?

Note that I can't have anything outside - so containers won't work.

By: LN

LN — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:35:44 -0800

I grew a chili pepper plant in a west-facing window a couple of years ago. That might work for you (if you like chilies, that is).

By: Morrigan

Morrigan — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:51:28 -0800

Do herbs count? If not, I'd suggest growing sprouts (alfalfa, mung, etc.) in a jar.

By: xbonesgt

xbonesgt — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:01:22 -0800

Seconding herbs. I've grown my own oregano, mint, and scallions in a planter box on the windowsill.

By: stefnet

stefnet — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:03:51 -0800

Sold out at Seed Savers right now, but I have grown this Tom Thumb pea plant indoors.

By: Quietgal

Quietgal — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:22:03 -0800

I once grew a cherry tomato plant (the variety was Sweet 100, if I recall correctly) in a west-facing window that got several hours of direct sun. I got a few tiny tomatoes from it, which were more of a fun novelty than a food source.

Keep in mind that some vegetables require pollination, not being self-fertile (I pollinated the tomato flowers with a little paintbrush). Herbs sound easier all around, really.

By: foodgeek

foodgeek — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:00:45 -0800

Radishes are probably to be the easiest thing to grow in a window aside from herbs.

By: kenchie

kenchie — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:14:39 -0800

Basil. Fantastic on pasta or pizza!

By: yohko

yohko — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:05:28 -0800

Sprouts are great, but they will be perfectly happy to grow inside of a cupboard.

By: glip

glip — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:26:16 -0800

You could probably grow all kinds of salad greens (mustard, collards, lettuces, etc.) in a box, just snip 'em down and eat them, they'll come back a few times. I grow some of this stuff in boxes that sit in mostly shade outside, and it does really well. I imagine it'll take longer to grow inside, but it should still be tasty and easy enough.

Beets could do alright too, assuming you plant them in a big enough pot/container. Beet tops are great in salads too.

By: crush-onastick

crush-onastick — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:07:16 -0800

my african violets do very well in an east-facing window. They did better in a south-facing window, but they're lush and green. I also have had success with a sage plant and random flowering succulent from the grocery store in an east-facing window.