Every house needs a bit of green to feel like a home. While I love growing pothos and succulents, some of my favorite plants to grow are the ones I can eat. You may be surprised at how well some fruits and veggies do indoors.
Garlic
Garlic is easy to grow because the bulbs are so hardy. Grow Organic garlic is an excellent choice because the bulbs last longer without compromising the natural flavor. Garlic does best on sunny window sills with light watering. They don’t need large pots, making them great for small nooks and crannies.
Herbs
Everyone knows someone with herbs growing in their windows. Herbs love south-facing windows but don’t require as much water as other indoor plants. The plants will typically grow to the size of their container, so smaller pots will result in smaller herbs, while larger pots can lead to herb explosions.
Chives, parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme, and oregano are some of the most popular herbs. However, lavender and mint make great additions to indoor pots, thanks to their intense fragrances.
Chili peppers
Hot pepper plants are for you if you like spicy foods. Because of their long branches, you’ll need more space for chili peppers than other plants. Different varieties require different amounts of sunlight and water, so checking which type you’re planting is essential.
You’ll need to hand-pollinate these plants if you intend to keep them indoors all year. You can use a cotton swab to move pollen from flower to flower. Otherwise, you won’t have peppers. You can place the pots outdoors for a few weeks after they begin blooming and let the bees do their thing. Like other fruit-producing plants, they like occasional plant food to help them make fruit.
Salad greens
Salad greens are great for long planters on extended window shelves. They need consistent light year-round, ranging from six to eight hours daily. They don’t like dry soil and should be kept damp but not drowning.
Spinach, butterhead lettuce, and romaine are the easiest to grow, but arugula contains nutrients, and kale can be surprisingly hardy. As long as you don’t harvest the entire plant each time you take leaves, the small bundles will continue to grow.
Strawberries
Strawberries are another fruit-producing plant that will need your help pollinating if not placed outside while flowering. I recommend a window box of strawberries if you have the availability. They require damp but not soggy soil and at least six hours of sunlight daily to produce the best fruit.
The plant will grow and spread season to season if it survives the winter. I would start with a small grouping of stems and see how far it takes you.
To sum it up
There are a lot of excellent plants you can grow indoors that benefit your mental and nutritional health. Garlic, salad greens, and herbs are great green plants that are easy to grow in just about any window, while chili peppers and strawberries are fruit-producing plants that do best in full sunlight.