Growing vegetables indoors has always been an ultimate option for people with limited spaces but still love harvesting the food themselves for safety and hygiene.
However, some said that it is impossible to plant greens indoors in the winter because there will be a lack of heat and water. Is it true? Can you grow vegetables indoors in the winter? Let’s find the answer below!
Can You Grow Vegetables Indoors In The Winter?
It is totally possible to grow vegetables indoors in the winter, but it will not be as easy as growing the plants outside under normal conditions.
Typically, you need water, light, heat, and nutrition for a plant to grow, but it lacks three out of four criteria in the indoors and winter scenario. That being said, to make the plants able to grow as normal, you must try other approaches to supply the conditions that lack.
Additionally, there are types of plants that grow well under strong sunlight, heat, and abundant water, but a few still bloom under the opposite conditions, like tomatoes, lettuce, basil, kale, etc. So, besides trying to supply the lacking conditions like water and heat for your indoor harvest, you should also consider planting the plants that grow well under dry, cool, shadowy conditions.
What Should You Know When Growing Indoor Vegetables In Winter?
Lightning
First and most importantly, you must be concerned about the lighting condition. Plants need sunlight for their germination procedure, like the plant, after “absorbing” light, will create the necessary energy to grow leaves, roots, and flowers.
On winter days, the light will be 10-20% as strong as normal, making it harder for plants to create energy to grow. What should you do then?
- Provide extra light by using lamps: if we don’t have natural lights, making artificial light is good enough. The best approach is to put the plants in natural sunlight and under lamp lights when all sunlight is gone.
- Prefer low-energy anatomy plants like tomatoes, spinach, chard: despite the low light weather with less energy to grow, they can still grow up and be edible.
Watering
The humidity is actually lower than normal in winter, so please remember to water the harvest regularly. However, be careful not to overwater the veggies either because the soil will dry out slower than normal under weak sunlight.
Vegetables That Can Grow Indoors Well In The Winter
Tomatoes
Tomatoes have always been our favorite veggies because it is so nutritious and easy to grow. Here are some notes for you: you must choose unglazed pots and provide appropriate space for airflow. Prepare small holes for drainage.
In terms of soil, the ideal ratio is the seeds buried at about 1/4 inch from the bottom of the soil. After every ten days, move the pot to a brighter and warmer place to push the germination process. The best temperature for tomatoes is 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cucumber
Cucumbers are easy to grow even in harsh weather conditions like winter with little water, moisture, and heat.
To start, you should buy specific cucumber seeds for indoor harvesting. Then, choose a big pot because cucumbers demand big spaces for nurturing. When they grow up, they will slowly climb along with the pot and fences and even climb to nearby pots, so prepare the climbing structure beforehand.
Similar to tomatoes, cucumbers need a bit brighter sunlight when germinating. The good heat range for it is about 73 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spinach
Spinach is considered a signature veggie for cold-climate countries, so no wonder it is chosen on this list.
Compared to cucumbers and tomatoes, we think harvesting spinach in winter is much easier. Like cucumbers, you need a big pot to plant the spinach seeds. It is also necessary to put these pots under light sunlight. Remember to water it regularly, and then you will soon have delicious, watery veggies for dinner.
Conclusion
In short, the answer to your question “Can you grow vegetables indoors in the winter?” is an absolute yes. However, harvesting indoors has never been an easy approach. So, please follow our guidelines and tips on planting your veggies effectively! Hope this post helps you enough!
Last Updated on 11 months by George Morgan
