Indoor Gardening: Microgreens, Vegetables, Fruit, and Herbs

What Are Microgreens?

Microgreens are trending on social media and are popping up in interior decorating plans. They can even be found on the menus at fine dining restaurants around the world. But what are they?

Aptly named, microgreens are precisely that: miniature versions of mature vegetables and herbs. The only difference is that you harvest microgreens while they're young and small, rather than waiting for the full-grown plant. 

Popular microgreens include pea shoots, wheatgrass, baby arugula, beet tops, broccoli shoots, radish greens, chard, and mustard greens. 

You might also consider growing sprouts, which are often confused with microgreens. The difference here is microgreens are grown in soil, and sprouts are soil-free, growing with just water and light. Popular sprouts include alfalfa, lentil, and mung bean.

Why Grow Microgreens?

Microgreens pack a flavorful punch into their tiny leaves and are an excellent addition to any meal. Chefs often use them to add texture and fresh flavor to dishes and as attractive finishing garnishes. 

Microgreens are easy to grow inside and are ready to harvest in as little as 2-3 weeks. Such a quick harvest makes microgreens an ideal crop for impatient gardeners and a fun activity to share with kids. And, because they're grown indoors, microgreens can be grown year-round, even when it's snowing outside.  

Microgreens Are Healthy

One of the top reasons people grow microgreens is for their nutritious boost. Studies show these tiny greens contain 40% more nutrients than their mature counterparts, including Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Lutein, and Beta-Carotene.

Even just a pinch of microgreens added to a salad, sandwich, or chicken breast can increase your overall health and leave you feeling more energetic. Growing microgreens on your kitchen windowsill make these cut-and-go greens an easy grab for nutritious snacks and healthier dinners.

DIY Ideas for Indoor Gardens

Your indoor garden can be as simple as a single planter or can fill up an entire sunroom. It all depends on how much time and space you'd like to dedicate to growing food indoors.

First, think about what you'd like to grow and where you'd like your plants to live. If you're just going to grow a few herbs and microgreens, you might choose a few coordinating pots to place on a windowsill. If you'd like to grow more than what your windowsill will hold, you might consider adding shelves to stack your plant babies. 

If you have your heart set on growing things like tomatoes or peppers that require more sun, you'll need to plan your indoor garden with grow lights. If you go this route, make sure you choose light bulbs made specifically for growing plants. These bulbs have a different wavelength than traditional indoor light bulbs to help your plants thrive. 

Consider growing edible indoor plants in:

• Offices
• Studios
• Kitchens
• Sunrooms
• Bedrooms

Once you've chosen your indoor gardening space and the plants you'd like to grow, it's time to get creative and build your garden! Plants can be grown in all sorts of containers, given adequate drainage. 

Creative Gardening Containers:

• Wide bowls
• Window boxes 
• Decorative pots
• Galvanized tubs
• Hanging planters
• Hand-painted pots
• Tomato sauce cans
• Glass-front cultivators

Adding an extra personal touch here and there can turn any shelf or centerpiece into a beautiful, edible focal point. You might add in kick knacks from your travels, creative lighting, mirrors, a pop of paint, a fishbowl, a moss wall, or even a little water fountain. The sky is the limit!

Indoor Vegetable Growing Kits

Want to get your garden started quicker? 

Kits make it possible to start an indoor garden within minutes. You can find indoor growing kits explicitly designed for herb gardening, microgreens, mushrooms, and even ready-to-go hydroponic growing kits.

Minimalist Herb Kit

This elegant and straightforward hydroponic herb growing kit comes with seeds, plant food, and detailed instructions to start your indoor garden.

Stacking Garden Kit

The aeroponic Tower Garden can produce 20 different plants in the vertically stacked design requiring only three square feet. 

Modern Glass Garden Kit

Though less of a kit and more of an appliance, the stylish Urban Cultivator can grow eight different microgreen varieties at once.

Mushroom Growing Kit

Perhaps the easiest gardening kit yet is this mushroom growing kit. Just place the entire box near a window in your home, mist it twice a day, and you'll be eating homegrown oyster mushrooms in as little as ten days.

Explore more indoor growing kits >>