How to grow food indoors
It is very easy, enjoyable and satisfying to grow food indoors.
Not only will it help you save money and provide you with fresh ingredients all year around. But it also lets you grow specialisted ingredients not available in most shops.
If you want to grow food indoors then the key is to focus on 3 items:
- The type of meals you like to cook and eat
- Where & how you want to grow them
- If you want to use ready made kits or are into DIY
Taking them in turn
How to grow food indoors – the 3 key items
Item 1 – What’s your favourite meal?
The type of fresh ingredients you grow at home need to reflect your meal preferences.
Simply select your favourite meal types for advice on what to grow & how
Key ingredients
Italian ingredients
Mexican ingredients
Thai ingredients
Item 2 – Where & how you want to grow food indoors
The key to growing food is to focus on 2 elements:
2a – the size and environmental requirements of your plants
The plants you grow will not only be different in size (such as their height & spread) but also different nutrient, light and heat requirements.
Many herbs are very easy to grow, as they don’t tend to be very large and are often quite ‘hardy’. But other items (like tomatoes and peppers) will often require not only light but also warmth.
The easiest way to see how this works is to have a look at either our section on the best herbs to grow indoors or follow the links from our fresh fruit & vegetables section.
2b – how you much space you have available
There are a variety of different methods available, but it all depends on your available space.
Window sill or kitchen top?
If you don’t have much space then do consider a ‘ready made’ hydroponic system unit (like the one on the right).
Yes, it is probably best suited for small items like herbs & salad. But it’s very easy to use and will provide your plants with the right type of environment.
Available from Amazon it’s the ideal automated hydroponic kit for beginners – as it will show you how it works and also helps you get great results.
In addition the special grow lights mean you can grow your herbs & vegetables all year around.
Kitchen or spare bedroom floor?
If you have more space available then try a larger hydroponic or aquaponic system, using extra grow lights. This is ideal if you want to grow tomatoes, peppers or other vegetables.
For more details have a look at our indoor hydroponic system plan
Item 3 – Do you want to use ready made kits or are into DIY
Using a few plants pots filled with soil might sound appealing and cheap.
But you will get much better results by using hydroponic or aquaponic systems and extra grow lights.
Ready made systems are very easy to use and quick to install. However, building your own system to grow food indoors isn’t that hard and will work out a lot cheaper – follow the links below for more info