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.

How to Use Microgreens in the Kitchen

Microgreens are easy to use in the kitchen and go with just about anything. Microgreens are best enjoyed fresh, to get the most nutrients, which means they don't need to be cooked!

Ideas for Using Microgreens:

• Garnish pasta
• Add them to salads 
• Pile them on sandwiches
• Blend them into smoothies and juices
• Top finished meals like stir-fries and chicken

How to Grow Microgreens Indoors

Microgreens are super easy to grow indoors, even if you've never grown anything before. All you need is a sunny space, soil, a pot, seeds, and water. 

Microgreens are a beautiful addition to kitchen windowsills, dining rooms, shelves, and end tables - so long as they get a little sun and good air circulation. They can be grown in any pretty container you may have with proper drainage or in a specially designed microgreen growing kit. 

Steps to Grow Microgreens:

1. Prepare a container with drainage holes and indoor potting soil
2. Plant your seeds about 1/4 inch deep
3. Water only when the soil is dry
4. Harvest microgreens with clean scissors. Wash, dry, and eat

What Else Can I Grow Indoors?

Just about any plant can be grown inside with the right conditions. All plants need is soil, water, air, and light. All of these conditions can be created artificially indoors, which means you can grow an entire garden inside. 

Greens and herbs are the easiest to grow inside since they need the least sun. If you'd like to grow fruits and vegetables indoors, you may need to add a grow light or two to give them their minimum of six hours of sunlight each day. You might also add a cool-mist humidifier to keep your indoor humidity level right for plants like tomatoes and peppers.

Not sure what to grow? The best rule of thumb is to grow what you'll use. For example, if you enjoy making happy hour cocktails, you might consider growing an indoor lime tree or a small pot of mint. And, if you cook a lot, fresh herbs are a joy to have within arms reach.

Indoor Food Growing Ideas

• Greens: kale, lettuce, spinach, and chard
• Herbs: fennel, parsley, cilantro, basil, oregano, thyme, chives, and rosemary
• Vegetables: green beans, carrots, onions, garlic, and peppers
• Fruits: tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, lemons, and limes

Hydroponic Vegetables

If you like the idea of growing food indoors but aren't sold on intentionally bringing dirt into the house, let us introduce you to hydroponic gardening.

How Do I Grow Hydroponic Vegetables?

Hydroponic gardening is a method of growing plants without soil. Instead, plants are fed a specially formulated solution to grow and can be grown up to 50% faster than plants grown outdoors. There are six types of hydroponic gardening, including Deep Water Culture (DWC), Ebb & Flow, Wicking, Drip, Aeroponic, and the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT).

What Vegetable or Fruit Grows Fastest Indoors?

Impatient? Microgreens and sprouts are among the fastest vegetables to grow. Spicy Purple Radish microgreens are ready in just six short days! Mushrooms can also be extremely quick to grow and don't even need sun.

Minimalist Herb Kit

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

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 >>

Grow Your Own Microgreens, Vegetables, Fruit, and Herbs Inside

Growing edible plants indoors is an excellent way to eat healthier year-round. Indoor plants also serve as attractive interior décor and have actually been proven to reduce stress and increase productivity.

If you're new to gardening, an indoor vegetable growing kit or a small potted herb garden is a great place to start. Or, go all out and build yourself a reading nook salsa garden of tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and cilantro complete with a funky grow light and lime tree.  

We'd love to hear about your edible indoor gardens! Tell us what you're growing!