Overview

Growing herbs and vegetables indoors is a good way to ensure fresh food throughout the winter, whether you live in a cold climate where year-round gardening is impossible or in a city where outdoor gardening is not an option. Herbs are the easiest culinary plants to grow indoors as their space requirements are often low, but some vegetables will also grow indoors, though they may take up a little more room. Planting an indoor garden in pots is a fun and inexpensive way to enjoy fresh food all year.

Herbs

Step 1

Fill your planting pot or pots ½ full with potting soil. You can use several smaller 6-inch pots for individual herbs, or plant them all together in a large pot. Just make sure the pots are at least 6 inches deep.

Step 2

Place your herb plants in your planting pots so that the base of the stem is 1 inch below the lip of the pot. You may need to fill in more soil under the plant or push some away to achieve the required depth.

Step 3

Fill in soil around the root ball of your herbs and water well. After the plants adjust to their new environment they will begin to put out new growth.

Step 4

Harvest from your herb plants frequently. Use a sharp pair of shears or scissors to remove lower or outer leaves and stems. Harvesting the oldest growth will leave the new growth to mature and develop.

Vegetables

Step 1

Fill your planting pots with potting soil. Vegetables take up more room than herbs but if you have the space your endeavor should be successful.

Step 2

Remove your vegetable seedlings from their containers and place them in the prepared pots. Like with herbs, make sure that the base of the plant is 1 inch below the lip of the container.

Step 3

Plant your green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, chard, kale and endives in one or several pots. These plants will want a cool sunny area such as a covered porch. As long as the temperatures do not drop below freezing, these plants will do well.

Step 4

Plant your warm climate vegetables such as hot and sweet peppers, beans and tomatoes in pots that you can place on a sunny windowsill. These plants need temperatures that do not drop below 60 degrees at night, and that are in the 70s during the day.

Step 5

Cut 2 to 3 foot sections of bamboo and stick them into the soil around your tomatoes, peppers and bean plants. As these plants develop, attach the growing vines to the stakes using twine or wire.

Step 6

Harvest lettuce, kale and chard by taking several of the outside leaves from each plant. This way you can harvest from the same plants for most of the winter.

Step 7

Harvest beans, tomatoes, and peppers as the fruits mature and ripen on the vine.

Step 8

Water indoor vegetables frequently but avoid over-watering. Place two fingers on the soil and press down gently, the area should be damp but not saturated.