1. Skip to navigation
  2. Skip to content
  3. Skip to secondary-content
Food

Started an indoor garden...

Blog entry posted by cesar in Food 7 weeks ago
Key words: Food, Vegetable Garden, Tomato, Planting Indoors, Planting, Herbs, Growing Food.

I finally did it. I started a vegetable garden in my apartment. I have pretty good light in my living room and have been growing basil, parsley and mint there for a few months.

After going to a food conference a few months ago, I was motivated to try my hand at planting some veggies and different herbs.

Went to home depot in mid-February to see what I could start with. Apparently it's growing season. I am not familiar with all the farming 'lingo' (yet), but I guess I went to home depot at the right time to try growing seeds indoors. I bought:

  • little cherry tomatoes
  • spinach
  • scallions
  • mesclun salad mix
  • chives
  • parsley (different kind, flat leaf this time)
  • cilantro (really hope this works!)
  • rosemary

    spinachspinach

scallionsscallionsmesclun salad mixmesclun salad mixchiveschivesparsleyparsleycilantrocilantrorosemaryrosemary

tomatotomato 

So I planted the seeds when I got home. It's been about 3 weeks and here is what my garden looks like:

 are these tomato stems too long?are these tomato stems too long? 

 sad spinachsad spinach

                                                                                                                salad after about a week and a halfsalad after about a week and a halftop view of all seedlings 3/4/10top view of all seedlings 3/4/10                                                                           I  had to buy a florescent grow light because I haven't gotten much sun in my windows. With all the snow storms and gloomy weather, the plants haven't gotten the recommended 12-16hours of daylight.

If anyone has tried to grow things in their apartments, let me know how it went. I'm nervous about these tomatoes and the spinach. I am not sure the look the way they are supposed to at this stage (but what do I know?)...

more to come...

0

Comments

Posted 6 weeks ago

Coll5 wrote

Flag as inappropriate

This is great, cesar! I am no expert in growing plants or food in my apartment so I don't have much advice to give you.

I was wondering was you thought about the florescent grow light. Do you think it's helping? Where did you buy it? I have some plants in my apartment that are wilting and I think it's because they don't get enough light. I really don't want them to die!

Keep up posted with your progress!

Posted 6 weeks ago

cesar wrote

Flag as inappropriate

I had always heard of people using "grow lights" for their indoor veggie/herb garden, but I bought mine after doing a lot of reading online and in gardening books about the amount of light some of my plants needed in the early stages of growing. I figured, it's still winter and the days are short and gloomy so I'd just invest in a cheap light.

I bought it at home depot. I bought the one that is for "plants and aquariums". I also bought the fixture to put the bulb in and a timer so that the lights can come on when I'm not home. All together, I'd say that light stuff cost me a little over $15. Too early to tell if it's working, but I'll let you know.

Posted 6 weeks ago

Laura wrote

Flag as inappropriate

Ooh I never thought to get a lamp.. my apartment is so dark and I thought it would be impossible to grow anything in there! You've inspired me, maybe I'll head to Home Depot this weekend and get an indoor garden started for myself!

Posted 2 weeks ago

annasiegfried wrote

Flag as inappropriate

I grow flowers in my apartments and I have adopted a similar tactic to yours so I can offer enough light... When I do not have natural light to offer for my plants, I add an aluminium foil and a powerful light(100W). That solves the problem and I have good results. I don't know how it will work for your garden and if your vegetables will be as tasty as field grown vegetables, but you can try.