Growing my own fresh fruits and vegetables is one of my favorite pastimes. I love to harvest the sweet bounty of my labors. Sometimes, growing your own food is a requirement for survival and not just a pleasant hobby.

Can I grow food inside my home? Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs, lettuce, and greens can all be grown inside your home with a little bit of knowledge, the right supplies, and some tender loving care.

My adventure in growing food indoors began this year when the pandemic hit, and I realized that I needed to up my game when it came to growing our own food. I am not new to the home production scene, but suddenly I was driven to make it more than a hobby.

My Indoor Garden Production Goals

I have a bit of a unique goal when it comes to my little indoor garden. One of Jon’s favorite meals is a vegetable hoagie sandwich on a 9-grain honey oat roll.

I can store the vinegar, oil, mustard, jalapenos, and the ingredients for my fantastic hoagie rolls in our food storage for at least 5 years. It takes me a little more than one hour to whip up a batch of hoagie rolls and bake them.

What I need is to be able to grow fresh vegetables year-round for this sandwich. My garden needs to produce lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. We may have to settle for chives in place of the onions, or I can put dehydrated onions in the vinegar and oil for some added onion flavor.

In addition to keeping my family happily fed, I want to keep a good stock of healthy greens available for use in salads, cooking, and smoothies. Fresh greens and lettuce for daily salads are important to me for a healthy diet. And finally, nothing takes the place of fresh herbs in my cooking. My indoor gardening lets me have all of my favorites, less than 10 steps away from my kitchen.

In this post, we will review some important aspects of growing food indoors. My goals are probably a bit different from your goals. Even growing some lettuce and greens would make a big nutritional difference in a survival diet when you are living off basic food storage.

Basics of Growing Vegetables and Herbs Indoors

Greens are the easiest plants to grow indoors. They are relatively pest and disease-free when you do it correctly. This is how I grow my lettuce indoors.

#1 – Plants Need Light – Sunlight or Artificial Light

Very few of us have enough natural light to grow an indoor garden. Vegetables and greens can grow well in front of a window with good sun exposure. Sometimes you may need to supplement with a little artificial light for optimal growth.

Optimal growth will occur with at least 12 hours of light each day. During the short winter months, plants may require supplemental lighting.

Light Bulb Specifications for Growing Plants

You do not need to purchase expensive grow lights. Seedlings can be grown effectively with inexpensive shop lights if you purchase the right bulbs. Use a bulb with a Kelvin rating of 5,000 to 6,500, and an output of at least 2,500 lumens.

Grow lights should be as close to the plant as possible. You may need to find a way to make your lights adjustable to keep them near rapidly growing plants. If you notice that your plants are yellow or leggy, they may not be getting enough light. Healthy plants will have a beautiful color and a thick healthy stem.

#2 – Give Roots Plenty of Room to Grow

I usually start plants in a small container and then transplant them into a larger pot that will accommodate their adult size. Small containers will limit the potential size of the plant and affect the overall health and production.

If you look at the lettuce plants in the photo below, you will notice that the plants in the cup are significantly smaller than the plants in the tub. 

They were started and transplanted at the same time. The only variable is the size of the container. When you give plants adequate space for the roots to grow, they will give you higher yields in return.

#3 – Provide Good Drainage to Prevent Root Rot

Good moisture regulation begins with quality soil. Spend the extra money to purchase good potting soil for your indoor plants. It will be worth it. A good potting soil will help to regulate the amount of moisture available to your plant.

There are few plants that like soggy feet. I created an inexpensive system using plastic dishpans. Jon drilled drainage holes in the top dishpan. A second dishpan underneath captures any excess water. I placed thin pieces of scrap wood between the dishpans to allow room for the water to drain. It is not my dream system, but it fits in my budget.

#4 – Consider Growing Temperatures

Maintain the right temperature for the plants you are growing. Plants can be quite resilient with temperature swings, but there are a few basic parameters to consider.

The ideal temperature for growing lettuce is 65-70°. It requires an average temperature of 50° to grow. Too cold will slow growth, and too hot will encourage the plant to bolt.

Peppers, on the other hand, require a temperature of 85° to germinate. After the seedling stage, they are incredibly happy to live in a wider range of temperatures as long as they don’t freeze.

#5 – Air Movement Builds Strong Plants

Plants grown outdoors are stronger because of the constant exposure to air movement. You can mimic that movement by using fans to create a gentle breeze. If your garden is in a room with windows, open the windows to let the natural breezes come through when temperatures are right. 

Do not mistake drafts for healthy air movement.

#6 – Fertilize Regularly

Indoor plants do not have access to the natural fertilization that Mother Nature provides. They only have the nutrients that you provide for them.

Some potting soil comes with slow-release fertilizers, so you do not have to fertilize for a few months. I usually fertilize every few days with an organic fertilizer that is designed for edible plants.

Preppers always have a stock of important supplies. When growing your own indoor garden, this applies to fertilizers. These are a few that are available online that you might be interested in:

• Neptune’s Harvest Fish Fertilizer (not stinky)

• Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer

• Jobe’s Organics Vegetable & Tomato Fertilizer Spikes

• Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules

#7 – Harvest Daily

The more you harvest responsibly, the more your plants will produce. I start selectively harvesting leaves from lettuce and greens when they are about 4 inches tall. The cut-and-come-again method lets me harvest the young leaves while allowing the plant to continue growing. 

I do not cut more than one-third of the plant at a time. The plant will quickly replace the leaves that I have harvested.

The cut-and-come-again method of harvesting is accomplished by cutting the outer leaves at the base of the plant first, about 1 inch from the soil. The plant will continue to grow new z

Indoor gardening is quite different than outdoor gardening in that it is not defined by the seasons of the year. You plant and harvest year-round.

Continually Plant New Crops

Eventually, all annual varieties of lettuce and greens will bolt and go to seed. Some varieties last longer than others. Most greens and lettuce plants have a limited productive life. By using the cut-and-come-again harvest method, you significantly increase that productive life, but the plants will not last forever.

You can ensure a constant supply of greens by having plants growing at all stages. When you begin to harvest from one set of greens, it is time to plant a new container to ensure that you have a constant supply of fresh greens for your dinner table. Tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers do not need to be replanted as frequently as greens.

Try Perennials in Your Indoor Garden

You can plant a few varieties of greens that are perennial. A variety of spinach called Malabar can be grown as an indoor houseplant. I am experimenting with Malabar in my indoor garden.

Many herbs are perennial such as oregano, thyme, chives, and mints. These are beautiful productive plants to keep in your indoor garden.

Continually Plant New Crops

Eventually, all annual varieties of lettuce and greens will bolt and go to seed. Some varieties last longer than others. Most greens and lettuce plants have a limited productive life. By using the cut-and-come-again harvest method, you significantly increase that productive life, but the plants will not last forever.

You can ensure a constant supply of greens by having plants growing at all stages. When you begin to harvest from one set of greens, it is time to plant a new container to ensure that you have a constant supply of fresh greens for your dinner table. Tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers do not need to be replanted as frequently as greens.