Indoor Vegetable Container Gardening

Growing your own vegetables and having them for lunch or dinner is very satisfying. But not everyone has the space to grow vegetables in their garden. For city dwellers who live in apartments, vegetable container gardening can be a very rewarding hobby. First, it lets you grow your own vegetables and secondly, you are sure that the vegetables you are eating are fresh and healthy. Container gardening for vegetables is actually quite easy and, if you choose the right vegetables and herbs to grow along with the proper containers to grow them, you will soon have lots of home grown vegetables.

Vegetable Gardening in Containers

When you decide on growing your own vegetables, indoors, you should choose only those vegetables that can thrive in small spaces. It is very important that you choose the right vegetables to grow indoors in containers, if you want a good yield. You should also choose the right containers and know where to place them, so that your vegetables have a better chance of growing.

Choosing the Right Container
The first thing to remember when you start indoor container vegetable gardening is that you have to choose a container that provides good drainage, and is big enough to support the weight of the plants. Containers made out of terracotta, plastic or wood all works well for container gardening. But you can be more innovative in your choice of container. Old plastic bottles, plastic milk jugs, old chipped teapots and sugar bowls, empty cans can all be used as containers for vegetable gardening. You can even use, wooden boxes and crates as well as empty barrels as containers for indoor gardening. Just make sure that there is adequate drainage in these containers, otherwise there will be water logging and the plants will rot.

Choosing the Right Soil
After you are done choosing the container to grow vegetables, it's time to choose the soil. Any good potting soil can be used to fill the containers. The soil should be fairly lightweight, with a good mixture of sand and soil, that will allow easy drainage. Clay soil should not be used for indoor vegetable gardening, as it absorbs too much water which results in the roots of the vegetables getting very less air. Organic compost should be added to the soil mixture, so that the plants receive adequate nutrients. Good potting soil can be purchased from any gardening center or local nursery.

Choosing the Right Vegetables to Grow
Of course one of the most important indoor vegetable gardening tips that I can give you, is to choose vegetables that thrive in such small spaces. You can grow green salad leaves like lettuce, endive, spinach and rocket leaves. Vegetables like baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, vine tomatoes, baby potatoes, chilies and beans. These plants do not require too much sunlight to grow and hence, grow well indoors. Many dwarf varieties of plants like gherkins, baby corns and snow peas are also great for growing in a container. Other easy to grow vegetables that are ideal for growing in containers are squash, eggplant, radishes, beetroot, peppers and cucumbers.

Taking proper care of your vegetable garden is very important if you want healthy vegetables. Place the containers in a place where they can get a bit of sunlight, like in a balcony or patio. Also water them regularly and pull out any weeds. Indoor vegetable gardening can be very rewarding and fun, and the best part is that you can cook your home grown vegetables.