5 Vegetables to Grow Indoors During Winter

Especially in northern climates, the winter months can not only mean a dearth of as much outdoor activity as we’d like. Maybe I’m the only one that the cold keeps bottled up, but I’m guessing I’m not alone. This time of year with its cold temperatures and short times of sunlight also put a damper on gardening and provides little opportunity to grow food whether that’s fruits or vegetables.

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While that’s not AS MUCH of an issue at this moment, in hard times, it will be much more of an issue.  We need to know how to grow food indoors in winter so that we can feed our family during much of the year.   While there are ways to grow food outside by using cold frames or greenhouses those take some time, money, and effort to set up.  Growing food indoors is much easier at the outset and can provide you with some foods in as little time as a few days? Don’t believe me?  Read on.

Sprouts

Also known as Microgreens.  These are not only so simple to grow, but they are a nutritional powerhouse!  Sprouts are estimated to contain more than 100 TIMES more beneficial enzymes that your body needs compared to raw vegetables.  Some sprouts also protect against cancer.

Once seeds are sprouted, they also contain 10-100 times more of an enzyme inducer.  Our bodies need enzymes on a daily basis and can become depleted if we are not replacing them.  Sprouts are an amazing way to replace enzymes.

Sprouts are also rich in vitamin C.  Many sprouts also contain a good deal of protein.  If a disaster struck during the winter and it was too cold to grow a garden, you could subsist on sprouts – though it would be much less than tasty to eat them 100% of the time.

The biggest upside of sprouts is that you can have them in as little as 3 days.

Lettuce  

Lettuce is a fairly easy food to grow inside during the winter.  The question isn’t could you grow it inside, though. Because the best types of lettuce to grow indoors are loose-leaf lettuce, there are some varieties that are better than others for growing indoors.  Some of the best varieties to grow include black seeded Simpson, tom thumb, and mesclun mix, The question should be why should you grow it inside? If your indoor gardening resources are in short supply…

Why grow lettuce?

• It grows quickly!  Loose-leaf lettuce can be harvested as early as it has a sustainable amount of leaves.  If you want to grow head lettuce, it will take 45-55 days, but loose-leaf varieties will grow in much less time.
• Lettuce contains anti-inflammatory properties.
• Lettuce protects your brain.
• Lettuce contains 20% protein!  This is a good thing if you need to grow food that will sustain your family.
• Lettuce can actually help your body rid itself of toxins.  This, in turn, helps your body to remain healthy.
• It’s an antimicrobial agent.
• It also has anti-anxiety properties

Radish

Radish is an easily grown veggie!  Not only are they easy to grow, but they are also a fast veggie.  These can be grown from planting the seed to decent size radish in about 3 weeks.  This is a huge upside in case you need to grow food to sustain yourself.  If you plant radishes weekly you will have a continuous harvest indoors throughout the winter.

On top of that, sometimes (especially in soups), you can cut up radishes and use them almost like potatoes in soup.  Do they taste just like a potato? No, but they have been used by a lot of people to replace potatoes.

But why grow radishes?

• Help protect red blood cells
• They guard blood pressure
• Keep you from getting sick from their high vitamin C content
• Contains anthocyanins which protect your heart
• Helps keep our blood vessels supple and prevents atherosclerosis
• High on nutrients and fiber

Tomato  

Does that one surprise you?  Yea, it did me too, but they are possible to grow inside during the winter.  What I did discover is that smaller varieties like cherry tomatoes do grow better inside.  I also love the idea of growing tomato plants upside down!  You’ll need a sunny window, but it’s very possible to grow these indoors.

• A single tomato provides 40% of your daily vitamin C
• Improve your vision
• Help protect healthy digestion
• Protects against cancer.

Oregano

This is a wonderful perennial herb to grow indoors if for no other reason than to flavor your meals.  Oregano a grown easily in a pot – actually it’s best grown in a pot because it can take over spaces easily.

Oregano takes light, well-drained soil.  It will need a good deal of sun, so make sure that you have a sunny window to keep it in.  Oregano needs water, but not too much.  Only water it when the soil feels dry to the touch.

Oregano has so many wonderful qualities.  Throughout the years, oregano has been used medicinally to treat.

• Respiratory Tract Disorders
• Stomach ailments
• Menstrual cramps
• Urinary Tract Infections

Mint  

Mint is just like oregano in that it will spread and easily take over space.  It is better to have this in a contained area or in a pot.  You can grow it indoors especially in winter because it only needs partial sun.  You can put it in a part of the house that gets sun some of the time, but it doesn’t have to have constant sun.

Fortunately, it takes more to kill mint than it does to grow it!  Even my black thumb (that I’m trying desperately to reform) couldn’t kill mint when I tried.  It’s pretty amazing!  So find needs partial sun.  They like moist, but well-drained soil.

Mint has been used medicinally for a long time especially when it comes to upset stomachs.

It’s benefits and uses include

• Stomach calming tea
• It has one of the highest levels of antioxidants around
• helps stomach spasms
• helps gallbladder spasms (shouldn’t be used if there are gallstones)
• IBS
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Keeps numbers of bad gut bacteria in check

What About You?

Have you successfully grown any foods indoors in the winter?  What lessons have you learned?  I’d love to hear.  Leave a comment below and share your experiences with us so we can all learn.

Together lets Love, Learn, Practice, Overcome.