Gardening is a peaceful and productive hobby on top of being an important skill. It can teach you patience and consistency while giving beautiful and sometimes delicious final results. However, not everyone has the space or resources to plant a massive outdoor garden. It often discourages people from getting into gardening or even getting started on the process.

That’s why learning how to start an indoor garden can be so fantastic. An indoor garden can take something usually reserved for people with huge backyards and turn it into an accessible activity even if you live in a small apartment. There are all kinds of things you can grow in a small space, and knowing how to get started can help you make the most out of your indoor garden.

Why Start an Indoor Garden?

If you live in a small apartment or a city where there isn’t a lot of green space, growing your garden with indoor plants can be a great way to bring some greenery into your life, even if you don't have a green thumb or gardening skills.

Having some of the natural worlds inside your home can give you a feeling of contentment and joy that might be hard to achieve otherwise. You can also grow edible plants that save you money at the grocery store and give you something new to try when cooking.

What You’ll Need

Starting an indoor vegetable garden with indoor plants is relatively simple. You can usually pick up everything you need to get started for under $50. To start your indoor garden, you will need:

  • Planting tray
  • Organic potting soil or potting mix
  • Seeds
  • Watering can
  • Mister

A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Start An Indoor Garden

Step One: Figure out What You’re Going to Grow

Indoor Garden Under Grow Light

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The first thing you will need to do when starting a garden with indoor plants is figuring out what you want to grow. One of the most popular crops is fresh herbs. Things like chives, basil, or rosemary grow very well in natural light and can be easy to take care of. Plus, seeds are usually easy to find and are available at any gardening or even grocery store.

You can also look into growing microgreens in your indoor garden. Microgreens are usually packed with flavor and can be a great addition to any recipe as a garnish. Leafy greens like lettuce or spinach microgreen seeds are incredibly popular and can be purchased anywhere you get garden supplies for indoor gardening.

Step Two: Set Up Your Planter

Planters with Soil

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Set up your planting tray in an area of your home that gets a lot of direct sunlight from a sunny window or has access to a light source like a grow light. You can even use a small indoor greenhouse. Then, put one to two inches of your potting soil into the tray. You will want to be sure that you make the surface very smooth and gently press down on it to ensure that it is solid in the tray. It will give your seeds a good surface to start sprouting their roots.

Step Three: Scatter the Seeds

Planting Seeds

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After you have laid out the soil, you can then scatter your seeds on the surface. It is important that you use enough of them and that you don’t add too few. It is especially true with microgreens since you will harvest them when they are still sprouting.

Use more seeds than you think you will need to ensure that you get a decent yield and healthy growth once they start coming out of the soil. Then, cover the seeds with a thin second layer of soil.

Step Four: Mist the Planter

Plant Mister

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Put your planting tray on a plate to make sure it has something to catch the proper drainage, as well as drainage holes in the bottom, and then place it in the sunny area. Water your planter gently without making the soil soggy, as this can hinder the growth. Mist the planter with your mister every two days or as often as it takes to keep it damp. After a little while, you will begin to see your seeds sprouting, and you can then water them as needed.

Enjoy Gardening Indoors

Starting an indoor garden can give you a great hobby as well as some excellent garnishes for cooking. By making sure that you have everything you need before you get started, you can set up the ideal space for your indoor gardening.

Do you have a favorite technique for your indoor garden? Let us know about it in the comment section below!