12 Easy Vegetables To Grow Indoors

Growing vegetables indoors is a great way to have fresh vegetables on hand when you need them, while also saving money.

Creating an indoor vegetable garden also means that you can grow unusual or heirloom varieties that aren’t available in the stores.

Here are 12 vegetable plants that are easy to grow indoors, even for beginner gardeners.

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How to grow vegetables indoors

The easiest way to grow vegetables and other edible plants indoors is to place the pots on a sunny windowsill that receives at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight each day.

If you don’t get much natural light inside your home, you can use grow lights to give your plants the light they need to grow.

I prefer to use a high quality potting mix to pot up my plants, but you can also use a small hydroponic system that doesn’t require soil.

1. Lettuce

There are many fast growing varieties of lettuce that are easy to grow indoors and you can harvest them in as little as 45 to 55 days. [1]

Look for loose leaf lettuce varieties like oakleaf or butter crunch lettuce so you can pick off the outside leaves as you need them.

It’s a good idea to plant a batch of lettuce seeds every couple of weeks to have an ongoing supply of fresh, crispy lettuce leaves.

2. Baby Spinach

Baby spinach leaves are a healthy addition to salads and sandwiches and they’re easy to grow indoors.

Plant the seeds about ⅓ inch (1 cm) deep, place the pot on a sunny windowsill and keep the soil moist.

You can pick off a few leaves as needed or you can harvest the whole plant in 4 to 6 weeks.

3. Chives

Chives are an onion-flavored herb that looks great growing in the kitchen.

They’re a nice addition to omelettes and soups or you can use them as a garnish.

Snip off the leaves with scissors as you need them, but leave a couple of inches of growth so that the leaves can grow back.

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4. Arugula

Arugula, also known as rocket or roquette, has a slightly bitter taste and makes a nice addition to salads.

I like combining arugula and baby spinach in my salads so the arugula taste isn’t too overpowering.

Arugula is fast growing and ready to harvest in about 40 days.

RELATED: 10 Fast Growing Salad Vegetables

5. Kale

Kale is another vegetable that is easy to grow indoors.

The leaves can be eaten raw in salads if they’re picked early or the mature leaves can be lightly steamed or stir fried. [2]

Kale grows best in cool temperatures, so the plants don’t need to be in a heated room.

Try growing purple kale for some extra color in your meals.

RELATED: How To Grow Kale Indoors

6. Peppers

Peppers look nice growing in a pot indoors, but they need warm temperatures and lots of sunlight.

Plant peppers in a deep pot so that the roots have plenty of space to spread out.

Peppers are ready to pick in about 60 to 90 days.

7. Radish

Radishes are fast growing vegetables that are perfect for growing indoors.

They have a peppery taste and make a nice addition to salads. The leaves are also edible.

Radishes are ready to pick in about four weeks.

8. Mushrooms

Mushrooms are easy to grow indoors and they don’t need light to grow, so you can place a mushroom kit just about anywhere in the house.

Some mushrooms are ready to pick in as little as 20 days so you won’t have to wait long to harvest your own fresh mushrooms.

There are many different types of mushroom kits that you can buy including oyster, button or reishi mushrooms.

9. Beets

Beets are most commonly grown for their roots, but the leaves are also edible and they can be steamed, sauteed or added to salads.

The roots are ready to harvest in 45 to 60 days but you can pick the leaves when they’re about 6 inches (15 cm) tall.

Leave a few leaves on the plant if you’re planning to harvest the root as well.

10. Potatoes

Planting potatoes in a grow bag makes it easy to grow potatoes indoors.

Potato plants need at least six hours of sunlight each day and the potatoes are ready to harvest a couple of weeks after the foliage has died off.

11. Herbs

Creating an indoor herb garden means that you can enjoy fresh herbs year round, while also saving money.

You can pick off a few leaves as you need them to add delicious flavors to your meals.

There are many culinary herbs that will grow well indoors and they look great in pots on the kitchen windowsill.

Some of the best herbs to grow indoors are basil, parsley and cilantro.

RELATED: 9 Best Herbs To Grow Indoors

12. Scallions

Scallions, also known as shallots, are a type of onion that doesn’t form a bulb.

They have shallow roots so they’re perfect for growing indoors and you only need a small pot.

Sow the seeds about ⅕ inch (5mm) deep and place the pot in a sunny spot.

Keep them well watered and you’ll be able to harvest your scallions in about 8 to 12 weeks time.

So there are 12 vegetable plants that are easy to grow indoors.

Creating an indoor vegetable garden means that you can enjoy fresh vegetables year round, while also saving money and reducing food waste.

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Have you tried growing vegetables indoors? Let me know in the comments below.

Are you on Pinterest? I have boards dedicated to Vegetable Gardening and Gardening Tips that you may enjoy. You can also find me on Facebook.

Don’t forget to pin this post so you can come back to it when you’re ready to start your indoor vegetable garden.