THE “EASY OPTIONS”
These options are so commonplace,
so tried-and-true, that they can be
overlooked. However, they still work
and are a great way to start growing
some of your own greens or other
vegetables in small spaces. They’re
listed here in no particular order.
Growing by the Window
All greens need light to grow.
Fortunately, greens do not require
as much light as other crops and the
amount of filtered light that comes in
through the average window will often
provide the necessary light for growing
greens. This may not, of course, be true
at all times of the year or if you happen
to only have a north-facing window. In
these circumstances, you will need to
supplement with additional grow lights.
Still, having said all that, a window box
or a few pots with successively planted
lettuce or other greens placed inside a
window can provide enough food for a
regular salad, garnish to a meal, or can
be mixed into a wide variety of soups
and stews. Kale and chard are partic-
ularly good for this, and they are also
cold tolerant for those drafty windows.
After all, it is often much cooler by
the windows than in the interior of
the house in the colder months. Still,
growing by the window may have to be
suspended for a few months per year if
it gets too cold.
Growing in the Bathroom
Bathrooms are often the most humid
room in the house. Use this extra
moisture to help nourish plants.
Lighting is often a prohibitive factor
with bathroom growing, but the
addition of a supplemental grow light
could make the bathroom capable
of providing the quickest crop turn-
around of all possible rooms in the
house. Without that light, however, the
same moisture and warmth that makes
the bathroom a viable grow space will
invite any number of fungal problems
to your indoor grow. So, keep the light
at the forefront of thought if opting to
grow in your bathroom.
Growing on
the Wall
You hang art on
the wall, why
not food? After
all, growing verti-
cally has been done
for centuries (Hanging
Gardens of Babylon,
anyone?). Don’t underestimate
the amount of available square
footage of growing space on your walls.
So long as all the plants’ light, water,
and nutrient needs are met, there is no
reason that you could not be growing
greens on your walls year-round. For
best results, selecting walls that face
southeast, south, or southwest. You will,
of course, need to make sure that there
is sufficient support to do so. If unsure
that your walls are structurally sound
enough to take the weight of hanging
pots of plants, the same principle can
be achieved with shelving units.
Growing in Your Furniture
Yes, this one takes a bit of creativity to
imagine, let alone create, but it can be
done. Though this is the most difficult
suggestion on this list to achieve, it
really just takes advantage of the
same principles that allow a terrarium
to survive. Imagine: a Plexiglass,
polycarbonate, or even glass chamber
with soil, greens, and sufficient
ventilation built into a fully functioning
coffee table, dining room table, or
dining room chairs. Not only would
this be a highly efficient use of space,
but think of the conversation starter it
would be. This is not as far-fetched an
idea as it may seem. A simple search
engine perusal of images will provide
countless examples of folks who have
incorporated growing plants into their
furniture pieces. This option is often
better for handy individuals or those
that can afford to have their furniture
built custom.
“Greens do not require
as much light as other
crops and the amount
of filtered light that
comes in through
the average window
will often provide the
necessary light for
growing greens.”
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