Winter doesn’t have to mean the end of your gardening season, so bring your love of growing good food indoors this winter with a vegetable garden!

If you’re like many gardeners, you can’t wait until the spring to get back into the garden. The smell of the soil and the beginning of new growth is what we crave after the long, cold months of winter, but you can get your gardening fix in other ways! It’s time to think about growing your own indoor winter vegetables.

What to Know about Growing Veggies Indoors

Indoor veggie planting is a popular trend, and will continue to drive the green thumb community as food prices keep climbing and resources fluctuate. The good news about growing vegetables indoors this winter is that you don’t need a ton of space for most greens. While you won’t be able to grow every type indoors, there are many common vegetables that are easy to raise in your kitchen. Here is what you’ll need to get started: -Seedling trays -Seeds of your choice -Seed starting soil -Vegetable fertilizer -Domed lids to trap in humidity -Grow lights -Misting bottle Some of these supplies you may not need, depending on what you are growing, so it’s a good idea to research the general care requirements for both vegetables and herbs before starting out.

Microgreens & Salad Greens

It might not be everyone’s favorite winter food, but salads can be delicious all year round! Growing your fave salad greens–like spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula–is a simple way to exercise your green thumb during the winter and is a great way to grow vegetables indoors. To start your salad greens indoors, follow these steps: -Fill shallow trays with good seed-starting soil. Make sure you fill well, so roots have room to explore. -Moisten the soil with a heavy misting. -Pop in your seeds. -Keep soil moist by covering it with a domed lid. -Once you see the plants peeking their green foliage out of the soil is when you need to start up your grow light. Your seeds will need about 12 hours of light per day to start. You can grow your greens all year long like this, keeping a recurring crop of fresh salad greens at your fingertips.

Some Other Great Vegetables to Grow Indoors This Winter

Tomatoes

Ok, so we’re cheating a bit by adding these in here, but tomatoes can be grown indoors during the winter as long as you give them the same growing conditions as they would have outside. They will need lots of light and the right temperature, so find a good south-facing window where the sun can hit directly. The aroma of fresh tomatoes is also a great reminder of summer and might even help elevate your mood if you’ve got those winter blues.

Carrots

A veggie with a deep need for soil, clear some space and provide a deep container for growing. Carrots don’t require a lot of space around them to grow, and are cool-tolerant vegetables. Just make sure they also get at least 12 hours of sunlight every day!

Green Onions

Green onions or scallions grow quite fast indoors, even in the winter, and can either be planted in soil or placed in water. You are sure to have continuous replenishment over the winter with very minimal care. Winter doesn’t have to mean the end of your gardening season, so bring your love of growing good food indoors this winter with a vegetable garden! If you’re looking for some more advice, or the supplies you need to get started, stop by the garden center to shop for all of your indoor vegetable needs.