Frost has arrived (like the Grinch on Christmas), and you may feel like the glorious days of growth are over. Fear not—there is still so much you can grow indoors! It might be cold and frosty outside, but the indoor temperature is perfect for growing! So many kinds of herbs and vegetables grow happily on a sunny windowsill.
You don’t need to grow your plants in traditional containers; almost anything can be made into a planter. Here are a few ideas:
- Beans
- Beetroots
- Carrots
- Citrus
- Eggplants
- Herbs
- Kohlrabi
- Leafy greens
- Olives
- Peaches
- Peppers
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Spring onions
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
You don’t need to grow your plants in traditional containers; almost anything can be made into a planter. Here are a few ideas:
- Half barrels
- Wooden boxes
- Water troughs
- Old buckets
- Stacked tires
- Empty yogurt containers
Remember that plants of different sizes need pots of different sizes too. Here’s a guide for the size container you need for certain groups of plants.
- 6 - 8 inches for herbs and salad greens
- 10 -12 inches for larger vegetables
- 12 - 15 inches for fruit trees
Drainage is the biggest difference between growing in the soil and growing in containers. In the soil, water can drain freely, whereas containers tend to trap moisture. If the water is trapped in the pot for too long, the roots can drown (they need air, too!). To ensure that water can drain freely from the pot, line the bottom with coarse materials like pebbles, stones, and broken shards of clay pots. For even better drainage, lift your containers off the floor by placing a brick or a few old tiles underneath.
