Indoor gardening: how to grow basil, tomatoes and spinach!
Given the situation that turned our daily lives upside down these past few months and made us spend more time at home or in our apartment, many of us have gotten into indoor gardening. Yes, it is indeed possible to have a miniature greenhouse, even when living in an apartment, without a garden and often even without a terrace. From herbs to tomatoes, it is possible to grow many plants under a sunny window. If you haven’t done so yet, it’s not too late to get started. And for those of you who don’t have a green thumb, here are some new tips on indoor gardening that will help you grow plants in your home during August and September!
Plants to grow indoors
The easiest way is to buy individual seedlings of each plant and transplant them into larger pots, to avoid the sometimes complicated germination stage. To do so, make sure to use good quality potting soil, preferably enriched with compost or fertilizer.
- Basil: an aromatic plant that needs a lot of light and heat. Place the pot of basil that you bought in front of a south-facing window to expose it to direct sunlight. Make sure you water it regularly; it will thrive in very damp soil. To renew your basil plant, prune it from time to time by cutting the branches at the point of the attachment between the stem and the leaves at a height of 10cm.
- Cherry tomatoes: they need light and warmth. Transplant the plant you bought in a fairly large pot (minimum 30 cm). Fill the pot with a layer of clay beads and cover it with potting soil. Remove the tomato plant from its pot, loosen the outer roots and plant it in the centre of the potting soil. Then place it in front of a south-facing window. Water it regularly to keep the soil moist.
- Spinach: it grows best in a place that is not too sunny. Choose a pot that is deep (minimum 15cm) and very wide to allow the plant can spread its roots. Fill it with potting soil and insert the spinach seedlings. Leave 5 to 10cm between the seedlings. If you plant spinach in mid-August, you can place your pot in front of a south-facing window, as the days are shorter and the sunlight is less intense. Harvest the spinach when the leaves are 6 to 10 cm long.
Here are some recipes to try out with your home-grown veggies:
Flatbreads topped with roasted tomatoes, chicken and pickled red onions
Vine tomatoes with ricotta and basil foam