Growing veggies in an apartment

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juliaintheclouds

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I live in an apartment that only gets direct sunlight for a few hours a day. Are there any plants that I can grow near a window other than herbs? I have seen upright apartment type planters but I don't really know where to start?
 
I think to be honest you will struggle to grow much other than anything leafy. You may manage to grow small carrots, but otherwise I suspect water and light will be the biggest issue, light in particular. Do consider lettuce j any variety of leafy stuff) mustard for the leaves , carrots, beetroot (for the leaves) and possibly peas (for the new shots and leaves which are edible and very nice).
You may at a push manage tomatoes but I suspect the crop will be small.

Did I read somewhere that you are in Canada? If you are then you will need to wait until spring because most plants respond to natural daylight and the lengthening of the days and require a certain amount of time off natural daylight to actually germinate and grow properly, not to mention temperature.

Also remember that having that amount of soil in your apartment is going to make your apartment damp. Plants really do not like soil drying out constantly.
 
I was planning to try growing some indoor veg in my apartment but I went off the idea after growing herbs on my kitchen windowsill. The plants flourished during the summer months but so did the pests they attracted. Thrips are tiny black flies which multiply at an alarming rate. I don't want to use chemical anti-bug sprays in my kitchen so I had to get rid of the plants.

If anyone has any advice on pest sprays or deterrants that can safely used on food plants indoors, I would like to know.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
I think to be honest you will struggle to grow much other than anything leafy. You may manage to grow small carrots, but otherwise I suspect water and light will be the biggest issue, light in particular. Do consider lettuce j any variety of leafy stuff) mustard for the leaves , carrots, beetroot (for the leaves) and possibly peas (for the new shots and leaves which are edible and very nice).
You may at a push manage tomatoes but I suspect the crop will be small.

Did I read somewhere that you are in Canada? If you are then you will need to wait until spring because most plants respond to natural daylight and the lengthening of the days and require a certain amount of time off natural daylight to actually germinate and grow properly, not to mention temperature.

Also remember that having that amount of soil in your apartment is going to make your apartment damp. Plants really do not like soil drying out constantly.
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Thank you so much for the advice. Yes I am in Canada. My herb plants did wonderfully all summer but now my basil plant is looking sad so maybe I will wait until next spring. i was thinking of a vertical garden because I saw this video: http://www.ted.com/talks/britta_riley_a_garden_in_my_apartment
and found it quite inspiring but complicated. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who's done something like this but on a simpler level. I believe she did the in New York which is pretty similar to me climate wise.
 
Have you tried using full spectrum light bulbs? I have heard that they can be really helpful to plants. I haven't tried it myself as of yet, but it might be worth a shot. If you got one of those floor lamps that has like 3 lights and aimed all 3 on your plants, you might be able to get some good results.
 
So you have a balcony outside of your apartment in which you can grow potted plant gardens? When I lived in my apartment I would grow carrots, onions, chives, and butter lettuce on the back balcony and they did wonderful. In the spring and summer, the sun hit the back of my apartment every afternoon and the plants grew to eating size within no time. I could never self sustain entirely on the little garden, but it felt nice growing a little of my own food.
 
The only plant I can think of off of the top of my head that might stand a chance of growing is if you use one of those planter-pots people see on television to grow tomatoes near a window. I think it might be possible to do a potato or carrots but I'm not entirely sure how that would work or how much you'd manage to make with a limited source of daily light.
 
sorrowscall said:
. I think it might be possible to do a potato
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Potatoes would not stand a chance inside. It is hard enough some years getting a crop outside. This year has been a bad year for them here in the UK, I know loads of people who have got only tiny crops from their potatoes that have not made growing them worthwhile. Inside they would not survive at all.
 
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