There’s no healthier hobby than salad gardening. Not only is it a zen activity, but you’ll also grow organic vegetables for your salad plate.
The greatest thing about salad gardening is that you don’t even need a backyard. Instead, you can grow a variety of vegetables in small spaces, such as your windowsill or even your wall!
Here’s everything you need to get started:
Plant Types for Windowsill Salad Gardens
Salad gardens are perfect for beginners since the vegetables are relatively easy to grow. They also require almost no space.
Moreover, growing your salad on your windowsill means your plants will get plenty of direct sunlight, which is essential for most vegetables.
Greens
A healthy salad starts with a green base. Even if you hate leafy greens, the flavor of your homegrown goods is unparalleled. It might have you eating a green salad every day.
One of the best greens to grow on your windowsill is leaf lettuce. Unlike head lettuce that you harvest whole, you can take a few leaves at a time, and the plant will regrow!
If you prefer a kick to your salad, look no further than arugula. You can enjoy this fast-growing crop in 20 to 50 days after planting. Just make sure you don’t pick all the leaves, so the plant can regrow.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes require plenty of sunlight, making them the perfect vegetable for your windowsill. While tomatoes are bulky for most small spaces, cherry tomatoes are stable for all home gardeners.
All you have to do is choose a well-draining soil for your tomatoes and water them regularly. You don’t need fertilizer, but boosting your tomatoes with phosphorus-rich fertilizer will yield the best results.
Cherry tomatoes aren’t just delicious ingredients for your salad, but they also sprout tiny yellow blossoms just before the plant fruits.
You’ll get to enjoy the fruits of your labor only 50 days after sowing the tomatoes. Then, don’t forget to harvest the seeds. This way, you’ll have an endless supply of tomatoes
Herbs
Herbs are some of the most popular plants to grow on your windowsill. The reason is that there’s nothing better than fresh herbs, and they’re pretty simple to plant!
You’ll find herb seeds at almost any gardening store. However, you can also regrow store-bought herbs.
Some cut herbs, such as thyme, mint, sage, and basil, can regrow roots when placed in water. Simply submerge the bottom of the herbs in a jar full of water, place them on your windowsill, and change the water frequently.
After a few weeks, roots will begin to develop. Then, you can transfer the herbs into a pot, picking the leaves when needed.
That’s not all. If you want your windowsill to look luscious and green, pinch pruning the herbs is an excellent way to encourage new leaf growth.
Edible Flowers
So, you want to impress your family and friends with a colorful salad as well as a gorgeous windowsill? Edible flowers are your answer.
Nasturtiums are perfect for your windowsill salad garden. The only downside to growing them is that their stunning flowers will discourage you from picking them.
Lavenders are one of the most beautiful edible flowers out there. Luckily, planting them on a windowsill is simple, as they require full sunlight and little water.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.