If you don’t have a big outdoor space to grow your own food, you can still enjoy a fresh harvest by growing your own fresh and organic vegetables in a small space! Here are some fantastic Windowsill Vegetable Gardening ideas for you!

Check out the best plants to grow on a kitchen windowsill here

Windowsill Vegetable Gardening

1. Green Onions

Fresh green onions can be a wonderful and delicious addition to your salad bowls and sandwiches. In a small space like a windowsill, you can get enough harvest.

You can even grow green onions in water. See the tutorial! If you want, you can try to grow onions, too. Also, vertically in plastic bottles.

A Tip: If you’re growing green onions in water, replace the water every day.

2. Loose Leaf Lettuce

After green onions growing lettuce is one of the easiest things in windowsill gardening! It doesn’t require a sunny window, a few hours of sunlight is enough. If not, you can also use grow lights.

The best part is you can make decorative arrangements, combining red or green leaf lettuces in the same pot or choosing variegated ones.

A Tip: Wide-shallow containers are sufficient and provide you with a small crop. Learn how to grow lettuce in a pot here.

3. Tomatoes

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill is easy if you have a sunny spot—a great way to grow and enjoy fresh, organic, juicy tomatoes indoors.

For best results, choose dwarf varieties (cherry tomatoes are perfect). Also, some varieties that grow well on windowsill include Early Salad, Red Cushion, Pretty Patio, and Tiny Tim.

A Tip: Cherry tomatoes don’t require a big deep pot, you can use a small to medium-sized container. If you like to grow them in hanging baskets near your windows, it is possible too! Click here!

4. Spinach

You can have your own spinach, and you don’t need a big yard for this. You can grow it on a windowsill if it receives only a few hours of sun.

A Tip: Keep the soil slightly moist and provide a shallow but wide planter, a 6 inches deep pot would be sufficient.

Here’s a helpful guide on growing spinach in containers

5. Chillies

Exotic, hot, spicy, and colorful– You can grow chilies on your kitchen windowsill. But only if it is sunny and warm. Also, the pot you use should be at least 8-10 inches deep.

It’s fun, and you’ll love your plants once they start to flower and fruit. You can make your curry recipes spicier this way.

A Tip: Provide as much sun as possible and keep your eyes on pests.

6. Carrots

Growing carrot on a windowsill is an amazing way to enjoy a homegrown harvest in small pots or window boxes. They need regular watering; otherwise, the roots (carrots) will dry out and crack.

Growing this root vegetable in containers is easy, and it doesn’t take much space too.

A Tip: Choose smaller varieties.

7. Sprouts

The healthiest stuff you can grow– almost anywhere in your home, also on the windowsill. All you need is a quart jar, a few tablespoons of sprouting seeds, and water.

In a week, you’ll have a jar full of healthy delicate sprouts that you can sprinkle on salads, add to sandwiches or toss into soups for a delicious and healthful twist on your favorite recipes.

A Tip: Just read these two articles– here and here.

8. Garlic

Garlic will grow happily on your windowsill. To grow it, buy some fresh garlic from a grocery store. Plant a large, unpeeled clove with the pointed side up in well-draining soil.

Keep the soil moist, and in a few days, you should see a green shoot. You can use its leaves in many recipes in place of garlic. It will taste delicious!

To harvest the leaves, cut them off with a sharp scissor, only a few inches at a time. When the leaves dry, dig up the soil to harvest the garlic bulbs.

A Tip: Choose at least 6 inches deep pot.

9. Microgreens

A big bowl of green leaves can be a prime source of vitamins A, C, K, and folic acid. These seedlings of herbs and vegetables are even more nutrient-rich and tasty than mature ones.

A Tip: To grow microgreens, you will need seeds of various greens and a wide but shallow tray.

Here is everything about growing microgreens

10. Radishes

Radishes grow so fast and require little care and don’t mind the small pots. Plus, their leaves are also edible and you can prepare delicious exotic recipes from them.

They need a sunny windowsill and moist soil.

A Tip: Ensure the pots you use have sufficient drainage holes and the potting soil must be well-drained and rich in organic matter.

11. Pea Shoots

 

Both the beans and peas can be grown on windowsills if there is space. They are easy to grow and do well in a bright spot.

A Tip: Dwarf peas don’t require any special support, thus more suitable for windowsill gardening.

12. Herbs

Snipping off fresh herbs every morning before heading on to the kitchen gives an unmatched delight. All you need is a rich, well-draining potting mix at a bright south-facing windowsill.

Basil, oregano, rosemary are some of the varieties that not only add a lip-smacking flavor to your food but will also love the bright sunny spot.

A Tip: Ensure 6 hours of bright sunlight and feed your herbs every alternative week to get the best harvest.

13. Cress

Engage your kids in something creative by helping them grow cress on your windowsill. They are the easiest to germinate and grow will little care.

Known as the king of superfoods, cress is a nutrient-packed microgreen and with low calories. You may also grow this magic green without soil.

A Tip: Germinate the seeds in a shady space transfer it to sunlight after visible sprouts.

14. Baby Beetroot

Beetroots are an exotic vegetable packed with antioxidants and cancer-fighting nutrients. They are cluster seeds which mean, several plants sprout from a single source.

They are easy to grow and need fertilized loamy soil to grow. South-facing window sills can be the best spot for the beetroot to receive 4-5 hours of bright sunlight every day.

A Tip: Snip away one or two shoots after germination to encourage more space for the vegetable.

15. Chinese Cabbage

Chinese cabbage can fill your breakfast plate with vitamin C, K, and a considerable level of folic acid, which boosts the defense mechanism of your body.

And the best is this is an easy-to-grow plant that can fit in a small pot due to its compact shape.

A Tip: Fertilize the soil thoroughly and keep it moist to ensure the lush harvest.

16. Arugula

Arugula is an excellent green, loaded with fiber and phytochemicals. Unlike most houseplants, you need to grow in partial sunlight near the window.

A Tip: Arugula prefers cold temperatures but make sure to move it to partial sunlight in the winter months.

17. Bell Pepper

Sunny windowsills can be a brilliant spot to grow bell peppers for low temperatures and bright light requirements. Besides being an excellent source of Vitamin C, bell peppers are loaded with antioxidants.

Keep checking the heat supply as intense warmth will turn the vegetable bitter. Learn everything about growing bell peppers in pots here in our article.

A Tip: Do not feed the plant too much nitrogen-rich fertilizer, which will inhibit fruit production.

  • Scott from tending the garden with scott
  • February 11, 2017 At 4:12 am
  • I’ve been container gardening for a few years now but never thought to attempt onions or garlic. Thanks for passing along this info!
  • Reply
  • Sophie Mayhew
  • March 6, 2018 At 1:07 am
  • Thank you for this information! I’m hoping to start growing some vegetables in my house and found this very helpful.
  • I might be limited to a radiator shelf for the vegetables though and am wondering if the extra heat would be damaging to them. The radiator is directly beneath a window that gets lot of good light, but it’s a big radiator. If I used a humidity tray do you think that would help the vegetable plants tolerate the heat? Or should I just avoid growing veggies over a radiator completely?
  • Thanks again for your advice!
  • Reply
  • Asha
  • January 13, 2019 At 4:11 pm
  • Want to learn
  • Reply
  • Vidyotma Mehta
  • June 10, 2020 At 9:15 am
  • I want to know more abt balconygarden…
  • Reply
  • Vidyotma Mehta
  • June 10, 2020 At 9:16 am
  • I want to know more abt it…
  • Reply
  • Suhas Mudliar
  • November 10, 2020 At 2:36 pm
  • What are the various Microgreeens you would suggest for Indian weather and availability of seeds ?
  • Reply
  • Aida
  • March 15, 2021 At 2:17 am
  • Monty’s practical gardening ‘bible’ includes organic and sustainable growing, in-depth planting guides and the evolution of Longmeadow. Please note, an additional ?4.50 delivery fee applies.
  • Reply
  • Sharon Demkovich
  • April 11, 2021 At 11:56 pm
  • Very interesting article! Are they grown from seeds or sprouts from other plants? I’m sorry, didn’t have time to read the entire article !
  • Reply
  • Nature Lover
  • May 23, 2021 At 5:36 pm
  • You can use both but first the efficient way to germinate seeds of vegetables is by firstly sowing it in a small tray the next u can shift it to ur desired planting place.
  • Reply
  • Jeff Schwersinske
  • August 28, 2021 At 5:37 am
  • info grow in doors got veg yr round buy all a time tomato Bell & Hot peppers spices,Do you start them like spring garden plants? cant do in apt,apt nothing in front windows in case of fire, looking for home life back Jeff
  • Reply

I’ve been container gardening for a few years now but never thought to attempt onions or garlic. Thanks for passing along this info!

Thank you for this information! I’m hoping to start growing some vegetables in my house and found this very helpful. I might be limited to a radiator shelf for the vegetables though and am wondering if the extra heat would be damaging to them. The radiator is directly beneath a window that gets lot of good light, but it’s a big radiator. If I used a humidity tray do you think that would help the vegetable plants tolerate the heat? Or should I just avoid growing veggies over a radiator completely? Thanks again for your advice!

Want to learn

I want to know more abt balconygarden…

I want to know more abt it…

What are the various Microgreeens you would suggest for Indian weather and availability of seeds ?

Monty’s practical gardening ‘bible’ includes organic and sustainable growing, in-depth planting guides and the evolution of Longmeadow. Please note, an additional ?4.50 delivery fee applies.

  • Nature Lover
  • May 23, 2021 At 5:36 pm
  • You can use both but first the efficient way to germinate seeds of vegetables is by firstly sowing it in a small tray the next u can shift it to ur desired planting place.
  • Reply

Very interesting article! Are they grown from seeds or sprouts from other plants? I’m sorry, didn’t have time to read the entire article !

You can use both but first the efficient way to germinate seeds of vegetables is by firstly sowing it in a small tray the next u can shift it to ur desired planting place.

info grow in doors got veg yr round buy all a time tomato Bell & Hot peppers spices,Do you start them like spring garden plants? cant do in apt,apt nothing in front windows in case of fire, looking for home life back Jeff

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