5 Foods Anyone Can Grow In Small Spaces

One thing I have heard many people say is they can't grow food at home because they don't have space, because they live in an apartment without a balcony or because they don't have enough time to dedicate to a veggie patch outside. But I personally think these are just excuses, everyone can grow something edible. Of course, we all have limitations as to what is possible but there is something for everyone, no matter your living situation. Below are 5 foods anyone can grow in small spaces. For all of the options below all you really need is a sunny windowsill and a kitchen bench.

1. Herbs

Firstly, I want to talk about herbs and I want to clump most herbs into one category. Most herbs are relatively easy to grow. Basil, parsley, coriander, mint and chives can all be grown indoors on a windowsill that gets a good amount of light. All you need to grow these herbs is a small pot and saucer, a windowsill with good light, some seeds or a young seedling and some organic potting mix. Place your potting mix into the pot, sow your seeds, water it and place against your window of choice. In a few weeks, it will grow into a lovely and very useful plant. Water your herbs regularly and only harvest what you need when you need it.

Get started with your mini herb garden by purchasing seeds on Biome from The Little Veggie Patch Co here or from Eden Seeds Select Organic here.

2. Strawberries

Strawberries are extremely easy to grow in pots, in fact, this is the only way I have ever grown them. I have also recommended them as one of the 5 easiest foods to grow in pots. Just like herbs, all you need is a small pot and saucer, organic potting mix and strawberry seeds or crowns. Place the potted strawberries onto the windowsill that gets the most amount of sun and they will thrive as long as you water them regularly. It may take a while for your plants to start producing fruits but it will be worth the wait. Use your strawberries in smoothies, on ice cream, with yoghurt or just eat them on their own.

3. Mushrooms

Growing mushrooms is completely different to growing plants. But I would argue it is even easier to do so. There are many mushroom growing kits out there. Mushrooms require very little maintenance. Just read the required growing conditions, depending on the variety of mushrooms and regularly mist with water. These are perfect for growing indoors all year round and are a very healthy food source to add to your meals. I usually grow my mushrooms in the garage, but you could also grow these on your kitchen bench, in your pantry or under your sink.

Biome sells some great mushroom kits from brands Little Acre and Life Cykel. If you want to start growing your own mushrooms you can buy your own mushroom kits here.

You can also learn more about growing mushrooms in Milkwood, a book written by two Australian permaculturists Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar. Buy the book from Biome here or buy from QBD here.

4. Microgreens

Microgreens are the very young shoots of usually green vegetables. They are often harvested at about one to two weeks old, depending on the variety of food you're growing. Microgreens are packed full of nutrients, in fact, at this stage of the plant's lifecycle, they possess more nutrients than when they are fully grown. Another benefit to growing microgreens is they require much less space, you can constantly produce high yields, they are low in cost to set up and maintain and are suitable for all climates.

All you need to start your growing microgreens are seeds, some growing medium like an organic seed starter mix, and a shallow tray. Place your soil into the shallow tray, mist with water and then sprinkle your seeds on top. It's also a good idea to cover with a second tray of microgreens. This second tray on top will apply a small amount of pressure and allow them to germinate in complete darkness. Check on them every day. Once they start to germinate and are about 1cm long you can take the top tray off and place them into a sunny spot on your kitchen bench.

If you're interested in growing microgreens then you should definitely check out the kits sold on Biome by clicking here or by clicking on one listed below.

• UrbanGreens Microgreens Windowsill Grow Kit
• Pink Kale - UrbanGreens Mini Microgreens Grow Kit
• Sunflower - UrbanGreens Mini Microgreens Grow Kit
• Mustard - UrbanGreens Mini Microgreens Grow Kit
• Ruby Sprouts - UrbanGreens Mini Microgreens Grow Kit
• Life Cykel Alkaline Greens Groovy Grow Kit

If you want to watch an in-depth tutorial on growing microgreens then I would highly recommend watching this video made by Kevin Espiritu from Epic Gardening. He goes through a complete step-by-step process from soaking seeds, sowing, watering, lighting, harvesting and storing them.

5. Sprouts

And finally, you can grow sprouts in a jar of water on your kitchen bench. Growing sprouts is really simple, all you need are the seeds, things like mung beans, alfalfa, peas and kale, a jar, a hairband or rubber band and lastly some type of straining cloth. To grow sprouts place the seeds in a jar of water and let them soak overnight for about 8-12 hours. In the morning drain the water out of the jar. Next, rinse the seeds in the jar and drain them again allowing all the water to drain out. Repeat this step every 12 hours until sprouts appear, this usually takes about 3-4 days. Sprouts are excellent in salads, on sandwiches, mixed into curries and stirfries or used as a garnish on omelettes.

If you want to watch a video on how to grow sprouts and microgreens then I would highly recommend this video posted by Milkwood.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this article listing the easiest 5 foods anyone can grow in small spaces. I think it is important to grow our own food at home and just because we live in really small spaces doesn't mean we can't. All the foods listed above require very little maintenance, little space and can even be grown indoors. Until next time, good luck with growing these foods.

If you want to stay up to date with me you can follow along on Instagram @soulfullygreen.