Growing Organic Indoors

Planet Natural. Another no-hassle option is PlanTea, powdered organic fertilizer that comes in biodegradable “tea bags.” You simply plant the bags along with your seeds, and they release their nutrients—mostly from powdered vegetables—into the soil.

Of course, if you’re already enlightened enough to have a composter in your apartment, some of the best fertilizer of all is compost tea. Just be sure to use it lightly—no drenching required.

LIGHT The good news is that you can grow most of your organic vegetables with plain old-fashioned sunlight. You’ll just need a sunny windowsill or room (check your seed packages to see how many hours per day of direct light is best).  If your indoor gardening plans are ambitious, though—like, if you want to grow your own eggplants or carrots—and you live in a cold climate, you’ll need to shell out for some indoor grow lights. Fluorescents, which work well for most seedling-stage and some mature plants, will set you back about $150 to $200 apiece. Home Harvest has a good selection.

The Bible of Container-Growing The essential reference book for growing organic indoors is The Bountiful Container, by Rose Marie Nichols McGee and Maggie Stuckey. It’s got detailed instructions for every part of the container-growing process, as well as troubleshooting advice in case things go wrong. Follow these ladies’ words of wisdom, and you’ll be growing—and eating—green in no time.