the ultimate guide to indoor gardening

Growing plants, small vegetables and aromatic herbs indoors is becoming increasingly popular. Urban agriculture is THE trend to follow, and that's great news! Here is our complete guide to know everything on the subject: indoor vegetable garden, planters, gardening boxes, connected vegetable garden, seeds, sowing dates … I tested them: here is my opinion and all the practical advice for successful planting !

Making the cultivation of aromatic plants, vegetables and fruits accessible to everyone is now possible, and many brands have been born out of the growing interest in indoor gardening. Even without a garden or a sunny patio, there are easy ways to grow your vegetable garden indoors.
Where to start ? Should you opt for a classic or connected indoor vegetable garden? What are the elements to know before starting? What can we hope to grow at home?

Notice to all green city dwellers and budding gardeners reduced to city life, the green revolution is underway!
Discover our tips and advice to know with our enlightened comparison of the different types of indoor vegetable gardens, that I took care to test for you (and also for the coming harvest).

Classic indoor vegetable gardens

The principle : grow your herbs and vegetables in a natural way, depending on the space available, the region, and the amount of sunlight. These can be plantings in tubs placed or suspended from a balcony, or cultivation boxes installed on your patio (if you are lucky enough to have one).
To plant from A to Z, from sowing to harvest, the easiest way is to get gardening kits. In subscription version or by thematic products, green gardening sites are booming. Here are the ones we recommend:

1 – Mon Petit Coin Vert: monthly organic gardening box

My Little Green Corner is a company created on the initiative of a horticultural teacher passionate about nature and his son Robin, who fell into the pot of entrepreneurship. With the desire to make gardening accessible, easy and joyful, Mon Petit Coin Vert offers boxes with monthly themes, but also practical accessories and seasonal themed kits available for purchase, even to non-subscribers. All vegetable seeds come from organic farming and are reproducible. This means that after harvest, you can reuse the seeds to replant them or give them as gifts. Each variety is approved and tested upstream in Brittany by Jean-Jacques, the co-founder.

The Mon Petit Coin Vert Kit:
The monthly subscription (for you or to give as a gift) allows you to receive 1 box each month (for a month, 3 months, or 6 months), from € 12.90. See the options on Mon Petit Coin Vert

Each box contains:

  • 2 varieties of organic seeds to sow (fruits, vegetables, flowers, aromatic herbs …) : the seeds are always in season and compatible.
  • 6 coconut lozenges to start the seedlings before repotting: each pellet contains compressed coconut fibers which promote germination. They are biodegradable and natural.
  • The gardener's gazette : an explanatory guide containing tips and advice for successful planting, access to the Facebook support group to discuss with the community of enthusiasts, DIY recipes, etc.
  • A surprise accessory : gardening tool, natural fertilizer, decoration, pots in biodegradable geotextile fabrics

I opted for the kit "My little spices ” containing 5 sachets of aromatic herbs (large green basil, parsley, chives, coriander and thyme), a geotextile pot, 10 coconut pellets and the gardener's gazette containing all the useful information! I can't wait for the harvest …
>> My Little Aromatics Kit, public price 23 € (subscriber price 21 €)

On the site, there are thematic boxes, natural products dedicated to gardening, practical tools, seed bags and planting kits. Subscribers benefit from a reduced price on all articles on the site.
My opinion :
Each order is prepared in Lille by disabled workers from the Les Papillons blancs association, and the company is committed to a zero plastic approach. The seeds are reproducible: the harvests will allow you to sow again indefinitely. Customer service is very responsive and a blog rich in green ideas and tips, I loved receiving my little kit and advice from the guide, which contains recipes, practical information and green news.
The little extras:
The possibility of having made-to-measure boxes for original gifts (special birth, marriage, etc.) or buy a gift card to offer at Christmas for example, valid throughout the site (one year after purchase).

Price : subscription from € 12.90 / month (€ 38.90 for 3 months / € 69.90 for 6 months). Delivery from € 4.00 in click and collect.

Our favorites on Mon Petit Coin Vert:
– Getting started with compost: Bokashi cooking compost (89 €: ideal for an apartment!)
– For window sills: double balcony planter (€ 19.90: geotextile hanging model)
– Harvests that change: unusual vegetables box (23 €: round white eggplant, mini zehneria cucumber, but black popcorn, azure star kohlrabi, absinthe)

2 – La Box à Planter: gardening “without taking the cabbage”

The Box to Plant is a quarterly box (winter, spring, summer and fall box) allowing subscribers to cultivate aromatic herbs, small vegetables, flowers and other varied plants at home. The online store offers curious people the opportunity to get started in gardening thanks to themed kits and boxes. Each box contains a selection of seeds (organic, French and reproducible) suitable for growing in pots or in the ground. Most : newsletters, a Youtube channel La Box à Planter and the facebook group. The small Nantes business is also 100% female!

The quarterly subscription allows you to receive a box every 3 months, or one per season. A choice : by unit (€ 17.90), during 6 months (2 boxes), or 1 year (4 box). See the options on the La Box à Planter website.

Each box La Box à Planter contains:

  • An assortment of 5 varieties of seeds to sow : 3 vegetables, 1 flower and 1 herb, chosen with care and compatible with each other
  • An explanatory booklet with recipes and tips not to “leave you in the cabbage”
  • A surprise product per box : decorative item, practical tool, accessory, delicacy …

I received the “Winter Sun” box to start sowing in February! It is made up of 5 sachets of seeds to sow (borage, cinnamon basil, golden tomatoes, dwarf peas, long white onion), Kokopelli annual mugwort seeds (or Artemisia Annua). The booklet contains plenty of information on the seeds to sow, the ideal sowing dates and recipes (especially an infusion of Borage). A very pleasant guide to read, which makes you want to start gardening right away …

On the online store, we find the previous boxes available for purchase, themed boxes, a multitude of organic and reproducible seed bags, gift ideas, pots and other tools.

My opinion : a 100% female team based in Nantes determined to make the “urban garden” trend accessible. Organic certifications and the careful choice of mixtures of varieties guarantee the irreproachable quality of the products.
The little extra: the La Box à Planter team has also launched a youtube channel dedicated to practical tips, such as the choice of soil or the ideal periods of the cultivation stages. “On top of the shallot” as they say, and guaranteed success with their gardening advice, tips and recipes.
Price: € 17.90 per box (direct debit every 3 months, can be canceled at any time) – 35 € for the 6 month subscription (receive 2 boxes) – 73 € 1 year subscription (receive the 4 boxes). Free delivery from 69 € of purchase on the site.

Our favorites La Box à Planter:
– You have a garden or a terrace: wonderful box (32 €: seeds tomatoes, But, chard colorful, mini squash, beans, eggplant, Nantes carrots, melons and summer flowers)
– You have a balcony: 100% organic aperitif box (23 €: cherry tomato seeds, radish, crunchy pickles, juicy carrots and fragrant basil)
For seedlings: set of 30 biodegradable cups (€ 2.90: to start germination before repotting)
For planting : lot of 5 gray geotextile pots (32 €: made from recycled or natural materials)

>> See the store of La Box à Planter

3 – Radish and Nasturtium: everything for gardening and cooking

Radish and Capucine is the site which was the precursor of the gardening kit: founded in 1997, the company offers a whole range of kits, seeds, accessories, tools and products dedicated to the home, DIY and garden, as well as to the kitchen and cosmetics!
Radis et Capucine's guiding principle: have fun, share and offer the essentials for simple gardening, organic cooking recipes, garden furniture and DIY cosmetics. Here, no subscription but a multitude of gardening items, boxes and products sold individually to get started in planting. The seeds are Ecocert certified (organic) and the cultivation pots are supplied with the soil.

Our opinion :
An ultra-complete site where you can find the essential equipment for urban gardening or in the countryside if you have a garden! Indoors or for the garden, from herbs to flowers, and even boxes to make beer, cheese or grow mushrooms. Very attractive prices and a large choice of products, from gardening to gourmet cuisine.
> Discover Radis et Capucine

Our favorites Radis et Capucine

Our opinion on classic indoor vegetable gardens

Benefits :

  • A classic indoor vegetable garden costs less than connected models, and allows you to grow many herbs (basil, mint, chives, parsley) and small vegetables (mini bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, mint, white onion, perennials) depending on the season.
  • Respect for the seasons: no forced plantings, you will be dependent on nature, and that's not bad.
  • A miniature indoor vegetable garden can be set up anywhere, even if you only have a small home and little space!

> If you have a balcony: install rigid planters or pots (geotextile type), or hang them on hooks along the wall to save space.
> If you have a terrace or a garden: you can install deeper containers or cultivate in the ground.

Selection for gardening

  • Growing a vegetable garden made up of aromatics, flowers and vegetables brings a touch of decorative nature, attracting insects, promoting pollination and do good to morale! Having a green thumb is not just for the bottom line.
  • Finally, the choice of organic seeds and old species allows you to rediscover rare varieties and harvest tasty products, at home! A nice money saving if you have regular harvests.

The limits of the classic indoor vegetable garden:

  • If your apartment does not have enough light or your balcony is never exposed to the sun, the only possible crops will be perennial herbs, herbs and so-called “easy” crops.
  • In case of unstable weather or an unsuitable region, cultivation may result in failure (even, do not push at all!)
  • Not everything can be cultivated, nor all year round: for obvious reasons of seasonality and the environment, it is almost impossible (and damage) to try a tomato crop in the middle of winter for example.

Connected or smart indoor vegetable gardens

The principle : these are more complete and modern devices, called "connected”Because they are connected to an autonomous fertilization and lighting system. They are designed for indoor use all year round, regardless of the season, temperature and brightness of the rooms. Several brands offer connected indoor vegetable gardens of different prices and sizes.

1 – Ready to Grow: the trendy connected urban vegetable garden

A pioneer in indoor plant cultivation, the brand Ready to grow has developed models of vegetable gardens inspired by hydroponics : Lilo and Modulo, both connected and fully autonomous. They are designed to regulate the needs of plants for water, light, and nutrients. The patented hydroponic system of Prêt à Pousser allows you to cultivate a vegetable garden “smart”Without balcony and with very little maintenance.
The site offers two ranges of connected vegetable gardens to lay or hang: Lilo (Classic, Connect, Edition) and Modulo (very decorative modular type).
Price : from € 99.95.

Content of a connected Ready-to-Grow vegetable garden:

  • Models are sold with a lot of capsules going in the jars.
  • Each capsule contains seeds (varieties to choose when ordering): originating from French seed companies, more than half of the range is certified organic.
  • The capsules are biodegradable (plastic of plant origin) and composed of the mineral salts necessary for the plant (substrate made up of peat, coconut fiber and nutrients essential for growth).
  • The substrate and the plant can be put in the compost when the plant reaches the end of its cycle and if you do not wish to repot it.

How does it work in practice?

  • Upon receipt of the vegetable garden: fill each tank with water to the indicated level, insert the capsules received, plug in the vegetable garden and water every two weeks. And that's all !
  • The connected application varies the intensity of the LED lamp according to the needs of the plants and the ambient light (except on Lilo Classic)
  • Once the harvest is complete (around 2/3 months depending on the crop), just buy capsules from the varieties available on the site! (from € 2.95 / capsule)
  • The plants are said "summer" or "spring"according to their light needs. This choice of intensity and duration is therefore not made according to the seasons. The lighting will be less intense on" spring "plants.

I chose to test the Lilo Connect model (€ 99.99 instead of € 129.99 during sales) : upon receipt, it was installed as specified in the manual. The first harvest is expected 1 and a half months later, and for 2 to 3 months. Very pretty, clean white in color, I like it a lot. For now, only the mini-tomatoes came out of the ground, I look forward to the basil and mint leaves …

My opinion :
The connected indoor vegetable garden is a beautiful and ingenious object, which offers city dwellers a practical solution to cultivate their plants without the risk of killing them! An excellent gift idea for Christmas, both pleasant and elegant, to plant edible flowers, salads, herbs or small vegetables. These vegetable gardens are suitable for all environments, even with little light and no exposure to the sun.
The little extra:
Guaranteed "grow or refund" and Prêt à Pousser models are not only beautiful but also eco-responsible. Granted, the lamp is artificial and the concept of capsules may seem strange to traditional gardeners, but it's actually a neat way to treat yourself to a little bit of nature, even in the city. On the site, you can also find a multitude of capsules already inoculated, but also "empty" capsules, containing only peat.
Price : 99.95 for the Lilo Classic, 299.99 € for the Modulo x 2 (to hang: 2 rows of 4 pots)
>> Discover the Prêt à Pousser range

2 – Real: the smart vegetable garden

Quiet, compact, ergonomic and elegant, the connected indoor vegetable garden Genuine® makes it possible to make the cultivation of plants and vegetables accessible in all kitchens. Equipped with Horticultural LED technology, the lighting provides a brightness suitable for plant growth. The blue waves ensure growth, and the white the flavors. The company is based near Lyon, and all products are made in France.
The Véritable brand offers several models of vegetable gardens: the Véritable vegetable garden (Classic, Smart, Connect) and the Exky vegetable garden (Smart or Copper), from € 129.90.

How the real vegetable gardens work:

How does it work in practice?
Once the vegetable garden is connected to the mains, just fill each tank, insert the included ingots and that's it. Watering is necessary depending on the water level, about once a month. The packaging is printed with vegetable and recyclable inks and the majority of seeds used are certified organic (the others are guaranteed without treatment). Véritable indoor vegetable gardens allow you to harvest an average of one bouquet of herbs per week for 4 to 6 months depending on the site. Every detail is optimized: the spacing between the seeds, the depth, the species, the composition of the substrate, so that the growth is systematic!
Our opinion :
An eco-responsible approach designed for green lovers who dream of a bit of culture at home. Established in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Véritable company designs, manufactures and prepares all of its products in France. The Exky® model received the Innovation Award in the category “Tech for a better world”.
> Discover the range of Véritable products

Our opinion on connected indoor vegetable gardens

Advantages :

Limits of the connected vegetable garden:

Conclusion: if you are looking for a decorative and trendy object that allows you to enjoy fresh aromatics all year round, this is a very good compromise. The fruits of your harvest remain of better quality than the garnished bouquets of the store, and will be the joy of those who do not have a balcony to install plants, roses!

Indoor vegetable garden: tips and advice for success

– Check the hours of sunshine to optimize the arrangement of the plants and the watering times (prefer the morning before the hot weather or after the sun has set in summer)

– Remember to always place clay balls at the bottom of the tubs before adding the potting soil (universal), which will help aid plant growth.

– Thin out from the first shoots: when the seedlings start to grow (About 4 cm), remove the thinnest shoots to keep the most perennial stems and sufficiently spaced from each other.

– Alternate the types of plantations and think about legumes in order to renew the quality of the soil and naturally enrich the humus with nutrients (nitrogen, etc.)

– Provide natural fertilizers : growing in pots does not allow the roots to benefit from as many resources as in the ground. Homemade compost, nettle manure or even fireplace ash scattered around the feet … you have the choice!

– Play with cultural associations: plantations can contribute to development with each other! For example, a tomato stalk will be happy alongside lettuce, radishes, leeks, onions, strawberries or spinach (but beware, tomatoes don't like beets or cucumbers!)Table of compatibilities between species on calendar-semis.com

– To keep slugs away: scatter eggshells around the plants, scatter some coffee grounds, or spray a mixture of water and crushed garlic (they don't like it at all!)

– Anti aphid tip: mix water with black soap or olive oil and spray the plants. Safe for the plant, this mixture scares away aphids.

– Sow flowers to help pollinate and bring color to your garden.

– Keep pests away in a natural way : coffee grounds to repel slugs, black soap to scare away aphids, mint and lavender to repel mosquitoes …

Which containers to choose and what are the sowing dates?

Depending on the space available, the amount of sunshine in your living spaces, your expectations and – your budget: the choice of planters and planting squares is a real subject:

Rigid wooden bins:
They allow plantations that need more depth for root development to set up and are resistant to frost. However, they require regular maintenance.
Plastic jars:
Convenient, lightweight, and inexpensive, it's important to note that they absorb heat if the sun hits the walls, which can weaken the roots.
Terracotta or ceramic pots:
This natural, porous material helps in the proper circulation of water and nutrients, but they are more expensive!
Geotextile pots:
Often produced in an eco-responsible manner, they provide optimal soil aeration and contribute to root development. Warning, water also evaporates faster, the soil will have to remain moist. You can find geotextile pots on the Mon Petit Coin Vert website or here on Cémonjardin.
The kitchen gardens:
Ideal solution if you have a large enough terrace or a garden (and you do not want to work the soil directly by digging), this format allows you to grow vegetables and plants that need sufficient depth.

What types of pots to choose for an indoor vegetable garden?

Rigid wooden bins:
They allow plantations to be established that need more depth for root development and they are resistant to frost. However, they require regular maintenance.
Plastic jars:
Very practical and light, but they absorb heat if the sun hits the walls, which can weaken the roots.
Terracotta or ceramic pots:
This natural, porous material helps in the proper circulation of water and nutrients, but they are more expensive!
Geotextile pots:
Often produced in an eco-responsible way, they provide optimum soil conditions and contribute to root development. Warning, water also evaporates faster, the soil will have to remain moist.

What can you grow in an indoor vegetable garden?

In absolute terms, just about everything! The only limit is the space available, since most vegetable and fruit plantations need space and sufficiently deep soil. An indoor vegetable garden will be limited to undemanding and easy to grow varieties under our latitude, as well as the current season.
Aromatic herbs and vegetables to grow in a kitchen:
– Basil, mint, chervil, chives or coriander
– Peppers, cherry tomatoes

On a balcony / windowsill in shallow pots :
– Fast growing plants: lettuce, radish, parsley
– Cabbage, strawberries, baby carrots, onions, beets
– All herbs
– Edible flowers, roses, pansies, poppies

In deep containers and planters:
– Tomato stems, squash, cucumbers, melons
– Carrots, potatoes, sweet potato, Jerusalem artichoke and all root vegetables
– Eggplants, peppers, kohlrabi, etc.

Think about crop associations and natural repellents:
– Nasturtiums, lavender, marigolds and savory repel aphids.

When to start sowing the plantations?

In general, sowing in the ground can take place after the last winter frosts, in February or March depending on the region. However, some varieties will need to be sown in a shelter before being transplanted into the ground later. Here are some examples of sowing date:
For the aromatic herbs:
– Dill: Sowing in place in April-May
– Basil: from the end of April to the end of May
– Chervil: in spring and until the end of summer.
– Chives: from February to April.
– Coriander: from March to June, and in September.
– Mint: from March to June.
– Parsley: March to September
– Rosemary: in spring
– Thyme: in spring
For the vegetables:
– Garlic: from November to March
– Eggplant: semi sheltered in February and transplanting into the ground in May
– Beetroot: sowing from April to June in the ground
– Carrot: semi in the ground from February to June
– Tomatoes: sowing in a shelter from February and transplanting in April
– Squash: sowing in a shelter in February or in the ground in March / April
– Radish: sowing in the ground from January

Find the full sowing calendar calendar-semis.com

How to weed your garden naturally?

Video by Clara Poudevigne