Indoor Winter Gardening (like veggies)??

[waldorfknitmama]

I have A LOT of veggie seeds, that for varies reasons never got planted (opps-had a baby!!!) and I was thinking about starting the seeds in my kitchen and transfering to containers in a warm spot in my kitchen with a small grow light. I live in super cold-super dark MN and was wondering if others do/plan to to this? What does your indoor garden look like? How is it set up/what do you use? Is this wishful thinking??

[littlecityfarmer]

Many vege seeds are viable for years, albeit with reduced germination rates, as long as they are stored in a cool, dark, dry place, safe from huge temperature and humidity shifts. So, they'll probably be fine to plant next spring.

I know that some plants do much better indoors than others-- basil, for instance, can be fairly easily grown on a window sill. Baby lettuces, small tomatoes and peppers do pretty well in pots, too. I don't know that I'd try anything too big or sprawling-- pole beans or squash, for instance. If you build a cold-frame, you might be able to grow hardy stuff like broccili, kale, mustard greens, and cabbage, too.

Have you looked into hydroponics, at all? With a bit of research, I think you can set up a makeshift system with rubbermaid containers, some good lights.

http://www.amazon.com/Four-Season-Ha.../dp/1890132276 <-- this book has a lot of info about four-season gardening, even in cold zones (we're in 4a, and learned a lot from it)

Let us know how it goes!

-Katie