A kitchen is a perfect place to grow a small selection of plants. Besides looking great and freshening the environment, these plants can provide you with necessities like fruits, herbs, and vegetables. A kitchen garden can be grown in hydroponic system instead of soil to keep things neat and tidy.

When you are making your favorite recipe and realize that there's no parsley, for instance, it can be quite frustrating. Perhaps you lack a tomato or two, and you cannot go to the store to pick it up. At times like these, you wish you had a garden of your own and snip some herbs off. This article will help equip you with all the knowledge you need to build your tiny garden in your kitchen.

Why Should You Consider Kitchen Gardening?

Honestly, most of our kitchens are boring with nothing interesting other than a stove and fridge. You probably think that you need a large space to house a garden. Unless you wish to become completely self-sufficient in growing your own production, you do not need to dedicate a large piece of land to grow essential herbs, vegetables, and even fruits.

You need some free space on your kitchen counter for growing produce that grows fast and needs little attention from you. So, suppose you were ever in a situation where you find yourself cooking some pasta for yourself and your friends and running out of thyme to garnish it with. In that case, you could quickly grab some fresh leaves from within arm's length reach.

The Advantages of Kitchen Gardening

The immediate glaring benefit of having your kitchen garden is fresh produce always available on your countertop, but there are other benefits as well. Gardening in the kitchen is therapeutic and fun, and they help you build a pleasing environment in the kitchen.

People usually believe that garden maintenance is plenty of work and requires immense supervision from them. While true for large gardens, this is not the case for small-sized kitchen shrubbery. You can start with affordable seeds for as low as $3. Just watering your plants once in a while and cleaning around the soil is all you need. A little greenery also livens up the kitchen; also, who doesn't love freshly plucked mint in their margaritas?

The Types of Plants You Can Grow with Kitchen Gardening

Herbs are simple and easy to produce because they do not need any special attention or sustenance from you. They love calm and relaxing room temperatures like the ones at home. Herbs grow all year round, and your choices are endless. Some great options are:

• Cilantro
• Mint
• Chives
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Parsley

Starting Your Kitchen Gardening

Starting a kitchen garden on your own may seem daunting at first; however, if you correctly and carefully follow our guide, you will surely succeed. Space is limited in the kitchen, so that is what requires your immediate attention first. Then comes the part of choosing the right tools and ingredients. You can either get fresh seeds or buy plants directly from any nearby plant nursery. After all of this hard work, you are set to have a luscious kitchen garden.

Starting Seeds

Seeds require two things to start heat and moisture. You can take two moist paper towels, place the seed between them, and place the towels on a windowsill. The sun’s heat will provide adequate warmth, and the moisture will provide enough water to let the seed germinate and pop its roots out.

To gain more knowledge about germination, check out the complete guide on it.

Growing Herbs in Kitchen - Soil or Hydroponics?

When choosing to start planting your garden, you have to choose between two options to place them in soil or water (hydroponic system).

The most popular method of the plantation is using soil as the nutrient base. It is cheap to obtain, absorbs water and nutrients well, and keeps the plant well nourished. Other than soil, you just need a container or pot to bed the soil, and you are good to go.

Soil sounds like an excellent choice, but it is not quite so. For starters, soil attracts various insects, which can be beneficial as they clean up the soil and provide nutrients through their excrements. But you most definitely do not want any insects or pests in your kitchen.

Besides that, some pests could be intrusive and try to eat your plants. You can also create a mess and spill soil around, so cleaning up dirt from your kitchen counter will be a daily chore. These are the reasons why people choose to grow plants in a hydroponic system.

Why Hydroponic Gardens Are Better Than Soil Gardens for Your Kitchen

The hydroponic system does not involve any soil. The plant can absorb all the nutrients with its roots submerged in water for fast growth. We recommend prebuilt systems tailor-made for kitchen gardens. Compared to the soil, hydroponic gardening does require some investment.

Prebuilt Kitchen Hydroponic Systems

We have some hydroponic micro garden kits at GroIndoor.com. Hydrofarm Hydroponic Salad Garden Kit, Hydrofarm Megagarden System, and SunBlaster Grow Light Gardens are complete kits with everything needed to begin gardening in your kitchen.

Ideal Environment & Lighting for your Kitchen Gardening

Light and warmth are very important for your plant’s health. Place them directly on a windowsill for them to get ample sunlight throughout the entire day. Make sure the plant gets at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. Also, ensure that the plant is in a sunny spot.

Herbs like mint and parsley do not need as much sunlight as most herbs, so you can place them on Westward facing windows. If your plant is trying to stretch, it will not get as much sunlight as it needs. The leaves can turn yellow, so examine the location and place the plant closer to the sun shining down on it.

Be wary of the winds blowing on your plants. Cooler wind in winter means less water is needed, and warmer air means more water. Just keep the plant at a comfortable room temperature. Follow our guide on Herb Garden for more details on herb growing.

Add Heat Mats and Grow Lights

If you think that your plant will not get adequate light, you can purchase heat mats and grow lights to create an ideal environment. It would be best if you also placed a heat mat beneath the plant during cold weather. Tiny fluorescent grow lights or LED lights work wonderfully to keep your garden well-lit without consuming too much electricity. Some garden kits include grow lights with them.

Kitchen Garden Maintenance

Thanks to going hydroponic, you don't need to worry too much about your plants. It is necessary to ensure that the water is always in the reservoir as needed and filled with nutrients. Make sure that the water is not contaminated or running bad.

You don't have to worry about insects and pests populating your plants, but do not neglect the plant and kill off any pests you see. There won't be any random weeds growing or sprouting like in soil-based gardens. Keep researching and reading about the specific needs of the plant that you are growing at the moment.

Final Thoughts on Growing a Kitchen Garden

Kitchen garden can be simple if you break down the steps and gather necessary tools. We hope this blog will be of your use. If you wish to know more about indoor growing, you can check other blogs at GroIndoor.com. It will be of great help to you if you decide to grow a bigger garden. You will require grow tents as well as care and maintenance. You can call us at866-GRO-INDR.