27. Veggies and herbs
Perhaps one of the best benefits of growing plants indoors is the opportunity for year-round fresh vegetables and herbs. Basil, parsley and tomatoes all cost money at the store and can be difficult to keep fresh for longer time periods. In addition, it’s hard to know for certain if store-bought produce has come into contact with pesticides or preservatives. However, with a thriving basil plant in your window, you can just pluck off a couple of healthy, homegrown leaves every time you need them for a recipe.
Want to grow your own salad? The majority of fast-growing greens like leaf lettuce, arugula, mizuna, mustard, Tokyo Bekana, and baby spinach are shallow-rooted and don’t need a deep layer of soil to produce a crop. If you do plant salad greens in a garden, look for a sunny or partially shaded site. Head lettuce will die back, but most leaf-lettuce plants renew efforts to produce leaves, if regularly watered after trimming. Results will often be smaller than the original plant, but you may be able to harvest a second, good-tasting crop within as little as two weeks.
