Growing 66 Types of Food Indoors: Includes Fruit and Citrus Trees.

I love Google but sometimes it fails me. Earlier today I was looking around for a resource which would help me determine the types of food I would be able to easily grow in my state. While I couldn't find a website I was pleased with, I did find this little gem:

66 Things You Can Grown At Home: In Containers, Without a Garden

Many of the things in this list I was shocked to discover could be grown indoors including apples, pears, avocados, different citrus fruits, bananas, and beans. Included in the 66 items are some herbs, so it's actually less than 66 food items. The article is not thorough enough to be a source in itself, but it's definitely enough to give anyone some ideas and get them started.

Maybe I am late to the party with this one, but I felt it needed to be posted as I'm sure many people, especially those who live in apartments, would be glad to know all the things besides herbs that are able to be grown inside. If anyone has any experience growing these types of things indoors, please share your experiences if you would like.

Welcome to the wonderful world of indoor growing my friend. You can grow ANYTHING you desire indoors. But it takes an investment in not only money, but dedication to the seeds you sow. I hope more people start growing their own consumables. That would make me very happy.

reply to post by becomingaware

Many herbal plants grow easily in containers and require only minimal care.
Although it may still be shaking from the explosions of cold winter air, do not let that stop you from gardening inside! If you have little experience with plants or simply do not have the space to grow outdoors, a simple indoor herb garden may be the solution for you. Indoor herb gardens, as any house plant, require some care house plant, but will give the beauty of having plants. Many herbs have pleasant aromas and can be used to flavor many recipes.
Start with these five herbs: oregano, chives, mint, rosemary and thyme. Most cooks use them regularly, and in fact do so during the winter in your garden. If you're lucky, you can even strengthen your hand and come spring plants are outdoors.
Make sure you have a sunny windowsill where your herbs will survive. A window to the south or southeast would be perfect if it is at least 5 hours of sun a day and away from drafts.
Buy some of your favorite plants small herb of your local nursery or order from an online site to get your started.
Get a container of at least 6.12 inches deep. You can plant multiple herbs in a bowl or long term or the use of at least 6 "pot of individual plants.
Use a potting mix without to prevent soil born diseases. Make sure the mixture is light and is well drained. Your local garden center has a variety of potting mixes available and has trained staff who can help.
Put a layer of 2-3 inches of potting soil in the bottom of your container.
artificial bamboo plants

UPDATE: COLUMNAR APPLE TREES

I have found a nursery online and purchased two columnar apple trees. According to what I read on the site -which meshes with my basic understanding- you must have at least two trees of different variety in order to cross pollinate. The website is not one I have used before, but had pretty good reviews and the instructions on the trees seemed decent.

Through research, I determined I would need some 15 gallon buckets for the trees. Yet another thing the local (chain) home improvement stores don't carry! So, more research later I have ordered two of those from yet a different website, as the place where I purchased the apple trees doesn't sell them.

Overall, I have so far spent $82.55 to get the trees and pots to grow them in. Luckily, I already own basic gardening tools, good dirt, composting, pebbles/rocks to line the bottoms with, and fertilizer. If you don't own any of that stuff, it would cost even more than $82.55 to get going on two apple trees.

Additionally, in doing research on growing columnar apple trees indoors (before purchasing, of course), I found out that it will be okay to plant some herbs around the base of my trees. So, I'm going to transplant some basil to one of the trees and some rosemary to the other tree. This is important to me as I only have an indoor space of about 8 x 8 to fill with my food supply, and transplanting these herbs to the base of the trees will allow me to fill the pots those herbs used to occupy with something I don't already have.

When everything arrives and I plant it all I will keep updating, and if anyone ever expresses any interest in this thread I will also be able to take some photos. I realize some of us are counting every dollar and this is a rather large investment to make for someone who is living paycheck to paycheck, so I will provide as much information as I possibly can.

The next update I make will probably be peas or beans. Either one of those is my number one choice depending on what research shows and what I can buy.

Wish me luck!

I have my own avocado tree in my living room. It's a very interesting process, takes a lot of patience before you actually get any of the delicious avocados, about 2 years, but it's well worth it. Also, using supermarket avocados don't work, as their pits are usually sterile.

reply to post by sleepypoet


Gah

I just now decided to go ahead and look into avocados. You posted it takes a few years to get fruit so it would be best to move that to the front of my indoor gardening list. Sadly, I just found:

CAUTION, Avocado leaves, bark, skin, or pit are documented to be harmful to animals; cats, dogs, cattle, goats, rabbits, rats, birds, fish, and horses can be severely harmed or even killed when they consume them. The avocado fruit is poisonous to some birds, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) lists it as toxic to many animals including cats, dogs, and horses. Negative effects in humans seem to be primarily in allergic individuals.

From Basic Gardening Tips

So apparently I will not be growing avocados as I do have animals inside my home. Thought I'd go ahead and post this here on the off chance more than a couple of us decide to become indoor gardeners and utilize this thread for tips and advice.

Edited to add: Also, I still haven't received my apple trees, in fact they haven't even shipped yet. I did receive the 15 gallon buckets. I vote a plus on the buckets and the site I ordered them from. They are basic black buckets with drainage holes, appear to be sturdy plastic and at the same time have an nice look to them.

Despite searching arounf I havent found enough information for my personal want about the effects of indoor lights on nutrient formation in vegetables and fruits. I know it works wells for weed but you hardly hear about people with their indoor vegetable grow. not enough shock factor for the media I assume.

you can get nice lights but still, they focus on general parts of the spectrum and are at best not quite the sun.
I wonder how much light energy reaches plants on a good day though, compared to the effective lumens from a hps/mh setup indoors just a few feet above the crop?

time to go research

reply to post by Esrever


The website I ordered the 15 gallon buckets from (that I am pleased with!) seemed to specialize in indoor gardening and supplies. It had complete lighting systems for sale, which I might be interested in purchasing here in a few months. It is saved in my favorites, and I will be happy to post a link if you would like.

reply to post by Ameilia


Spring Update!

The apple trees I ordered last September arrived as 3 foot tall sticks. They are less than an inch wide, and I immediately potted them into 15 gallon buckets. They have spent the past several months looking like nothing much. And my man kept telling me he thought they had died.

Well, they aren't dead. The very tops of the trunk (very, very small trunk) have shown a bit of green for about two weeks, and the past 2 days, one of the trees has sprouted 6 leaves. So, they aren't dead, they look pretty decent, and if I ever get fruit I will post. What I have read tells me a tree needs to be around 5 years old to produce fruit, but these are hybrids so it may be different. Also, I am not sure of the exact age of the trees I purchased, they could be only a year old for all I know.

But overall, I'm happy, so far, with deciding to add these apple trees to my indoor garden.

reply to post by Ameilia


I found your post of interest, I don't have a green thumb as they say however, just the idea that something edible could possibly be grown indoors besides just herbs with success is a wonderful idea to try. My major reason for not being able to grow much outside is the whole WEEDING issue...indoor planting sounds more like it would be a success for me to try! Thanks for the post..

I tried some green onions, radishes and lettuce this winter. Green onions worked well, the radishes are still growing and I can't even imagine that the little lettuce plants will ever look like real lettuce.

Thanks for your input here.

Mahree

reply to post by Ameilia


FALL UPDATE

My apple trees did not survive. I am not sure if they would have died no matter what or if I made an error with them in some way. But they are very dead. I never got any fruit because they were too young, so basically I have wasted some time and some money.

Ameilia
I love Google but sometimes it fails me. Earlier today I was looking around for a resource which would help me determine the types of food I would be able to easily grow in my state. While I couldn't find a website I was pleased with, I did find this little gem:

66 Things You Can Grown At Home: In Containers, Without a Garden

Many of the things in this list I was shocked to discover could be grown indoors including apples, pears, avocados, different citrus fruits, bananas, and beans. Included in the 66 items are some herbs, so it's actually less than 66 food items. The article is not thorough enough to be a source in itself, but it's definitely enough to give anyone some ideas and get them started.

Maybe I am late to the party with this one, but I felt it needed to be posted as I'm sure many people, especially those who live in apartments, would be glad to know all the things besides herbs that are able to be grown inside. If anyone has any experience growing these types of things indoors, please share your experiences if you would like.

This might blow your mind, but why not build a house with a floor that is open to the ground in some areas to plant some dwarf trees etc.?

You don't really need to buy anything but your seeds and soil guys. I use containers from other things. I suppose for trees you might want to pay for containers because they are so huge. Growing carrots, and jalapenos right now. Going to start lettuce and broccoli as well. I have grown indoors a lot though. If your trees are dead you did something wrong lol. It takes a lot of learning and some trial and error to get the hang of growing indoors.