by Greg W Huffman

Created on: April 08, 2010   Last Updated: February 25, 2011

Living in an apartment doesn't have to rob you of maintaining a garden.  Why not turn your apartment into your own bio-dome?  Have you seen the commercial for the tomato plants that grow upside down?  I bought one and hung it in the kitchen window of my apartment.  A tomato plant hanging in my kitchen window is not a fashion statement by any stretch, but I love tomatoes.  Living in an apartment takes away the ability to have your own outdoor garden.  But wait!  Don't cut off your green thumb just yet. 

Plants need soil, nutrients, water, and sunlight to survive.  Your apartment can offer vegetables the same opportunity for survival.  I have tried a lot of different ways to start an indoor garden.  One approach is turning an entire room into a greenhouse.  This room is going to need a lot of windows for sunlight.  If lack of sunlight is going to be an issue, bright artificial lighting can be used in place of natural sunlight.  With the invention of the inflatable swimming pool came the idea of an indoor garden.  I had a spare room that I didn't use and turned it into my own green house garden.  I had plenty of windows for adequate lighting.  These swimming pools are deep enough for a good 12 inches of potting soil.  The sizes of these pools vary, but choose the pool by the amount of soil you are willing to transport up 5 flights of stairs.  Choose soil that you would add to an outside garden suitable to grow vegetables.  Miracle Grow is a must to make your indoor garden flourish.  I like using the version of Miracle Grow that comes in mineral stick form. 

After the blow-up pool is in place, add your soil and start to plant whatever catches your fancy.  Purchase plants and not seeds to increase your odds of your vegetables taking root.  I have had some luck planting seeds, but I prefer planting sprouts that have already begun to grow.  Be careful not to over-water your plants.  There is little room for water drainage so keep a close watch of the water level in the pool.  I try to use spray bottles to water the indoor garden.  This allows the leaves to absorb water naturally and also provides the run off to stay at the base of the plants.  Be generous with the application of Miracle Grow.  Some people frown upon it's over use, but it has worked for me. 

Indoor window boxes are an alternative as well.  I have made them myself or purchased them at Lowe's or Home Depot.  These boxes are intended for outside windows, but I transformed them for indoor use.  Only one or two plants can be placed in these boxes.  You don't want to overcrowd your plants.  I suggest placing onions or radishes in these boxes, due to their small size.  I also line the inside of these boxes with plastic to keep water from leaking on the carpet.

I hope you try these ideas in your apartment or loft and hopefully you will see that living in a small environment doesn’t have to rob you of your garden.  Adding a garden into your apartment or loft will give your living space the perfect touch of the outdoors that you have been looking for.

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