Which Vegetables Can You Grow in an Apartment

Many of us want to grow edible plants like vegetables, but we don’t want to live outside of the city. We usually give up on having plants because it’s hard to uproot your life entirely just for the sake of having some home-grown food.

However, what if we told you that there are several vegetables that you can grow in your city apartment?

It’s more than possible, and you only need to know which vegetables can grow in an urban setting, and how to grow them.

Microgreens

Microgreens are both very healthy and very easy to grow. There’s not much to do here besides keeping them in a shallow container and a spot with plenty of sunlight.

For the seeds to sprout, it’s best you use potting soil instead of regular dirt. You will also need to buy adequate planting seeds which you then need to sprinkle all over the dirt and then weigh them down for a while. That will help the seeds to take hold and sprout.

Salad Greens

If you like eating salads, then you’re most likely spending a lot of money on salad greens all the time. However, it’s easy to grow them, even in an apartment.

All you need is a couple of starter plants which you will keep in warm and moist soil. They will also need plenty of light to flourish.

Avocados

An increasing favourite, the avocado is essentially a plant you can grow in almost any setting.

All that you need is another avocado. Take the seed out and dry it thoroughly, then put toothpicks inside in a way that will enable you to suspend the root above water, with one side within it.

Once you do that, you’ll need to keep it like that for a month or two and maintain the water level. Also, you’ll need a warm location with enough light.

If everything is done right, you’ll most likely get root and stem which you can then plant in a pot where you’ll continue to nurture it with enough water and light.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes, and especially the cherry variety, can thrive in both a garden and regular pots.

All you need is a large enough pot, enough water, and direct sunlight for about 12 hours per day.

In the end, it’s best that you start growing tomatoes midsummer when the conditions are right for them, and there’s enough sunlight.

Bell Peppers

Bell peppers, unfortunately, require lots of space, but if you do have the area, then it won’t be much of a problem to grow them in an apartment. A single container of bell peppers should have around two gallons of soil.

When you’re putting seeds in the ground, you should make sure there’s enough space between them. Then you’ll need to keep the soil moist, but avoid saturating it, and you should keep them in a place that gets sunlight throughout the day.

Mushrooms

One would think that mushrooms can thrive in settings like apartments, and they certainly can. However, the easiest way to grow edible mushrooms is with the use of a mushroom growing kit which is usually low cost and available in many stores.

Additional Vegetables You Can Grow

●        Scallions

●        Garlic greens

●        Radishes

●        Carrots

●        Kale

●        Green beans

All in all, as you can see, there are plenty of vegetables you can grow in an apartment. Some are easy to grow, and some a bit more complicated, but in the end, it all depends on the conditions you have and how willing and patient you are to try.

How to Make a Basement Apartment Brighter

It’s not always easy to find ways to live in spacious and gorgeous-looking apartments. Many city-dwellers who want to stay in the city but can’t afford any type of residence, often opt for living in a basement suite – which is usually the cheapest option that can still compare to other apartments.

However, this type of home usually comes with a price – there’s barely enough light. Realizing that this is a big problem for many, we wanted to give you some expert advice on how you can make your basement apartment brighter.

More Light?

Yes, it does seem like an obvious solution which would negate the point of having this article at all. However, adding artificial light can’t always make an apartment feel brighter – at least not in a natural sense. What you can get though is the uncomfortable and claustrophobic feel of a doctor’s office, which is filled with a lot of artificial light.

The best solution here is to mimic natural light in any way you can. You can do that by strategically placing light sources and mixing them up. Make sure they are set both high and low and make sure that you’re using track lighting, up-lighting, and conventional lamps. Also make sure that you’re using stronger light bulbs that emanate white and warm white light, not yellow.

We can’t give you a foolproof system because it all depends on each apartment. Experiment enough, and you’ll find a way that suits your needs.

Paint the Rooms Using Lighter Colors

Besides light from light sources, you can also obtain it from paint. What you can do here is paint the walls using bright colors as they too can make your basement apartment look brighter. It’s best to combine light paint for the walls in combination with bright lighting.

The best colors to use here is regular white, creamy white, navajo white, light grey, and several other similar paint colors.

Appliances and Furniture Which Reflect Light

This method has been used since antiquity. Glass, stainless steel, and many other materials are known to reflect light, and having them in an apartment can undoubtedly brighten up the place.

If changing too many appliances and furniture pieces seem expensive to you, you can find an adequate substitution in mirrors. Simple mirrors with non-fussy frames can do the trick as long as you find a strategic location where they can reflect the most light.

Decluttering

We’ve saved the best for last. Best in the sense that it’s adequate and yet entirely free. All you need to do is declutter the place as much as you can.

The less cluttered your place is, the less claustrophobic and dark it will feel. All the light you have won’t get lost in various objects around if you don’t have them, it’s that simple.

Naturally, you don’t need to go overboard here. Try and store things that you don’t need in your apartment or those that you use only occasionally. Keep countertops clean and tidy. Make sure there is enough of that sleek facade. It tends to give the impression that the place is much brighter than it is.

The Bottom Line

All in all, there are many methods you can use that will help you brighten up your basement apartment. Just make sure you’re experimenting enough and that you’re willing to make changes in your life.

For more information, you can keep following our blog where we regularly post helpful articles for apartment renters.