The 10 Best Vegetables To Grow On Your Windowsill

Growing vegetables on your windowsill is a great way to optimise space – especially if you live in an urban area. In this article, I’m going to explore the 10 best vegetables to grow on your windowsill.

After all, when growing crops indoors, there are some vegetables that are much harder to grow than others, so it can be difficult to know where to start.

When I first started growing vegetables, it took me a while to work out the best vegetables to grow on the windowsill. But, after a period of trial and error, I managed to nail down my list to 10…

What are the Best Vegetables to Grow on Your Windowsill?

The best vegetables to grow on your windowsill are vegetables that are easy and quick to grow. Examples include basil, garlic, onions, tomato plants, radish, cress and herbs such as parsley. You’ll also need the right kind of container, soil and light source for your vegetables.

There are many advantages to growing vegetables on your windowsill. They add a touch of colour to your home, you can keep a close eye on your plants and you can grow them all year-round no matter the season.

So if you want to start your own indoor mini-garden you can’t go wrong with windowsill gardening!

Table of Contents: Best Vegetables to Grow on Your Windowsill

The Best Vegetables To Grow On Your Windowsill

1. Basil

You’ll want to include this delicious herb on your windowsill hit list. Not only is it the perfect companion for your tomatoes, it’s also a key ingredient in pesto which is a perfect friend of pasta!

And yes, basil does count as a vegetable according to My Plate – a nutritional guide by the US Department of Agriculture, where a two-cup serving counts as a serving of vegetables.

Basil is so easy to grow and doesn’t need a lot of maintenance. It’s best sown in spring and summer – but don’t be put off growing it during the winter months using LED lights indoors.

What I love about growing basil, is that you can sow seeds and see the shoots just a few days later which is always exciting! As long as your seeds have access to at least six hours of light per day and you water regularly (but not too much) they should grow nicely on your windowsill.

Pro Tip: Once your basil has grown substantially, you can always thin out your seeds and transplant them over to bigger pots. They can still be kept on your windowsill, but at this stage you can have the option of moving them outside if you wish.

2. Lettuce

Lettuce is an excellent choice to grow on your windowsill. Get it right and you’ll have a constant supply of salad leaves to pick and mix as you please. An easy-to-grow options includes Arugula rocket seeds.

Luckily lettuce grows quickly – germinating within just four to ten days and reaching full maturity in around a month and a half. You can grow them in tray modules and transplant them once they’ve grown if you feel it’s necessary.

Pro Tip: Avoid lettuce with heads like iceberg or romaine varieties for your windowsill. They can be tricky to grow because despite being very popular, they develop as a ball rather than in leafy form and need much more space and more time to mature.

3. Garlic

Garlic is one of my favourite vegetables for growing on my windowsill. A versatile vegetable that has been used for thousands of years for immune health and adding necessary flavour to many different types of food, garlic is one of the easiest vegetables to grow.

You can start garlic seeds or garlic sets in trays or containers indoors – and move them outdoors once they start growing.

Pro Tip: When you transplant your garlic you will need to use decent-sized pots as they need substantial room for root growth. You can keep these pots indoors if you have the space, but should plan out beforehand how many you are able to grow.

4. Kale

Kale is a healthy superfood that you can grow indoors without much hassle. It can also look quite pretty on your windowsill among your other plants!

The best variety to grow indoors is lacinato kale for baby salad greens – but you may need to grow quite a few to fill your salad bowl.

Pro Tip: Fertilising once a month with liquid plant food can help kale plants grow strong.

5. Onions

I’m a big fan of starting onion sets indoors before moving them outside for spring. This is because I have similar growing space indoors and outdoors and I like to make the most of it and not have everything cluttering up my outdoor area.

Onion sets can be grown in trays or small pots on your windowsill – just be aware that if you use containers you will need to make sure there is enough room for root growth.

There are a couple of good reasons to grow onion sets indoors. First, because they are sensitive to light and temperature, they need to be planted early, so once the bulb is bigger, it will be exposed to longer summer days.

And second, growing sets indoors means that you can keep the temperature constant so they don’t bolt too soon.

Pro Tip: Plant sets rather than seeds because seeds will need to be started earlier in winter under grow lights. Plant sets around February time on your windowsill to put outside in spring. If light is substantial, you can keep growing them inside for a longer period of time.

6. Spinach

Who doesn’t love spinach? Well, plenty of people, apparently, but there’s a reason that it made Popeye strong – it’s good for you!

Packed with iron and vitamins, you can have an endless supply of power food on your windowsill. Spinach is best grown in trays or small pots, so if you plant a few in each tray module, you can always thin them out and transplant them later. Just make sure your plants get a good few hours of sun a day.

Pro Tip: Pre-soak spinach seeds to increase germination rates.

7. Tomato Plants

Tomato plants add wonderful colour and contrast when grown among the many greens on your windowsill. They’re definitely one of the best vegetables to grow on your windowsill – just remember to only grow tomato plants in summer as they need a lot of sunlight, so the spot you choose for your tomatoes should be as sunny as possible.

Pro Tip: It may sound obvious, but make sure the tomatoes aren’t too developed when you purchase your plant. It’s fun to watch a plant grow and it will last longer.

8. Cress

Cress is extremely quick and easy to grow on your windowsill. This versatile microgreen is perfect to have in sandwiches and salads and is best grown in trays. Ready to eat in as quickly as one week, you can grow either plain or fine-curled cress.

Pro Tip: Did you know that cress can be grown in tissue or cotton wool? Simply line your wet tissue or cotton wool in your trays and add seeds.

9. Radish

Radish is another windowsill vegetable that will add a splash of colour to your kitchen. Easy and very quick to grow, you can harvest radish in just a month and add it to your salads.

Pro Tip: Avoid planting radish seeds in hot weather because they could bolt – radishes do better in cooler weather.

10. Windowsill Herb Garden

Your windowsill wouldn’t be complete without a mini herb garden. The good news is there are a lot of options for seeds here because they can be grown in trays or tiny pots and don’t take long to sprout.

From parsley to mint, herbs brighten up any meal and add flavour to your food. I prefer module trays for my herbs, but they aren’t always that decorative, so you can use tiny pots if you want something prettier. Just make sure the water can drain easily.

Pro Tip: Don’t pick the leaves all at once! For a constant supply of herbs, leave some leaves available so your herb plants continue to grow.

Best Vegetables To Grow On Your Windowsill: Final Thoughts

Growing your own windowsill vegetable selection is hugely satisfying and certainly brings you one step closer to self-reliance.

There are many options to choose from that are fast-growing, simple and straightforward for beginners living in small spaces.

I hope you enjoyed this article about the best vegetables to grow on your windowsill! Feel free to share any of your stories about windowsill gardening, I’d love to hear from you!