What is apartment gardening? You may have heard of it or know someone who has. It involves growing vegetables and herbs in small containers, usually brought to the apartment or homeowner’s apartment, under ice. Vegetables can be planted anywhere, but areas with less sunlight and good drainage are good candidates. Plants like strawberries, herbs, cilantro, and green onions can all be grown successfully under this condition.

Before you start, make sure that your soil is ready for plants. Most apartments have poor soils and the last thing you want is having a problem with your plants, because you didn’t prepare the soil correctly. Usually, a good test is to add a little sand to the soil and see how well it responds. Another good test is to put a drop cloth on the soil to absorb any rainwater. Your plants will need good drainage and they should be in a place that gets at least six hours of sun during the day.

Once the soil is ready, prepare the plants. If you live in an apartment, it’s best to use hydroponic fertilizers or vegetable seeds. Some apartment gardening groups include hydroponics nutrients in their kits, so check with them before starting. If using seeds, make sure they’re specifically designed for apartment gardening and match the germination requirements to your apartment’s environment. Fresh food yields will vary depending on the plant.

Start off with just three or four plants, but make them easy to care for, like dwarf tomato plants or small zucchini. Keep them small and give them plenty of room to grow, water them daily, and fertilize them as needed. Cut off any brown or yellowed leaves, and try to remove any insects that may be hovering around.

You’ll probably notice that your plants will stay fairly dormant during the colder months, unless they’re exposed to the sun. Sunlight will make them grow faster and healthier, but make sure you have direct sunlight available. Also, you may want to install a humidifier in your apartment if you live in a unit that doesn’t already have one. Plants like moist, humid conditions. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will solve this problem.

Watering is pretty easy during the colder months. You can water your plants just about any time of day and anytime is better than no water at all. Make sure to apply fertilizer when needed, and check the soil often to make sure it’s still a good environment for the plants. During the springtime, you may need to water more frequently, because the roots are growing more than the foliage. The less water they get, the healthier they’ll be.

One of the worst things you can do to your apartment gardening during the winter is to try to water your plants, no matter how hard you try. This is actually contrary to most gardening tips and can lead to major problems that are more severe than your little weeds. Watering in the winter is not just about the weather. It’s also about waiting for the right conditions. If you do it wrong, your plants will suffer. And no one wants to grow plants that don’t thrive.

So, as with any type of gardening, apartment gardening under ice will take a bit of patience and a lot of planning. But, with a little work and the right planning, you can have gorgeous green vegetables in no time. Just make sure to put some extra time into the preparations. And of course, if you follow these simple apartment gardening tips, you should have great results.