Hey all, figured I’d share a bit about what I’ve been growing on my windowsills to save money and boost my plant-based meals. I’m in the UK, shop mostly at Tesco, and don’t have a garden or balcony — just a few decent windowsills that get light for part of the day. Still a beginner but this stuff has actually helped stretch the budget and made meals feel a bit fresher.
What I’ve been growing:
Spring onions. Dead easy. I just regrow them from the white ends after using the tops. Stick them in a glass of water for a few days, then into a pot with soil. They just keep going. I use them for stir fries, curries, noodle bowls, basically anything.
Lettuce (mixed leaves and rocket). Got a cheap packet of seeds for £1.50 and sowed them in a plastic container I saved from takeout. They don’t need tons of depth, just water and light. I pick a few leaves at a time and they regrow. Been using them in wraps, sandwiches, or just a quick side salad.
Basil. Started with a sad supermarket pot that I split into a few plants. Now it actually thrives and I use it constantly in pasta, tomato salads, and homemade pesto (I sub cashews for pine nuts to keep it cheap).
Chillies. Grew these from seed last year and overwintered one. It’s still going strong. Not huge harvests but enough to add heat to soups, stews, or sauces. Also looks kinda cool sitting on the sill.
Pea shoots. Super fast. Just soaked dried marrowfat peas (Tesco own brand, 65p) and threw them in a tray of soil. Harvest in like 2 weeks. I use them as a topping for noodles, sandwiches, or mix into rice dishes. Taste really fresh and slightly sweet.
A few care tips:
-Don’t overwater. Especially in smaller pots, it’s easy to drown them. Wait till the top feels dry.
-Rotate the pots every few days if the plants start leaning toward the light.
-Do health scans with plant apps like Pipify, basically automated by care schedule and saved a few of my vegetables that weren't looking so great. I'm sure there's others that do a similar job, go have a look.
-Pick leaves a little at a time instead of pulling the whole plant and they’ll keep giving.
Cost breakdown:
Seeds (mixed lettuce and rocket) £1.50
Marrowfat peas for shoots 65p for a whole bag
Bag of compost £5 (lasts ages if you’re just doing small pots)
Containers all reused (takeaway boxes, old mugs, yoghurt pots with holes poked in)
Spring onions basically free if you buy them once
Some cheap meals I’ve been using the homegrown stuff in:
Stir fried rice with spring onions, frozen veg, soy sauce, and chilli
Rocket and pea shoot wrap with hummus and grated carrot
Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, chopped chillies, and a bit of fresh basil
Lentil and tomato soup topped with pea shoots and spring onion
Pasta with Tesco passata, mixed herbs, and a handful of chopped lettuce stirred in at the end
Homemade pesto with basil, garlic, cashews, oil, and pasta (use whatever greens you’ve got)
Chickpea salad with lettuce, rocket, spring onions, and lemon juice
Instant noodles upgraded with frozen peas, spring onions, and chilli oil
Most of these are £1–£1.50 a portion max, especially if you bulk buy dry goods and use what you’ve grown to top things off. Simple but they get the job done.
Not going to pretend I’m growing 50% of my food or anything, but even just having fresh greens and herbs on hand has made meals feel a bit less basic. Tesco prices are creeping up so every little bit helps.
Would love to know if anyone else is growing stuff indoors on the cheap. Always down to try something new.
by tsukitii
2 Comments
That’s amazing!!
So cool!