Growing Salad Greens Indoors

Growing Salad Greens Indoors

You can grow your own fresh salad greens indoors all winter long, including spinach, chard, leaf lettuces and mesclun green mixes!    

Start with containers at least 4 inches deep.  Fill container with a potting mix to at least 3 inches.  Plant seeds 3 inches apart.  Plant spinach and chard seeds ½ an inch below the soil.  For lettuce seeds, place seeds on top of soil, and sprinkle lightly with soil, until just covered. 

Place your container in a warm area (like on top of the fridge).  Cover with plastic or mist often with water until the seeds sprout.  Then remove plastic.

Next, place container in a sunny, south-facing window, or under a florescent light.  If using florescent lights, be sure to keep the lights 6 inches above growing greens at all times.  Any further is too far, and closer could burn the leaves or make them too warm (salad greens like cooler temps).  Keep lights on for 12 hours a day.

Fertilize weekly or bi-weekly with a weak solution.  Good organic fertilizers to use indoors include liquid seaweed and compost tea.

Your greens will be ready to harvest in about 30 days.  Snip the base of the largest, outer leaves, and be sure to leave at least 4 inner leaves to continue to grow.

We will be demonstrating how to grow salad greens indoors this week on Tuesday from 12-2pm, and Thursday from 2-5:30pm.  Drop on by!