Growing microgreens and lettuce indoors
Growing your own lettuce and microgreens at home is easy, even if you don’t have an outdoor garden. This can save on your grocery bill, provide fresh-harvested taste and nutrition, and keep plastic containers out of the landfill. Not to mention the sense of accomplishment from watching your seeds mature into delicious and nutritious plants.
Microgreens are the easiest to grow, quickest to harvest and, surprisingly, significantly more nutrient-dense than mature leaves. Because the harvest time can be as quick as just a few days, microgreens are also great for impatient or busy growers.
The simplest growing method is a shallow tray filled with potting soil that has been generously broadcast with seeds. Place the tray by a sunny window or under a grow bulb, and keep it moist.
Seed selection can be really fun and includes possibilities such as nasturtiums, red mustard and sunflowers, and more traditional selections such as cabbage, kale, carrots, peas, beets and spinach.
Let’s take lettuce as an example.
Lettuce is a cool weather plant that needs a lot of light to grow well, at least 12 hours, but 14 to 16 is optimal. You can use supplemental light, such as a grow bulb, for this. Lettuce needs quite a bit of water, too, so keep the soil moist (but not saturated) using a spray bottle. (Countertop hydroponic systems are another way to grow lettuce and some other vegetables quickly indoors.)
While there are many varieties of lettuce to choose from, some are quicker to mature or are better suited to container growing. Some of the best for a fast crop are oak leaf, buttercrunch and salad bowl. Loose leaf lettuces also let you harvest some of the leaves while you wait for the head to mature, without harming the plant — just don’t cut into or below the crown. Other good choices include Little Gem, Tom Thumb and deer tongue. No matter your selection, succession-sow your seeds at two-week intervals so plants mature at staggered times, ensuring a continual supply of delicious and nutritious leaves.
When growing in containers, allow for adequate drainage: Use good potting soil and make sure the container has holes in the bottom. Because lettuce plants are shallow rooted, they perform best in wide and shallow containers. An overly large pot could cause the soil to hold too much moisture, leading to root rot. Sow the seeds about 4 to 6 inches apart to ensure the plants are not crowded (you can thin the seedlings if needed).
Finally, harvest the leaves in the early morning and eat the same day for the best flavor and to prevent wilting of the leaves.
Have fun growing, and enjoy.
Wild Green Yonder is a feature by the staff at Norfolk Botanical Garden, where Michelle Baudanza is curator of herbaceous plants.