Growing salads at home
Wouldn’t that be an awesome investment in your health to be able to have fresh salad whenever you crave them? Indoor salad gardening might be the solution. Homegrown salads are so much richer in nutrients, tastes better, and save so much money. Whether you like your leaves green and crispy, red or spicy, growing from seed gives you a much wider choice than you’ll find in grocery stores. Growing salads is fast – from sowing to picking it takes just a few days to a few weeks. Also growing salads at home is so much easier than you think and this is all you need to know about indoor salad gardening.
What you need before starting Indoor salad gardening?
The soil mix, not the outdoor backyard soil, it is standard germination mix and you can buy it in gardening stores.
Compost - can be commercial or homemade.
Fertilizer can help your crops grow faster and bigger.
Seeds of your choice.
Container, pot, or another dish were to grow the salads.
Watering can.
Good spot for growing, like a windowsill or grow lights.
Which type of salads to grow?
You can grow any type of salads indoors. Just chose the ones that you like the most. For the first-timers, it is advised to start with mixed salad leaves – a blend of lettuces in different colors, shapes, and sizes. Avoid head lettuces, which are difficult to grow indoors.
BEST COLLECTION of lettuces and leafy greens.
Spinach is also a very good option, as it is very good for your health and they grow easily. When growing Spinach Indoors it needs potting soil of neutral pH to develop its full quality.
Arugula is another good option, and a good way to add a different flavor to your food. It has a peppery, rich flavor that can be used to spice up a light salad or even garnish a pizza. Growing arugula in pots makes sure to use good potting soil and keep it moist but not wet. Arugula performs well in warmer temperatures.
If you like some spicier flavors, try include varieties of pak choi, Choi sum, Greek cress or mustard leaves. Mustard leaves are one of the healthiest foods you can have. They are super tolerant to frost and heat, and remarkably easy to grow indoors.
Purslane is a leafy green that is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. Growing purslane Indoors is very easy. You can grow them in pots from cuttings or seeds. Other than that, they need well-drained soil and a good amount of sun.
Health enthusiasts love kale which is used to add a lot of nutrition to the meals. It’s elementary to grow kale indoors and it doesn’t need much space. You can ensure a fresh supply of these delicious greens all year long by doing this. Just make sure not to get the soil too dry or too wet, and your kale plants get indirect sunlight every day.
Here is a list of other plants you can add to your indoor salad garden: Click.
How to choose the location?
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Take a look around. Determine suitable, sunny spots in your living space — ideally, a place that gets at least 10 hours of light each day. For lettuce, a south-facing window is best. If you don't have enough light on a windowsill, grow your crops under lights. We use Vogek Grow Light A tabletop grow lights are very good for this purpose, especially they are perfect for growing small crops. Also, your chosen location must be safe. There shouldn’t be active heat or cold. And of course, don’t forget about pets.
How to choose a container for your indoor salad garden?
All about size and price
Pot or flat, shallow containers with good drainage are ideal. Another option is a multi-cell seed-starting system. You can also give the second chance to produce containers or take-out dishes. Wash them well and poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Place a saucer underneath the pot or container to catch draining water.
How to choose soil?
For soil, choose a planting mix that's made for seed starting, such as Seed Starting Mix. Do not use garden soil or "potting soil" which is often too coarse for seeds.
How to sow salad leaf seeds?
Fill a pot with a soil mix. Seed starting mixes are lightweight, they help your plants’ roots grow, and they're well-draining to prevent overwatering. If you cannot find a seed starting mix, you can also create a soil made from equal parts peat moss or coir, vermiculite, and sand.
Moisten the soil to prepare it for planting, then fill containers with about 3-4 inches of the prepared mix. Plant your seeds approximately 1 in (2.5 cm) apart. Make 4–6 in (10–15 cm) deep hole and place your seeds inside.
Cover the seeds in a very thin layer of planting mix and water gently. If you're using a multi-cell seed starting system, plant three or four seeds in each cell.
Place your containers in a warm location. To maintain moisture, cover them loosely with plastic wrap or a lid. Check daily for signs of sprouts. Once sprouts appear, remove the cover and thin the seedlings if it’s needed, so they're about an inch apart. Keep the seedlings moist but not overwatered.
Make sowings every two weeks to ensure continuous cropping.
How to care for your indoor salad garden?
Grow faster with:
The first and most important thing is - don’t let the soil dry out. It is very important, especially during hot weather. During the winter lettuces are delicate and require extra attention when grown indoors. Your seedlings should look green and robust. If the plants look leggy or yellowed that means there is not enough light. If you use growing lights turn them on every morning and shut them off before bedtime. Monitor the moisture level to make sure your seedlings are moist but not waterlogged.
Once your tiny plants have their first set of true leaves, start feeding them with a weak solution of liquid fertilizer. Use it once a week.
When the plants reach about 5cm tall, mulch around them with compost to seal moisture in the soil.
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How to harvest salad leaves?
When large enough to handle, tease out crowded seedlings with your fingers and either eat straight away or transplant to another site to grow on.
With cut-and-come-again varieties, you just pick a few leaves from each plant. Taking just a few leaves from each plant will keep the plants cropping for longer. Once plants start to flower the leaves become bitter, so you should eat them before this happens.
How to store salad leaves?
It is best to pick and eat them fresh. If you need to store them, you can keep washed leaves for several days in the fridge. Make salads, add them to your smoothies, stews, and sandwiches.
So there you have it – all that you need to know to start with indoor salad gardening. Good luck!