Growing salad indoors

[lucidguppy]

I have a smaller ranch house with little space in front of south facing windows for growing plants.

Has anyone on the forum had luck growing salad greens under grow lamps? Any recommendations? Boxes of spring mix salad can get expensive - and salads help me get a balanced diet.

[Grammy Ginger]

It is very easy to grow baby greens and microgreens in front of a sunny window. All you need is a flat of good soil, some superior seeds, and a reminder on your phone so you don't forget to water and turn them every day. I am just getting back into this myself and find it quite rewarding.

[kirkj]

I've never grown edibles under lights but have started thousands of plants for the garden under lights over the past 20 years. Sterile soil is important or you won't be able to tell your sprouting greens from thousands of sprouting weed seeds that are already in soil collected outside. You can sterilize outdoor soil in the oven or use bagged potting soil. A cheap fluorescent shop light is all you need. Expensive "grow lights" that simulate sunlight are not necessary unless you need plants to flower, which you don't.

I never want to discourage anyone from gardening, but I think this is best approached as a winter pastime rather than a way to save money. I don't know for sure but think the expense for electricity will far exceed the cost of buying greens in the store. It will take many weeks to produce greens big enough to eat, and when you get them, they will make one salad. If you can do it in a sunny window without the lights, of course, it will be much cheaper.

[AlwaysAgnes]

I have a smaller ranch house with little space in front of south facing windows for growing plants.

Has anyone on the forum had luck growing salad greens under grow lamps? Any recommendations? Boxes of spring mix salad can get expensive - and salads help me get a balanced diet.

Other greens you might try are sprouts. Those are supposed to be easy to grow. The only thing I've grown indoors (other than houseplants) is sweet potato slips for transplanting outdoors. I grow those on my north-facing kitchen window sill. Sweet potato vines grow well, and the leaves are edible. If you're interested in sweet potato, here are a couple of links:

https://communitytable.parade.com/60477 ... s-indoors/
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible ... edible.htm

Here's something about growning bean sprouts: https://www.attainable-sustainable.net/ ... n-sprouts/

You might also find this interesting (5 greens you can grow anywhere):
https://www.highmowingseeds.com/blog/wi ... -anywhere/

[Lyndzie]

I saw this interesting video about growing greens outside in a small space in winter. https://youtu.be/7IXn2t8GLh0

[GeoffreyLevens]

Other greens you might try are sprouts. Those are supposed to be easy to grow.

Yes! Sprouts are super easy and you don't even need soil unless growing them out to very large, with quite a few leaves. Just a few days gets you a crop. And you do NOT need fancy, expensive apparatus. I have grown them in canning jars, big salad bowls, colanders, and fabric bags. The key bits are proper soak time for the particular seeds you are sprouting, very thorough rinse and drain every 8-12 hours after the soak, and not letting them get too dried out. When big as you want them if you wait until it would be time for next rinse/drain but do not rinse but rather put in container in fridge, they will keep quite a long time. With dry surface (but not dried out) like that, much longer than a week in fridge is common. You can grow a huge amount in very small space and only need light at the end to get first leaves to green up

[Grammy Ginger]

I did some searching on Youtube and am going to give this one a try. https://youtu.be/F5XxQM5G5Fg But like I said before you don't need anything but dirt, trays, water, and a sunny window.

[dynodan62]

Specialty indoor growers that supply fresh organic greens in winter to high-end restaurants find that business to be entirely economically viable. But then, they have the advantages of scale & up-market demand/outlet. With the increasing number of states legalizing recreational cannabis, the cost of home/hobby hydroponic equipment and lighting systems is bound to fall. Also, the more inexpensive LED flouro tubes sold today have made the cost of electricity much more reasonable. While those systems technically require chemical fertilizers to operate smoothly (thus the veggies produced are not 100% ‘organic’), at least the need for pesticides & herbicides is eliminated, and unlike windowsill gardens dependent on sunlight, growth can proceed on a 24 hr. basis. Combined with the greatly accelerated rate that is typical of hydroponic production where the plant roots are merely sprayed (no substrate), and the indoor climactic envionrment is optimal, a tabletop unit might well produce enough for a daily salad. Of course, in the end, the cost of equipment, & the labor expended to manage it properly (on such a small scale) would still render the enterprise strictly a ‘hobby’ pursuit (compared to merely purchasing organic greens at your local supermarket), not to mention the time required to educate oneself re: horticultural science & principles. But, for those without convenient access to fresh greens, especially if paranoid when it comes to trusting others with the safety & nutritional value of one’s food, it might well be the best option. My local rural grocery typically charges nearly $5 for a small box of spring mix!

[JeffN]

Combined with the greatly accelerated rate that is typical of hydroponic production where the plant roots are merely sprayed (no substrate), and the indoor climactic envionrment is optimal, a tabletop unit might well produce enough for a daily salad. Of course, in the end, the cost of equipment, & the labor expended to manage it properly (on such a small scale) would still render the enterprise strictly a ‘hobby’ pursuit (compared to merely purchasing organic greens at your local supermarket), not to mention the time required to educate oneself re: horticultural science & principles.

On several occasions over the years, I would grow "indoor salads, sprouts and greens." The guy I used to sell organic produce with, owned a sprout farm. Cost wise, it seemed like a good deal to grow them at home.

In the end, what I got out of it in regard to volume and calorie contribution of product produced, was never worth the time, effort and energy required to grow them. 1 cup of many types of sprouts or baby greens is about 8 calories. A lb (which is about 13 cups) is only about 100 calories. In the end, it was much easier to buy them as they were always relatively inexpensive.

However, if one has the time and energy, it might be a fun hobby.

In Health
Jeff

[MaureenR]

For the past couple of weeks I have had potted basil and mint plants that I bought at the grocery store in front of a sunny window in my kitchen. I just have to water them every few days and they seem to be doing well so far. I like being able to snip off small amounts to add flavor or color to a dish. The plants are also nice to look at.

I had mostly stopped buying fresh herbs because they tend to be expensive and don't seem to last very long in the refrigerator. I'm happy to have the option now of using them in small amounts without so much waste.

[JeffN]

For the past couple of weeks I have had potted basil and mint plants that I bought at the grocery store in front of a sunny window in my kitchen. I just have to water them every few days and they seem to be doing well so far. I like being able to snip off small amounts to add flavor or color to a dish. The plants are also nice to look at.

I had mostly stopped buying fresh herbs because they tend to be expensive and don't seem to last very long in the refrigerator. I'm happy to have the option now of using them in small amounts without so much waste.

Agrreed. And thanks for pointing this out

The only exception to me comments are a few easy to grow herbs where small amounts go a long way for little trouble.

In Health
Jeff

[amandamechele]

About 4 years ago I tried growing greens in a window box for a season, for the exact same reason lucidguppy.



I have to concur with everyone's suggestions that it may not be the best way to save money. I kept my lights on a timer and adjusted their height as the plants grew and had a watering/fertilizing schedule, but my Swiss chard never got bigger than what is pictured above and was quite leggy. Maybe with more practice and reading I could have done a bit better. It was fun to try out though!

I also do sprouting, periodically, and it is quick and cheap. That has my vote.

[Grammy Ginger]

Well, it may be just a hobby, but growing my own food is a very important hobby to me. Not only does it feed my body superior nutrition than the elderly produce found in my supermarkets, digging in the dirt and tending the plants feeds my spirits. Money isn't the only consideration in this matter.

[JeffN]

I would agree 100%, but not in regard to the specific topic, indoor salad greens (sprouts, baby lettuce, etc), except for some culinary herbs. Not cause of the money, but because of the return on the time, energy & effort needed,

In Health
Jeff