Growing salad greens at home means you get the freshest harvest for your salads, sandwiches, stir-fries, soups, and more, the satisfaction of growing them. Examples of salad greens include lettuce, spinach, arugula, mizuna, and more. Salad greens are easy to grow inside as long as their basic care needs are met, such as sufficient sunlight, moist soil, and your growing space isn’t too cold or too hot. Use these must-know tips to ensure your salad greens thrive indoors.
1. Provide Ample Sunlight
Salad greens need plenty of sunlight to grow—typically around six hours a day. Grow them in a windowsill or near a south or east-facing window that receives bright light. Make sure the temperature doesn’t get too warm as this can cause lettuce and other greens to bolt.
2. Use Shallow Containers
Most common types of salad greens, such as lettuce, spinach, and arugula, have shallow roots so they don’t need to be planted in large or deep pots. Using a shallow pot that is 3-4 inches deep means you’ll need less potting soil to grow them and less water, too.
3. Plant in Well-Draining Soil
Use a vegetable potting mix to sow seeds. Don’t use garden soil for your indoor plants because it won’t drain well in a container. Plus it may contain pests, plant diseases, and weed seeds. Potting soils are designed to drain well, minimizing issues from waterlogged soil.
4. Keep Soil Moist
Growing salad greens from seed requires monitoring the soil moisture closely. The soil should be slightly damp at all times to create an ideal environment for seeds to germinate and grow. Avoid soggy soil as this will hinder your salad greens from growing and could lead to root rot. Covering pots with a clear plastic baggie or dome can help keep the soil from drying out too much in between waterings.
5. Know Germination Temperatures
Salad greens do best in cooler weather so pay attention to the indoor temperature. Many salad green seeds germinate when the temperature is between 50-70°F. Check the seed packet to know the exact range each type of salad green needs.
Once the seedlings emerge, pay attention to the indoor temperature. Warmer conditions can cause some types of salad greens to try to flower (known as bolting) sooner. This diverts energy from growing leaves and makes the leaves taste bitter so you want to delay bolting as long as possible by keeping temperatures on the cool side as much as possible.
6. Increase Humidity
The air inside a home tends to be drier than outside, especially in the colder months when the heater is on. However, many tender salad greens do best in higher humidity. To create more humid conditions around your plants, place a humidifier nearby.
7. Harvest Often
Salad greens, including spinach and arugula, are typically ready to harvest within 20-30 days after planting. Loose leaf lettuce can take longer, up to 40-50 days, unless you want to harvest baby leaves. Harvest leaves with scissors when the leaves are 3-4 inches tall. Snip off the outer leaves first if you want to let the plants continue growing more leaves.
8. Plant Seeds Bi-Monthly
To grow an ongoing supply of greens, sow seeds every two or three weeks in fresh pots. Known as succession planting, this continuous sowing schedule ensures you have fresh salad greens available whenever you want them. Mix and match greens so you have a variety to eat.
