“What do you recommend for growing microgreens and baby lettuces? I am interested in buying your products at retail for now to test.” Question from Karman of Indianapolis, Indiana
Answer: We recommend growing microgreens and baby lettuce in OMRI Listed Black Gold Seedling Mix. Our seedling mix holds water well and is porous and fine, to encourage the development of small roots and shoots. To find BG seedling mix, search for stores that carry it in your area via our Store Finder or purchase it online at Ace Hardware or Urban Farmer. We also recommend purchasing seeds from a quality source, such as High Mowing Organic Seeds, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, and Truleaf Market. They all offer a wide selection of microgreen seeds.
When growing microgreens at home, we recommend starting them in well-drained flats or large seedling trays as you would start any seeds. (Click here to read our many useful seed-starting blogs.) Fill the pots with a pre-moistened seedling mix, evenly sprinkle seeds along the top at a good density, and cover the seeds with a plastic hood to keep them from drying out. Place the flats in a sunny window or beneath grow lights, then keep them lightly misted and irrigated until they have sprouted. Once they have sprouted and begun to develop second leaves, microgreens can be harvested.
When growing baby lettuce, space seeds around 1 square inch per seed, being sure to surface-sow them (lettuce seeds need light to germinate). Once the lettuce plants have sprouted and developed several sets of leaves, they can be harvested. I also encourage you to watch the video below about great lettuce varieties and how to grow them.
Cut-and-come-again lettuce is the perfect cool-season crop for fall and winter gardens.
Windowsill greens, such as small lettuces and micro-greens, are fast-growing and gratifying. Growing them indoors is a piece of cake, as long as you have good sunlight, quality soil, the right watering regime, and some gardening know-how. Start with the right greens, master some of the cultural basics, and you’ll be eating fresh salad through even the coldest winter months.
Growing Windowsill Greens
Planter troughs or window boxes can be purchased in a variety of sizes and are best for growing windowsill greens. Adequate pot and soil drainage is a must for success. Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix is a great mix choice. It provides superior moisture retention, excellent drainage, and is specially formulated with a controlled release fertilizer that feeds plants for up to six months. Just be sure to fill the pot to a depth that allows at least 2” of headspace at the top for watering and planting.
Planters should be placed in as sunny a location as possible. Supplemental light can be provided with the use of broad-spectrum grow lights, but natural light is best. When watering, provide just enough water to wet the soil—allowing the mix to dry slightly between. Once plants are actively growing, the need for water will increase. Just be sure to avoid wet soil, which can rot roots and encourage soil-borne pests and pathogens, such as shore flies and fungus gnats. (Click here to learn how to rid pots of fungus gnats.)
Salanova Red Incised Leaf grows well in pots and is pretty in salads.
Seeds can be directly sown on the soil’s surface or seedlings planted. The seeds of many greens require light to germinate, so surface-sow seed for best results. This means gently sowing the seeds along the soil’s surface and keeping them lightly moist. Once they have germinated, thin seedlings to around 2 to 3 inches apart. This is a little closer than outdoor-grown greens, but denser plantings yield more greens indoors.
Finally, be sure you choose the right crops for indoor growing. Here is a sampling of the types of salad greens you might consider:
Micro Lettuce
Mixed Salanova baby lettuces (55 days from seed) are a great, fast choice for indoor growers. They form dense, small heads that are sweet and crunchy. The mix offers a variety of purple- and green-leaved selections. Baby Leaf Mix is another great choice. Rather than heads, this mix offers cut-and-come-again looseleaf lettuces that produce edible greens in just 28-35 days from seed.
‘Red Russian’ is a lovely kale that can be harvested young and grown indoors. (Photo care of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
Baby Kale
Looseleaf kales germinate fast, grow quickly, and can be clipped back regularly for home salads. There are several varieties to choose from—‘Red Russian’ and ‘Toscano’ being two of the best. Both are mild and produce edible leaves in just a few short weeks.
Baby Chard
Just about any chard can be grown inside. All are tender and can be harvested young. Most growers opt for colorful varieties because they are high in antioxidants and look pretty in salads. Bright Lights Mix and ‘Ruby Red’ are two festive chards that always taste great when young.
Mizuna
One of the fastest greens for growing is mizuna. Popular in Japanese cooking, its tasty leaves have a mild, spicy flavor and look feathery and pretty in salads. Purple mizuna is a popular choice that will begin to produce edible leaves in just 21 days.
Mustard Greens
The easy-to-grow micro mustard green ‘Green Wave’ is so easy and delicious that you will wonder why you didn’t start growing your own greens sooner. It produces harvestable microgreens just two weeks after germination. Grow plants a little longer to harvest larger leaves.
These are just a few of many salad greens for indoor growing. Gardeners new to indoor growing may want to try one or two greens, like lettuce and kale, before experimenting with other types. One good success will get you hooked.
Cut-and-come-again lettuce is the perfect cool-season crop for fall and winter gardens.
Windowsill greens, such as small lettuces and micro-greens, are fast-growing and gratifying. Growing them indoors is a piece of cake, as long as you have good sunlight, quality soil, the right watering regime, and some gardening know-how. Start with the right greens, master some of the cultural basics, and you’ll be eating fresh salad through even the coldest winter months.
Growing Windowsill Greens
Planter troughs or window boxes can be purchased in a variety of sizes and are best for growing windowsill greens. Adequate pot and soil drainage is a must for success. Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix is a great mix choice. It provides superior moisture retention, excellent drainage, and is specially formulated with a controlled release fertilizer that feeds plants for up to six months. Just be sure to fill the pot to a depth that allows at least 2” of headspace at the top for watering and planting.
Planters should be placed in as sunny a location as possible. Supplemental light can be provided with the use of broad-spectrum grow lights, but natural light is best. When watering, provide just enough water to wet the soil—allowing the mix to dry slightly between. Once plants are actively growing, the need for water will increase. Just be sure to avoid wet soil, which can rot roots and encourage soil-borne pests and pathogens, such as shore flies and fungus gnats. (Click here to learn how to rid pots of fungus gnats.)
Salanova Red Incised Leaf grows well in pots and is pretty in salads.
Seeds can be directly sown on the soil’s surface or seedlings planted. The seeds of many greens require light to germinate, so surface-sow seed for best results. This means gently sowing the seeds along the soil’s surface and keeping them lightly moist. Once they have germinated, thin seedlings to around 2 to 3 inches apart. This is a little closer than outdoor-grown greens, but denser plantings yield more greens indoors.
Finally, be sure you choose the right crops for indoor growing. Here is a sampling of the types of salad greens you might consider:
Micro Lettuce
Mixed Salanova baby lettuces (55 days from seed) are a great, fast choice for indoor growers. They form dense, small heads that are sweet and crunchy. The mix offers a variety of purple- and green-leaved selections. Baby Leaf Mix is another great choice. Rather than heads, this mix offers cut-and-come-again looseleaf lettuces that produce edible greens in just 28-35 days from seed.
‘Red Russian’ is a lovely kale that can be harvested young and grown indoors. (Photo care of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
Baby Kale
Looseleaf kales germinate fast, grow quickly, and can be clipped back regularly for home salads. There are several varieties to choose from—‘Red Russian’ and ‘Toscano’ being two of the best. Both are mild and produce edible leaves in just a few short weeks.
Baby Chard
Just about any chard can be grown inside. All are tender and can be harvested young. Most growers opt for colorful varieties because they are high in antioxidants and look pretty in salads. Bright Lights Mix and ‘Ruby Red’ are two festive chards that always taste great when young.
Mizuna
One of the fastest greens for growing is mizuna. Popular in Japanese cooking, its tasty leaves have a mild, spicy flavor and look feathery and pretty in salads. Purple mizuna is a popular choice that will begin to produce edible leaves in just 21 days.
Mustard Greens
The easy-to-grow micro mustard green ‘Green Wave’ is so easy and delicious that you will wonder why you didn’t start growing your own greens sooner. It produces harvestable microgreens just two weeks after germination. Grow plants a little longer to harvest larger leaves.
These are just a few of many salad greens for indoor growing. Gardeners new to indoor growing may want to try one or two greens, like lettuce and kale, before experimenting with other types. One good success will get you hooked.
Cut-and-come-again lettuce is the perfect cool-season crop for fall and winter gardens.
Windowsill greens, such as small lettuces and micro-greens, are fast-growing and gratifying. Growing them indoors is a piece of cake, as long as you have good sunlight, quality soil, the right watering regime, and some gardening know-how. Start with the right greens, master some of the cultural basics, and you’ll be eating fresh salad through even the coldest winter months.
Growing Windowsill Greens
Planter troughs or window boxes can be purchased in a variety of sizes and are best for growing windowsill greens. Adequate pot and soil drainage is a must for success. Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix is a great mix choice. It provides superior moisture retention, excellent drainage, and is specially formulated with a controlled release fertilizer that feeds plants for up to six months. Just be sure to fill the pot to a depth that allows at least 2” of headspace at the top for watering and planting.
Planters should be placed in as sunny a location as possible. Supplemental light can be provided with the use of broad-spectrum grow lights, but natural light is best. When watering, provide just enough water to wet the soil—allowing the mix to dry slightly between. Once plants are actively growing, the need for water will increase. Just be sure to avoid wet soil, which can rot roots and encourage soil-borne pests and pathogens, such as shore flies and fungus gnats. (Click here to learn how to rid pots of fungus gnats.)
Salanova Red Incised Leaf grows well in pots and is pretty in salads.
Seeds can be directly sown on the soil’s surface or seedlings planted. The seeds of many greens require light to germinate, so surface-sow seed for best results. This means gently sowing the seeds along the soil’s surface and keeping them lightly moist. Once they have germinated, thin seedlings to around 2 to 3 inches apart. This is a little closer than outdoor-grown greens, but denser plantings yield more greens indoors.
Finally, be sure you choose the right crops for indoor growing. Here is a sampling of the types of salad greens you might consider:
Micro Lettuce
Mixed Salanova baby lettuces (55 days from seed) are a great, fast choice for indoor growers. They form dense, small heads that are sweet and crunchy. The mix offers a variety of purple- and green-leaved selections. Baby Leaf Mix is another great choice. Rather than heads, this mix offers cut-and-come-again looseleaf lettuces that produce edible greens in just 28-35 days from seed.
‘Red Russian’ is a lovely kale that can be harvested young and grown indoors. (Photo care of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
Baby Kale
Looseleaf kales germinate fast, grow quickly, and can be clipped back regularly for home salads. There are several varieties to choose from—‘Red Russian’ and ‘Toscano’ being two of the best. Both are mild and produce edible leaves in just a few short weeks.
Baby Chard
Just about any chard can be grown inside. All are tender and can be harvested young. Most growers opt for colorful varieties because they are high in antioxidants and look pretty in salads. Bright Lights Mix and ‘Ruby Red’ are two festive chards that always taste great when young.
Mizuna
One of the fastest greens for growing is mizuna. Popular in Japanese cooking, its tasty leaves have a mild, spicy flavor and look feathery and pretty in salads. Purple mizuna is a popular choice that will begin to produce edible leaves in just 21 days.
Mustard Greens
The easy-to-grow micro mustard green ‘Green Wave’ is so easy and delicious that you will wonder why you didn’t start growing your own greens sooner. It produces harvestable microgreens just two weeks after germination. Grow plants a little longer to harvest larger leaves.
These are just a few of many salad greens for indoor growing. Gardeners new to indoor growing may want to try one or two greens, like lettuce and kale, before experimenting with other types. One good success will get you hooked.
Rows of the pretty kale Brassica oleracea ‘Lacinato’ are lined up for fall growing.
“Eat your Greens!” is a familiar directive to consume some form of the Mustard Family, formally referred to as Brassicaceae or Cruciferae. And, what a large family of leafy vegetables it is! Its members, called brassicas or cole crops, include many adored (or abhorred) leafy edibles such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, kale, mustard greens as well as collards, bok choy, pak choi and arugula, among others. Continue reading “Growing Fall Greens”
Succulents: Elegant pedestal urns feature rounded mounds of succulent plants topped with a crown of spiky leaves.
Nestled into opulent coastal southern California is a nursery where I go to find out what’s hot in the world of container gardening. Decades ago Rogers Gardens was founded on flower-filled hanging color baskets so fabulous they draw tour buses daily. I worked there in the early 80s and today I return to see how they display every hot trend in container gardening. Most of what I see can be recreated using Black Gold specialty potting soils to make your home garden just as exciting this year.
Mesclun: Integrating colorful lettuce into pots and gardens makes more opportunity to snip for dinner.
GREENS
Edible greens are proving to be one of the most interesting plants for both ornamental and food gardens. At Rogers they are displayed in glorious color from purple kale to pastel mesclun mixes of curious gourmet lettuce and greens. Potting them into decorative containers is easy when you use Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Soil. Blend these with edible flowers and culinary herbs for beauty you can snip and pinch into salads, soups and as decorative garish.
Flax: Latest looks include dark burgundy Aeonium and bright red striped Phormium combine in terra cotta.
SUCCULENTS
Growing succulents in containers demands fast draining Black Gold Cactus Mix. Such porosity allows you to cram dozens of colorful rosettes into the same pot without concern for rot setting in. The latest look is combining vivid autumn colored foliage plants such as New Zealand flax hybrids with gobs of succulents for perfect compatibility.
Demand for drought resistant plants and popularity of Spanish inspired architecture puts Mediterranean species front and center. The creation of topiaries from rosemary and fruitless olive provides excellent form and fragrance with other less European selections. Fruitless olive and its dwarf cousin ‘Little Ollie’ are hot right now to accent Mediterranean inspired architecture. Blend them with succulents or low profile herbs in traditional terra cotta pots for focal points on patio and terrace. Use Waterhold Cocoa Blend Potting Soil to retain moisture and reduce the need to water often, making these creations even more water conservative than Mother Nature planned.
Herb Box: Old boxes repurposed at Rogers for a small space herb garden or a super gift idea.
HERBS
Every foodie needs an herb garden filled with the best culinary species. At Rogers this year they’ve used old wood crates to create rustic herb gardens perfect for an apartment balcony, a condo courtyard or even a small roof garden. It’s truly amazing how useful they are when ganged together like this, offering lots to pinch and pluck. Since so many herbs come from arid climates that lack summer rainfall, try Hy Porosity Natural and Organic Potting Soil which helps them stay high and dry during rainy summers.
During my years at Rogers I learned that one potting soil doesn’t fit all plants. That’s why Black Gold offers so many options. Use the right ones so you can be just as successful with your succulents, Mediterraneans, edibles and herbs no matter where you live.
