Grow & Gather

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Any nutritionist will tell you that green leafy vegetables are among the healthiest types of foods you can eat, but what happens when your winter garden is over for the year? For those of us living in rural, remote areas, tucked away on our homesteads, that might be the end of eating those fresh leafy greens for the winter. It doesn’t have to be!

You can grow your own salad greens in the wintertime right in your very own home. You don’t have to be a master gardener to cultivate salad greens indoors. All it takes is a space with electricity and a few supplies for you to have a steady crop of healthy greens all winter long.

Methods

Hydroponics

Hydroponic gardening is not as difficult as you may think it is. You need a watertight vessel to fill, a recycle pump, and a place for your plants where they can be placed with their roots in the water, a grow light, and some liquid fertilizer. No messy soil is needed. All you have to do is germinate your seeds and put them in the water. I have seen this done with a “float” made of Styrofoam,with holes cut into it, with vinyl roof rain gutters, and with 5 gallon buckets.You can DIY this pretty simply.

This kit has everything for about $65 on AmazonAmazon.com : VEVOR Hydroponics Growing System, 36 Sites 4 Food-Grade PVC-U Pipes, 4 Layers Indoor Planting Kit with Water Pump, Timer, Nest Basket, Sponge for Fruits, Vegetables, Herb, White : Patio, Lawn & Garden

You choose the seeds for the greens you want. There are many varieties available for you to choose from, such as this mix found on Amazon for about $25.

Amazon.com : 25 Winter Vegetable & Greens Garden Seeds Variety Pack – 27,675+ Non-GMO Heirloom Seeds for Outdoors & Indoor Home Gardening, Including Broccoli, Beet, Carrot, Collard, Lettuce, Radish, Spinach, Pea : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Container garden

Another option is for you to start a container garden to grow salad greens for the winter. Greens can be kept cool, but they cannot freeze beyond a light frost, so keep that in mind when you are choosing the location for your containers.  Plant your seeds in a combination of potting soil and compost.

 When the seeds sprout, begin to thin them out so they won’t be stunted by being crowded in the pot. 

You can confine your growth to specific seeds in each pot or you can mix them together in what I call “Salad Pots.”

Salad pots have a variety of greens in a single large pot. You then cultivate them until it’s time to harvest for your first salad of the winter. Take mature leaves off with scissors and leave the small ones to grow in their place. Repeat until the plant is depleted, then amend your soil and replant.  With this method, you can have a mixed green salad all through the winter. Or, you can stagger the planting in two pots, so that the plants in the second pot are becoming mature as the plants in the first pot are nearing the end of their cycle.

The great thing about containers is that if you live in a cool climate, you can leave them outdoors on your porch, deck, or patio. Do pay attention to the weather reports, and cover or pull them inside when there is danger of freezing.  Your lettuce and salad greens will grow best when they can have 5-6 hours of sunlight per day. If you are growing them indoors, you can use a grow light, or place your container near a window when they can soak in the sun.

Greenhouse

Another option for growing your salad greens in winter is to keep your plants in a greenhouse. If you have a greenhouse on your property, you can utilize it to grow salad greens throughout the winter. The greens will thrive if they can get plenty of sun, and are not allowed to freeze. This means you have to tend them frequently, keeping the soil moist and paying attention to the temperature both inside and outside of the greenhouse. If you don’t have a greenhouse, a portable version is relatively inexpensive to purchase.

This portable greenhouse on Amazon is about $150.00 Amazon.com : EAGLE PEAK 8×6 Portable Walk-in Greenhouse, Pop-up Indoor Outdoor Garden Green House, Zippered Doors and Windows, PE Cover, Green : Patio, Lawn & Garden

This greenhouse can be set up on a deck or on the sunny side of the house. It  will not withstand a snow load or high winds, however, so make sure you plan for all of the local weather hazards before buying. You’ll want to start your seeds indoors in a climate controlled situation, and only move the plants into the greenhouse after they’ve begun putting their leaves on. 

All of these gardening options can be cultivated year round, for fresh and delicious salads no matter the season.  If you’re unsure of which method to try or of what will work out the best in your situation, trial and error will tell you. Try out each method, and choose the one that works best, giving you not only the quantity of fresh leafy greens you want, but the quality as well.. 

Your leafy greens shouldn’t be chewy, bitter or droopy when you put them on the plate to serve your loved ones. If they are, look at the quality of your soil or liquid fertilizer, your watering schedule, and how fresh or mature the plant is when you harvested it. Sometimes, just a pH adjustment or a change in fertilizer is all that is needed to correct the look and taste of your produce.

Compared to keeping a garden during peak planting and harvest times, winter gardening can be quite challenging. It’s also fun to serve your family something that you put your hands to and grew from a seed. It’s a big deal, a big accomplishment. Definitely something to be proud of and share.

Photos courtesy of Pexels.com
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