The last two months have been unseasonably cold, which meant all of my Autumn efforts (at least for now) to harvest greens and herbs from the cold frames this Winter have been for nought. They can take episodic temperature drops into the teens, but not consistent sub-freezing temperatures below 0 degrees. (I am hoping that the claytonia and a few other very hardy greens will come back in March, but I am not holding my breadth.)
So after the New Year and holiday clean up, I got out my Winter propagation table, grow light, and heat mats to start some greens. If you have a southern-facing window, which I do not have, it is pretty easy to grow some delicious micro-greens and greens in a matter of weeks. But the inclusion of a grow light can make up for this deficiency.
I always keep a bag or two of soil and starter mix in the basement to ensure that it will be thawed for use. To grow greens, I create a 50/50 mix of potting soil and seed starter mix so that the greens will get some nourishment but have a good draining medium to grow well without the potential hazard of fungus and mold.
I have found that clamshell salad containers make perfect little greenhouses to start these plants. After wetting the soil I sprinkle seeds on it in a somewhat random fashion and then cover them with the remaining soil. With the lid closed and heat applied., a perfectly moist environment is created. And within a few days, little green shoots emerge.
In weeks, it is time to thin out some of the plants and a yummy collection of micro-greens find their way into my mouth and salads. I am planting a wide variety of greens: arugula, kale, swiss chard, various lettuces, radishes, etc. Some of them are from old seed packets that have poor germination rates, so I over-seed extensively.
Now I have a trio of green flats at different stages, some of which are ready to harvest. Time to start a new clamshell!
