Easy steps for growing mesclun mix greens indoors through winter:

• Red salad bowl lettuce grows most productively under full spectrum (6400K) grow lights. Grow lights should be maintained 6 - 12” above plant tops and should be on 16 - 18 hours per day.
• During the months where daylight-hours are low red salad bowl lettuce can be grown in a very sun window - but productivity goes way up under full spectrum lights.
• Red salad bowl lettuce grows very well in shallow containers with drainage. We often use short 15 cm (6") pots or 10" x 20” trays for baby greens. Other ideas include recycled clam shells from store-bought greens or recycled flower pots.
• For completely easy baby greens use a composty soil. We use an organic potting mix  blended with Sea Soil compost at a 60 / 40 ratio. By building in high quality compost you can avoid any need for additional fertilizing.
• Red salad bowl lettuce takes 3 - 5 days to germinate. The ideal temperature for germination is 12 - 18º C; bottom heat will speed up germination and encourage faster seedling development but excessively warm soil temperatures inhibit germination of lettuces.
• Wet your soil medium before sowing then sprinkle seeds onto soil surface at approximately 65 seeds per 8" x 8” tray. Press seeds gently into soil surface and spritz (or carefully water) to fully moisten.
• Check on seeds every few days to notice when they are starting to germinate. Maintain soil moisture without allowing the mix to be soggy.
• Red salad bowl lettuce will grow as a baby green for approximately six to eight weeks before a new crop needs to take over. Sow new trays every 2 - 4 weeks to keep a constant supply.

Sowing for Spring/ Outdoor Growing:

• Germination: 3 - 7 days at 21 C
• When to Sow: 4 weeks before average last frost date indoors, or direct seed outdoors starting in late May
• Starter Pots: 7.5 cm (3”) starter pots
• Soil: Well draining seed starting mix with worm castings
• Number of Seeds Per Pot: 3 seeds per starter pot, pressed lightly into moistened soil
• Where to Start: Place pots in the brightest window, or under full spectrum grow lights
• Watering: Water deeply, then allow soil to dry to the touch between waterings
• Transplanting: Transplant to outdoors in early June, once all chance of frost has passed and the ground has warmed up

Additional Tips for Indoor Growing:

• Great air circulation around your indoor garden makes everything better! If you are growing lots of plants indoors consider adding a small fan to your set-up.
• If using humidity domes over your trays: be sure to leave these off for at least one hour per day to allow for air circulation.
• Pests rarely occur on baby greens but it is a good idea to clean pots/trays with warm soapy water (or 10% bleach solution) between crops and generally keep your growing area tidy.
• Crops that are grown to larger than baby green size will likely require fertilizing for best productivity; we recommend Evolve Organic All Purpose Fertilizer for our indoor gardens.

Harvesting Tips:

• Harvest leafy greens by up to 50% with each cut.
• Use sharp scissors to cut your greens - this helps plants regrow more quickly after harvest.
• The beauty of growing your own baby greens is that you can harvest just what you need when you need it!