Windowsill Garden Instructions, 1 of 2
It’s easy to grow your salad greens and sandwich trimmings pesticide-free, and away from slugs, pets, rodents and weeds!
Instructions
1) Assuming you wish to grow salad greens and herbs, select a very well-lit window for your WindowSill™ garden. These salad greens like plenty of light and a cool (45-65 °F) location. You really cannot get too much light, assuming you can keep the temperature as described above. Avoid hot registers and drafty areas if possible. You may need to move young plants away from a freezing winter window to prevent cold damage.
A window in full sun is great if the temperature doesn't get above 65-75 °F. Too little light will result in small, poorly colored, leggy plants. In winter months, supplemental lighting may be needed. If you supplement with artificial light, use a full spectrum bulb if possible.
2) Plant your seeds. Loosen the top of the soil, remove a handful of soil, and sprinkle the seeds evenly over the top of your soil bed. Now, barely cover the seeds with the handful of soil you removed. Do not cover the seeds too deeply – many lettuce seeds germinate better when exposed to light.
3) Water your garden! A hand sprayer is handy here. Gently, so as not to disturb the seeds, wet the soil thoroughly. You never want your germinating seeds or young plants to dry out. Nor do you want them soggy. Water lightly and frequently (every day or three). When the soil surface begins to feel dry to the touch, it's time to water.
4) Harvesting. In good light, your first “baby” salad crop will be ready to cut in about 8-10 weeks. Low light levels will slow growth dramatically.
Cut older leaves only, well above the stem juncture. If you cut too low, new leaves may not form. Properly cut, a new crop of leaves will grow out in 2 to 4 weeks. Some seeds are meant to provide a single harvest only. Others can supply multiple harvests.
Instructions
1) Assuming you wish to grow salad greens and herbs, select a very well-lit window for your WindowSill™ garden. These salad greens like plenty of light and a cool (45-65 °F) location. You really cannot get too much light, assuming you can keep the temperature as described above. Avoid hot registers and drafty areas if possible. You may need to move young plants away from a freezing winter window to prevent cold damage.
A window in full sun is great if the temperature doesn't get above 65-75 °F. Too little light will result in small, poorly colored, leggy plants. In winter months, supplemental lighting may be needed. If you supplement with artificial light, use a full spectrum bulb if possible.
2) Plant your seeds. Loosen the top of the soil, remove a handful of soil, and sprinkle the seeds evenly over the top of your soil bed. Now, barely cover the seeds with the handful of soil you removed. Do not cover the seeds too deeply – many lettuce seeds germinate better when exposed to light.
3) Water your garden! A hand sprayer is handy here. Gently, so as not to disturb the seeds, wet the soil thoroughly. You never want your germinating seeds or young plants to dry out. Nor do you want them soggy. Water lightly and frequently (every day or three). When the soil surface begins to feel dry to the touch, it's time to water.
4) Harvesting. In good light, your first “baby” salad crop will be ready to cut in about 8-10 weeks. Low light levels will slow growth dramatically.
Cut older leaves only, well above the stem juncture. If you cut too low, new leaves may not form. Properly cut, a new crop of leaves will grow out in 2 to 4 weeks. Some seeds are meant to provide a single harvest only. Others can supply multiple harvests.
Winter greens can get leggy and yellowish when grown without adequate supplemental lighting. The box to the left is in an east-facing window in winter.
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