How to Harvest Fresh Greens Indoors Throughout Winter

Unless you have a garden, you have probably been growing your veggies, greens, and herbs in containers on your porch or balcony all summer. That is wonderful. However, come the cold season, those pots might not do so well outside in the freezes.

As the cold months draw nearer, it’s often time to put those containers and their contents to bed and say goodbye to harvesting for a good few months. Alas, if you have a little sunny spot indoors, you might not have to give your green completely.

With a little finagling, you can grow greens and indulge in summer salads all winter long.

The Best Seeds for Indoor Growing

It is best to be a little choosy over what you want to grow indoors. Remember that these little plants will need lots of light and warmth. You will have much more luck with some plants by growing them for baby greens rather than waiting for them to reach full maturity, such as with kale, for example.

Herbs– Basil, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and mint will as work well as indoor plants. Perhaps you had them outside in pots over the summer, or you had them planted in your garden. For the herbs that you know won’t make it through a winter with a hard freeze, such as basil and rosemary, you can dig these plants up, re-pot them, and bring them indoors.

Note that basil in particular needs a warm climate so will need to stay in temperatures above 60°F to thrive.

Lettuce– Choose loose-leaf varieties of lettuce, such as buttercrunch or romaine, as opposed to tight-headed ones. You can harvest the leaves young and only take enough leaves for your salad, leaving the rest of the plant to grow. Many varieties are ready for harvest in about a month.

Arugula– Arugula is another great option for growing indoors. It germinates quickly, and you can begin harvesting in about 20 days.

Kale– Kale is ideal for indoor growing as it works beautifully as a baby green. You don’t need to wait for it to fully mature before harvesting.

Sowing Your Seeds

Source: GrowVeg/YouTube

If you have herbs and greens already in pots on your porch, it is as simple as bringing them inside before the cold weather hits. This is especially true for herbs such as basil, but some of your greens, such as kale and lettuce, will likely be cold and frost-tolerant to an extent. Check your seed packets for individual advice.

The trouble with keeping plants in pots outside over winter is that the soil in the pots can freeze, expand and burst the pots.

If you don’t have plants already in pots, then you are going to have to sow some. Find some shallow trays. Old plastic berry or salad containers from the supermarket or take-out containers work well. Fill the trays with seed starting mix and sow your seeds according to the instructions on the packet.

Since you are growing indoors and likely to harvest the plants earlier than you would if they were outside, you can sow the seeds a little more densely. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Be sure to have something to catch draining water so as not to make a mess on your windowsill.

Keep your trays on a sunny, warm, south-facing windowsill. You may want to mist your plants intermittently to provide a little humidity, especially if the air is very dry in your home.

Important Things to Think About

There are a few things that will give your greens a hard time in the growing process. Remember that we are trying to replicate ideal growing conditions for these little plants, and unless you have a fancy indoor greenhouse set up with indoor grow lights and heating mats, you are going to have to try your best to give your babies what they need.

Not enough light– Most of your greens are going to need a really good sunny spot and get 10-12 hours of daylight a day. This means putting them on (ideally) a south-facing windowsill out of the way of pets and children. If you don’t have enough light your plants will have a poor growth rate, become leggy, and will likely die off.

Too Draughty– Some of your plants, especially herbs such as basil, will not enjoy fluctuations in temperature, so try to keep your plants at a constant temperature away from draughts. Try to keep your indoor plants over 60°F to ensure strong and healthy growth.

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