KateThe weather outside is frightful here. As in, we have been dealing with -20 degree windchill! Brrr! The cold weather and grey days makes dream of spring temperatures, rain and planting.
I realized last year that I really love growing things (I am from a long line of farmers and gardeners after all!) but what is a girl to do if she can’t grow anything outside in darned frigid weather where your face hurts just from stepping into nature? The answer is container gardening….indoors!
I’ve been growing summer herbs in containers for years but had never thought to bring my trusty pots inside. When our freeze hit this winter, I decided to bring my still flourishing spinach planter inside on a whim. To my surprise, it continued to do great! I don’t have a cost comparison for growing your own vs. buying from the store, but it was so nice to have fresh spinach on hand for omelets, salads, and smoothies. Yum!
Not all edible plants do well inside in the winter but lettuces are a perfect choice….they don’t require a ton of sunlight and are somewhat cold-hardy. And they are great for beginner growers because it is such an easy plant to care for.
Now that my plants got a little old and sad, it’s time for a fresh bunch. Mama needs her omelets!
Prep Your Container
For the perfect pot, look for one that is at least 12 inches across which gives room for 7 plants to fit comfortably. Spinach and lettuce have a shallow root system so your pot doesn’t have to be this deep. This is an 18″ pot so we are planting about 15 seeds and will thin as needed.
This is an older planter from Home Depot that has now seen a lot of plant life. And death. I’m not really graced with the greenest of thumbs.
You can plant in any brand of general potting soil that you find near you. I traditionally buy Miracle Gro Nature’s Care because it’s a trusted name, it’s relatively inexpensive, and my plants have frigging loved every product I’ve used in that line.
My old potting soil is looking pretty rough and needs to have a superhero come save it from itself. Oh hey! It’s Iron Man!
Remove all dead leaves, roots, and sticks that you may find. You don’t want these decomposing in your planter because it can spread disease and deplete nutrients in your soil.
All cleaned up.
If you are reusing potting soil like I am, mixing in some slow release fertilizer will make sure your future baby plants don’t go hungry (I am currently loving this product by EcoScraps). If you have filled your pot with brand new potting soil, there is usually plant food mixed in so you’re ready to go.
Plant Your Seeds
Iron Man is a surprisingly good planter.
For spinach, poke holes 1/2″ down and about 2″ apart. Plant one seed in each spot and gently cover. We are using these.
And Wait
Well, you can’t just wait. You do need to help these babies do their thing.
Water your seeds thoroughly (but gently so you don’t disrupt them too much. My Iron Man was a bit overzealous with our watering). Keep moist by checking soil every day and in about 2 weeks you will see your little baby plants sprouting.
Once I have baby plants, I water every other day. When they are a bit more established, I cut back to watering when the soil is dry about an inch down into the pot.
Since spinach doesn’t need a ton of light, you can place the planter near a bright or sunny window (preferably a southern facing window).
Harvest
I harvest my spinach by trimming off the largest individual leaves and letting the rest of the plant continue growing. The other option is just cutting it clean off (this will kill the plant but you can always plant more seeds).
There you go! You are all ready to grow your own batch of fresh, tasty spinach that won’t go bad because you forgot about it sitting inside your refrigerator.
If you have any questions, I’d love to help!
Do you grow anything inside during the winter?