How to Grow Greens Indoors
Growing greens indoors requires close attention and the right conditions.
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You Will Need
- Gardening books
- Seeds
- Boxes
- Potter's mix
- High-intensity discharge lights
- Window sills that get good light
- Indoor hydroponic green garden (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Read and research
Read and research in gardening books about which plants grow well indoors.
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Leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach, for instance, do well indoors because they don't require lots of direct sunlight and high temperatures.
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Step 2
Sprout seeds on paper towels
Place seeds between paper towels on a tray and wet regularly to sprout.
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Step 3
Find or build boxes
Buy or nail together long narrow wooden boxes, or use discarded cardboard boxes. Fill with a potter's mix, utilizing compost from the yard with active microbial life, which is needed since watering drains nutrients.
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Step 4
Sow seeds
Sow the sprouted seeds in three rows in the boxed dirt. Start in April or May for herbs and greens.
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Step 5
Set near vent
Set the boxes near a vent to keep warm and in a south-facing area. Cover indoor surfaces with plastic or another protective layer to avoid damage to wood or fabric from watering.
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Step 6
Boost light
Boost light for the plants by setting them in a room lined with white painted or reflective walls with an oscillating fan to push the air and humidity around. Fashion hanging, high intensity discharge lights to raise the energy the plants absorb.
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Buy grow lights or invest in an indoor hydroponic green garden, whose controlled lights on daily cycles create a maximum growing environment.
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Step 7
Place boxes on sills
Move the boxes to windowsills that get lots of sunlight throughout the day, as greens begin to sprout, and watch for leggy plants that begin to climb. Clip and use the greens whenever the plant reaches higher than 2 or 3 inches.
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Dutch settlers in America planted chives in the meadows their cows roamed to get chive-flavored milk.
