The cold weather and the snow do not
necessarily mark the end of the crops. There are several options to consider
for growing leafy vegetables, herbs and other fresh foods that are suitable for
indoor growing during the winter.
● First,
the sprouts (sprouted seeds, or germs) are easy to achieve with the indirect
light of a window in winter. Seeds, a glass pot, an elastic band and a plastic
mosquito net (or cheesecloth, or muslin cloth, or gas) are required. We begin
by washing the seeds with water, then put the equivalent of three layers of
seed in the pot, fill with water over several times the volume of seeds, and
soak overnight. Then we empty the water and rinse the seeds. To allow water to
flow while allowing the circulation of air between rinses, a good tip is to
position the pot in a tray or bowl, 45 °. The seeds should be rinsed twice a
day (morning and evening) for 2 days to a week depending on the chosen plant.
It is important to pay attention to rinsing to prevent mold from forming on the
seeds, not to be confused with small hairy and white rootlets that can be
formed but are harmless. After the last rinse, the seeds are allowed to dry for
a few hours before being stored in the refrigerator. The positive aspects of
germinated seeds are among others that they are easier to digest because the
germination process and rinsing allows them to get rid of enzymes difficult to
digest, and they are very nutritious because they contain all the necessary
reserves for plant to grow. Many edible plants can be sprouted (eg basil,
beetroot, broccoli, mustard, lentils, alfalfa, peas, chickpeas, radishes,
arugula, sesame, sunflower, clover, etc.). Mumm's Sprouting who is very rich in
information.
● The
shoots require a little more time and equipment, but remain relatively easy to
cultivate. They require a tray, potting soil, direct light, or the addition of
a supplemental lamp like those used to start planting indoors in the spring. We
begin by spreading a few centimeters of moist potting soil on the plateau, then
we deposit the seeds in high density that is pressed slightly into the soil and
covered with a thin layer of potting soil. We water the tray with a small
vaporizer morning and evening so that the ground remains wet. A transparent
seedling lid can be placed on the tray to keep the moisture level high. After
one to three weeks depending on the variety of seed, the sprouts should appear
as well as their cotyledons (one or two first false leaves), sign that the
harvest can be done. To harvest, cut the shoots just above the level of the
potting soil using scissors. The shoots are then washed, dried, and stored in
the refrigerator.
● Salads,
spinach, Swiss chard and some herbs can also be grown indoors in winter, but
require the addition of artificial 1000
watt LED grow light, such as spring seedlings (easy to find in the garden
center) . They are planted at the depth indicated on the seed coat, but the
density depends on your taste. If you want an early harvest, when the plants
are still young and tender, you can sow in higher density (5 - 10 cm), but they
can also be spaced to allow them to grow at maturity before harvesting. It is
also possible to mix the two by sowing in high density and then transplanting
the plants into individual pots when the leaves begin to overlap. We then make
sure to water often enough with a small sprayer so that the soil remains wet
(once a day normally), and we will harvest about a month later beautiful fresh
plants. The varieties of plants that are easy to grow with this technique are
lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, dill, basil, coriander, thyme, parsley, and many
others just waiting for to be tried.
● Using
deeper pots, you can also grow root vegetables such as carrots, radishes,
beets, parsnip, and some others, but it's much harder to get satisfactory
results and artificial 1000 watt LED
grow light is needed . For more demanding plants, such as tomatoes,
cucumbers, eggplants and other fruit plants, it is essential to have a growth
lamp that provides optimal lighting for plant growth. Sodium lamps are probably
the most popular, but DELLs are becoming more popular because they have
virtually no heat, which makes them much closer to the foliage. On the other
hand, this specialized lighting is expensive, and will certainly be linked to
an increase in electricity costs.
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