Prep your container

There are a few quick tasks to complete with your container before we start planting seeds.

Fill the container halfway with soil.

Lay your stick or dowel rod down the middle of the container, dividing it in two sections.

Close the container. Label the sections on your lid to represent how the inside is divided (To do this, draw a line down the middle of the lid with your sharpie. Label the left side with the number 1 and the right side with the number 2).

Plant your seeds

It’s time to start planting! However, it’s important to know that no two plants are alike. Follow these instructions to give your plants the best chance for proper growth.

In the section labeled with the number 1, sprinkle salad mix seeds across the top of the soil. Try to distribute the seeds evenly. Cover lightly with soil.

In the second section, plant your nasturtium seeds one-half inch deep in the dirt, but 2 inches apart from one another. Cover with soil.

Gently remove the stick/dowel rod from your container.

Water your plants

Water your seeds with a mister. Make sure the soil is nice and moist, but not soaking wet. Once you do this, you can close the lid and place the container in a sunny window.

Closing the lid will help to create a greenhouse effect. A greenhouse works by taking in sunlight and heating it up, converting solar energy (sunlight) into thermal energy (heat).

Ongoing care
Plants are like pets. They need continuous care to grow and stay healthy. Use your mister to water your plants every few days (but not daily). Never soak the seeds so much that you need to drain the water. Remember, no puddles!! Use just enough water for the seedlings to grow. You should see sprouts starting to pop up through the soil between days 5 and 10. Congratulations, you have just witnessed the process of germination!! (That’s just a fancy word for when a plant grows from seed).

Tip: When your seedlings start to flourish and reach close to the top of the container, complete the following 3 steps:

1. Remove the lid.
2. Carefully use a nail (with supervision if you need assistance) to poke 3-4 small holes in the bottom of the container.
3. Add a tray or plate underneath the container.

Maintaining healthy seedlings and plants

Once your seedlings start to sprout, take notice of how close together they are. Do they look crowded? Don’t worry! You have options:

Thinning
If there are too many seedlings close together, you will want to remove some. This process of making the plants less crowded is called thinning and prevents the plants from having to compete for natural resources. While it may bum you out to remove some of your seedlings, this process will make for an overall healthier garden and plants, so they don’t have to compete for resources like light, water or air.

You can start the thinning process as soon as the first leaves (also called cotyledon) have fully emerged on your plants. To thin your seedlings:

1. Identify smaller or less-healthy-looking plants that you can thin.
2. Pinch or cut the plants off at the soil line; don’t pull them out. This will prevent you from damaging the roots of the remaining plants.

Harvest and enjoy

Knowing when to harvest your plants is a critical part of the growing experience. Now that you have grown your plants from seedlings, it’s time to harvest and enjoy!

You can tell when your vegetables are ready for harvest by comparing them to the size and color of fresh vegetables in markets. If you wish, you can harvest leafy vegetables (lettuce, collards, etc.) before they grow as large as those in markets. Lettuce can also be used as you thin it.

Tip: Your homegrown salad contents may not be as large or as blemish-free as market produce, but their flavor will be just as good or better.