Indoor Garden?

[hoosier]

Has anyone grown leaf lettuce on a window sill?

 

[patandchickens]

I have not had good luck growing lettuce at house temperatures. It wants cool, at least at night. And it needs to be a *really really* bright window -- not because lettuce needs blasting full sun so much as because it's only coming from one side of the plant. A sheer white curtain behind the lettuce (between lettuce and rest of house) will help some. You may actually need to shade the lettuce slightly mid-day depending where you live.

So, I've tried it but produced rather sad floppy stretchy poorly growing results. My parents never had much luck with it either, neither in the (warm) greenhouse nor in the unheated-but-mostly-not-too-freezy patio. I am certain it can be done better by someone else though

Pat, contemplating a small cold greenhouse for next winter to grow lettuce in.

 

[keljonma]

If you have a cool enough area (root cellar, cold pantry, covered porch) it should work. We have grown a variety of greens in containers indoors throughout the winter. As Pat mentioned, you need to have very good light during the day. We've used a south facing window, or a brooder lamp with a "grow" light hanging over the containers, if such a window isn't available.


edited for clarity

 

[hoosier]

Thanks for the info.

I was thinking of trying it in front of a basement window that faced south. I think the temp in front of the window would be about 55.
Do you think I have a chance?

 

[2dream]

hoosier - look at it this way - seed is cheap - give it a try. If it fails you will know. My DH told me I could not grow carrots in the long narrow flower containers. Becaues they are not deep enough. HA! Proved him wrong. True they were the fingerlings, and true they were not as big as they could have been but.....I grew them and they were good. And I plan on growing the fingerlings again this year in those same conatiners sitting on my front steps.

 

[TanksHill]

Now that's a good idea. Thanks for sharing.

 

[patandchickens]

Thanks for the info.

I was thinking of trying it in front of a basement window that faced south. I think the temp in front of the window would be about 55.
Do you think I have a chance?

Anything has a *chance* You may as well try! I'd hang a sheer curtain behind it (to reflect back light that would otherwise be lost to the rest of the basement), and possibly even hang a shoplight over the lettuce to give it some extra supplemental lighting if it starts looking sad as it grows. See what happens, let us know

Good luck,

Pat

 

[hoosier]

I am going to try it. Fresh lettuce sounds sooo good.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I will let you know if I have any success.

 

[Henrietta23]

Wow, 2 year old thread! But it's something I'm wanting to try too. I think I will order a packet of mix green seeds to try this with in my south facing kitchen window this winter. We just need to add a shelf between the cabinets on either side of the window. High enough that the cats can't dig in it.

 

[BarredBuff]

That sounds like a good idea, Henrietta!