It's getting to be that time of year, again...Cool Crop Season!!...the beginning of a fresh & delicious harvest! Cool crops are those that perform best before the heat of the summer...think carrots, radish, peas, broccoli, cauliflower AND GREENS! All of these crops are sooo easy to get growing in a small space. From my days working retail at a garden center, I was always amazed by how intimidated people could get by the idea of veggie gardening. Let me tell you, you can do it!...and you will love it!
I love lettuce, spinach and mixed greens because they are so easy to grow...and mostly because you can get a good jump start on spring by starting them in a sunny window in your home. How tasty does a fresh baby greens salad sound?...how about while there is still snow on the ground?!
Here's how you can do it:
1.) Head out to your local garden center and pick out some lettuce, spinach and mixed greens seeds.
2.) While you're there, if you don't have them already, you can grab a flower pot (shallow, bowl-shaped bulb pots have worked best for me) and some potting soil.
3.) Fill your pot with soil, leaving about 1" from the top of the pot without soil.
4.) Water the soil in your pot so that just a little water begins to run out of the bottom drainage hole.
5.) Lightly sprinkle your seeds on the top of the soil in your pot.
6.) Very, very lightly sprinkle more potting soil over the top of your seeds.
7.) Sprinkle lightly with water and place in a warm, bright window (don't forget a tray for drainage).
8.) Keep the seeds moist (but not soaked) until they begin to sprout.
9.) Once sprouted, continue to keep them lightly moist.
10.) When the leaves of your greens are about 3"+ in size, harvest by cutting with kitchen scissors about a half inch above the soil surface or "stem" of the greens.
Eat. Enjoy!
Easy Breezy!
Now, start thinking about the other delicious cool crops that you can start seeding in the garden in about a month here in Iowa!
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