The Green Resolution

Your New Year’s Resolution: Eat More Greens.

Our suggestion: Do it Indoors!

Coast of Maine’s part of this picture: Provide nutritious organic soil to make it all happen. So, you promised yourself that 2022 would be a greener year for your diet. And like all resolutions, you want to jump in right away to make good things happen. Well, if you pledged to give your body more fresh greens, no need to wait for spring to roll around. You can get started today.

The Ingredients

This is MUCH easier than you imagine. Your Pamper your Body Project starts with good organic potting soil. Let us suggest organic Coast of Maine Bar Harbor Blend Potting Soil to provide the perfect formula for success with your indoor micro farm.

Next: Get some containers. No need to invest in a pricey growing system. Some food safe galvanized pans and buckets will do the trick. Heck, you can even go with oval roast pans and recycle the washed clean take-out containers you got from the restaurant when you ordered holiday meals. With drainage holes inserted into the bottom (use a hammer and nail to bang those holes in a blink), you’ve got an impromptu micro “field.” Nab seeds of favorite greens. The good news is that stores are already stocking seed packets. See! They know you want to turn your diet around. What works best indoors? To make good on your resolution in a jiffy, go for spinach, winter baby lettuce, mustard greens, baby kale, bok choy, tatsoi, and arugula. Those seeds will give you instant gratification. If you’re in this for the long haul, try Swiss chard. Need some spice in your life? Basil sprouts easily in a warm, sunny spot. Stay tuned for more on herbs indoors in an upcoming blog.

Making this Easy

If you have bright sunny windows, you don’t really need a light system. South-facing windows work best, but a bright east or west-facing window can do the trick. Just carve out some space as close as possible to the window, and be prepared to rotate the container occasionally to give the seedlings balanced light. Then, lay out some cookie or baking trays to catch stray water and set up your indoor farm. If the room is warm enough for you to hang out comfortably, it will be fine for your seedlings. You don’t need heat mats or humidity equipment. This is really a cinch—and economical.

Making it Happen

Here comes the fun part. You get to play mini-farmer from the comfort of your cozy home. First, fill your container with Coast of Maine potting soil to within an inch from the rim. That extra space gives you plenty of room for watering. Moisten the soil and let it soak in. Tamp the soil down lightly – you can use the bottom of another pan to make it flat. Then sprinkle your seeds. The trick with growing indoors is to sow seeds thinly. A thick carpet will crowd itself out and cause issues when seedlings compete. Read the seed packet to learn if your seeds need light to germinate or not. If the seeds need light to germinate, simply leave them uncovered by soil. But most of the seeds mentioned above don’t need light to sprout. If that’s the case: Cover the seed with a layer of soil and firm it down. Now water your seed flat with a gentle spray of water or use a spritzer. Repeat watering when the soil is slightly dry. You want evenly slightly moist soil, but don’t let it become water-logged. The beauty of Coast of Maine potting soil is that it drains nicely. Now wait, because magic is about to happen. Fortunately, you won’t have to wait long because most of the seeds mentioned above should sprout in a week or two. If you fancy parsley or members of that family, your wait will be longer. Keep the faith.

The Pay-Off

When your plants are large enough to harvest, get out the scissors. By snipping above the point where the first leaves emerged, you can get more than one harvest. No, you probably won’t be able to feed yourself or your family with enough produce to keep them rolling in salads on a regular basis over the winter. You won’t fulfill your full quota for a jolly green diet. But you can add some fresh garnishings. And every leaf is going to taste so yummy delicious when you’ve grown it yourself. So congratulations! You are making a difference toward your goals. This year is already looking really good.

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