I have always made sure to grow my own veggies, since my husband has a transferable job, we mostly stay at one place for not more than 1.5 years. Also at some places I seldom find enough space to grow my vegetables. However, Me Being Me, Nothing can stop me from growing my own vegetables, greens and herbs, little they may be but I manage to grow them whatsoever.

I have made it a point to use every wee bit of place I find that gets sunshine such as my terrace and even some space indoors, for gardening. For me getting the chemical free nutrition has always been the top most priority. What I find the most helpful is to grow vegetables on my terrace, herbs on my walls as vertical garden and microgreens – indoors.

Indoor Gardening And Microgreens – What are microgreens?

Since their introduction in India in these recent years, microgreens have steadily gained popularity.

These aromatic greens, also known as micro herbs or vegetable confetti, are rich in flavor and add a welcome splash of color to a variety of dishes.

Microgreens basically are tiny plants that have been germinated from seeds and are 14 to 17 days old. They are highly packed with nutrition that would leave you surprised.

1.  These tiny plants contain all the frangrance, flavors and also the taste of the plant they are going to become.

2. In about just 14 days they are so hugely filled with nutrients you would do anything to get.

A research conducted by USDA by Gene Lester, and his colleagues at University of Maryland, College Park, have confirmed that the microgreens actually are packed with nutrients.

The researchers looked at four groups of vitamins and other phytochemicals – including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene — in 25 varieties of microgreens. They found that leaves from almost all of the microgreens had four to six times more nutrients than the mature leaves of the same plant.

3. and Thirdy – you could use them to garnish anything from Indian soups to Chinese food to Italian pizzas. They go with everything, just as the vegetable does.

In fact, I find I have done the right thing because I am able to maintain these indoor plants better due to their presence near me and size too. My latest addition to my indoor garden is my microgreens salad garden.

I would suggest you to give a try to this salad gardening. Mostly these days people don’t have a lot of space outside for a garden, or are just not that interested in digging up a big chunk of their lawn. The good news is you don’t have to. It doesn’t take a lot of space or soil to grow your own salad greens or microgreens as they are popularly called and you can do it inside, on your kitchen counter or in a sunny window.

The nice thing about growing microgreens indoors is that most varieties don’t need a lot of space or soil to grow and they grow fairly fast. microgreens also tends to grow well in temperatures that we’re most comfortable at in the house. As long as you find a nice sunny spot for your microgreens salad garden it will do well.

3 Reasons To Grow Your Own Salad Greens

Salads make great addition to your healthy diet meals and are a tasty addition to your lunchbox or dinner table any time of the year. They make the perfect light meal and you know you should be getting more leafy greens in your diet.

Why not start growing your own lettuce, other salad greens and microgreens so you have a steady fresh supply of greens at your fingertips. It’s a lot easier than you think and there are some very good reasons why you should grow your own salad.

Home-Grown Salad Greens Tastes Better

Let’s start with the obvious one first. Homegrown salad just plain tastes better. It is fresh, it has been grown in good soil, and it hasn’t been washed, sprayed, and processed days before it makes it on your plate.

If you haven’t had fresh, homegrown lettuce before, you’re in for a treat. If you need a little more convincing get your hands on some fresh lettuce from a gardening friend or your local farmers market. You’ll be ready to grow your own after the first bite.

You Control The Quality And Variety

One of the best parts of growing your own organic greens is that you control what goes in the soil and the plants. And you get to pick what varieties you want to grow. That means you have a lot more options than what your local grocer offers.

Grocery store produce varieties are grown for easy and uniform growth and longer shelf-life. Flavor and nutrition aren’t the main concerns. The opposite is true when you grow your own. You can pick varieties that taste amazing, but may not last more than a few hours in the fridge after you harvest them.

It’s Healthier

Last but not least, your home-grown salad will be a lot healthier. Nutrients quickly start to deteriorate after produce is harvested. When you grow your own, you can go from soil to table in less than an hour. It doesn’t get any fresher than that, which means you get more of the vitamins in your food.

Plus since you control the soil, the additives, and anything that happens to the plants while they grow, you can limit your exposure to pesticides, insecticides and the likes. When you grow organic, you know it actually is organic.

Microgreens Salad Bowls – What Are They?

Let’s talk about microgreens salad bowls. No, I’m not talking about the glass or wooden bowl sitting in your kitchen cabinet that you serve salads in. I’m talking about bowls or pots that you can grow your own microgreens in.

What are microgreens?

Since their introduction to the Californian restaurant scene in the 1980s, microgreens have steadily gained popularity.

These aromatic greens, also known as micro herbs or vegetable confetti, are rich in flavor and add a welcome splash of color to a variety of dishes.

Microgreens basically are tiny plants that have been germinated from seeds and are 14 to 17 days old. They are highly packed with nutrition that would leave you surprised.

1.  These tiny plants contain all the frangrance, flavors and also the taste of the plant they are going to become.

2. In about just 14 days they are so hugely filled with nutrients you would do anything to get.

3. A research conducted by USDA by Gene Lester, and his colleagues at University of Maryland, College Park, have confirmed that the microgreens actually are packed with nutrients.

The researchers looked at four groups of vitamins and other phytochemicals – including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene — in 25 varieties of microgreens. They found that leaves from almost all of the microgreens had four to six times more nutrients than the mature leaves of the same plant.

and Thirdy – you could use them to garnish anything from Indian soups to Chinese food to Italian pizzas. They go with everything, just as the vegetable does.

You can repurpose an old traditional salad bowl to grow your microgreen in. Glass bowls don’t work as well since it’s impossible to add drainage holes in the bottom. Wooden bowls and bamboo containers should work well though as do ceramic planter bowls or even pots you’re no longer using for potted plants.

The basic idea is simple. You get a bowl or pot, fill it with potting soil, and plant your salad and salad fixings. A salad or microgreen bowl can include several different varieties of greens like lettuce, radish, palak or any of your favorite herbs. Or you can divide everything up in several different containers and grow a small tomato plant and a few green onions as well. Mix and match as you see fit, depending on what you like to eat.

That’s the fun of growing your own food. You can try different varieties and combinations until you come up with the one that works best for you. Along the way, you get to sample and try different varieties of microgreens your local market doesn’t offer. There’s so much more than lettuce and spinach out there.

Microgreen bowls are small and compact way to give gardening a try. They are also an excellent tool to help teach your children about where our food comes from and how it is grown. Get the little ones involved in planting and caring for the plants. Not only is it a great learning experience, it’s also a wonderful way to get them to eat more greens. After all, they’ve grown this produce.

How To Start Growing Microgreens At Home

Growing microgreens at home is very simple. All you need to do is take a shallow bowl or container. Take care that the container has a drainage hole. I prefer shallow bamboo baskets for this. They are easy to maintain and also are nature friendly.

1. Spread potting mixture in the container – you can learn how to make an ideal potting mixture here.
2. Spread your seeds closely together so that it makes a second layer.
3. Now spread a second layer of potting mixture just to ensure the seeds receive right amount of light.
4. sprinkle water, cover with a thin cloth and let the container stay for 24 hours.
5. the next day remove the cloth, sprinkle water if required. if you see tiny plant growth, then place the container in a place where you get enough light. sprinkle water whenever you feel necessary.
6. in 2 weeks you will see your favourite salad green ready to be haarvested and added directly to your salad.

Where to buy Microgreen Seeds

You can buy your microgreen seeds from your local nursery. These days you get the seeds online easily. You can even go for microgreen growing kits that come with the container to grow too.

This kit infact is the best if you are a newbie to growing your own microgreens at home. It gives you the right container and seeds. This gives you enough confidence to begin growing your own food.

Once you see those first few harvests and get a chance to eat your own salad, you’ll be ready to expand your lettuce bowl collection.