Container Gardens of Greens and Herbs

[nancyruhl]

Dandelion greens are a hot item in neighborhood produce market. Purslane, too.

[bower]

I have a couple pics of my indoor winter garden.

The big flat has two rows of lettuce one arugula in between (which already got trimmed) and yu choy sum at the back. Arugula, yu choy, komatsuna are always faster growing and bigger than lettuce when sown together. And so is kale, so much faster. That is baby leaf kale and lettuce in the small flat which has already been cut twice, even though it's too shallow for them the kales are bouncing up way faster than lettuce.

My dill, cilantro and parsely were sown the same time but dill germinated much faster so the cilantro and parsely is still at the first true leaf stage. I'm trying the dill densely planted in a deep container, it's ready for a first haircut. Although they are thin (competition for lights as I started too many things) they could be pretty in combination with bolder leaf like kale.

These are some spare romaines I have going in sixpacks. Freckles and Cold Hardy are really similar although Freckles is the fastest growing of the lot. Sherwood is a new one to me, amazing dark green color they are billed as an early "mini romaine". And the Red Romaine are pretty small but a great color. I don't know why but red lettuce always seems to grow much slower than the green. I noticed it every time in the cut-and-come rows at the farm, especially frilly reds, but they are gorgeous and so useful. I guess I would plant them earlier than the others, if I wanted to make a splash in a pot.

[Cole_Robbie]

Nice pics, Bower. I just now noticed them.

Here are a few of the first container gardens, a mescalin mix and Ethiopian Blue Mustard

[bower]

Those look great! Love the Ethiopian Blue. I have a sweet kale that color but the leaves are plain rounded, that scalloped leaf edge is cool!
When is your first market coming up?

[Cole_Robbie]

The 24th, nine days from now. The greens might be the only thing I have to take.

[Cole_Robbie]

The greens were a big hit at market. I just posted a few pics here:
http://www.tomatoville.com/showpost....&postcount=512

I wanted to add that the flavor of everything I have tried has been absolutely delicious. The texture and juiciness are unique, too. It's a lot different than grocery store greens.

One customer started munching on a leaf of some that he had just bought. "Wow," he said...."that's really good. These greens make me happy."

[bower]

It's a fact that greenhouse or indoor greens are insanely crisp and tender compared to outdoor field produce - at least it's certainly true here where we have so much wind - not even to compare the grocery stuff which is outdoor tough and then has been shipped and stored for weeks before we see it. I bet you'll get repeat customers.

[FourOaks]

Cole... just curious how you germ. the seed? Did you sprout inside then transplant? Or, did you do it all outdoors under plastic?

[Cole_Robbie]

I direct-sow into the pots, germinate them inside under lights, and then they go out into the greenhouse as soon as I have sprouts. I am learning, on our few sunny days, that they like the shade better inside the greenhouse.