Planting Greens for Fall Harvest

Posted by Katie Elzer-Peters
September 15th, 2008
Filed in Fruits, Veggies and Herbs
Tags: fall, greens, Hydroponics, vegetables

Cooler weather signals the end of some vegetables – tomatoes and summer squash do not enjoy a nip in the air. It does allow for planting of yummy lettuces and greens. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can be as satisfying as growing and harvesting your own baby greens! There are so many things I love about greens:

• They are easy to grow. Spread the seeds on top of the soil, water and watch them sprout.
• They sprout very quickly. Many greens begin germinating just a few days after planting.
• They are prolific. Greens keep growing as you pick them. Harvesting them just makes them produce more!
• They are nutritious and low in calories. With the many varieties of greens available including chard, kale, spinach, arugula, lettuces and more, you can eat all of your vitamins and minerals in one bowl! (This saves room and calories for other yummy foods like chocolate cake. But this is a blog about gardening, not cake. Apparently sneaky moms can figure out how to include greens in cake, though, as evidenced by the controversy brewing over Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook “Deceptively Delicious.”)
• Many varieties will keep producing until a hard frost. Some greens, kale in particular, actually taste better after a hard frost.
• It is impressive to have company over for dinner and proclaim “I grew the salad myself!”

Tips for Growing your own Gourmet Greens

Growing greens is not difficult, but a few pointers will help you be successful and not frustrated.

• If your soil is exceptionally high in clay content, break up the row with a hoe, and sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil. Then sprinkle with a very small coating of light potting soil.
• Water the seeds once or twice a day–do not let them dry out. This is very important because they are lying on top of the soil.
• Plant starts of Kale, Cabbage and head lettuce. Those are more difficult to grow from seed. Additionally, in areas with short growing seasons, it might be to hot to sow those directly outdoors and have time for the crop to ripen before frost.
• Plant rows of onions or herbs in between your rows of greens. This lessens the chance of one insect devouring all of your plants. Many insects do not like the smell of onions, herbs or marigolds and will stick to one row of destruction if they must encounter those on the way to the next row.

Harvesting and Preparing Home-Grown Greens

I will never forget the time my soon-to-be boyfriend left my apartment after a dinner and my roommate, who grew up on a farm in Iowa, asked me about the salads I served. She wanted to know if I had served the lettuce I had grown in a planter on our balcony. When I said yes, she asked me if I encountered any little green bugs. Horrified, I said I did not know! Even in all of my years of gardening, I had not yet grown my own lettuce until then, and I had no idea that I might have served my new fellow little green bugs with his salad. Oops! The little green bugs were probably aphids. If you wash your lettuce several times in changes of water, you will be fine.

Home-grown greens can wilt quickly after harvesting. For the best luck with lettuces, harvest in the morning when the plants are still turgid and have not lost a lot of water during the day. Before serving, soak the lettuce in cold water for 20 minutes or so, and then dry in a salad spinner. This will help your lettuce re-crisp and remain bug-free! Happy munching!