Grow Your Own Salad and Microgreens
Start your garden indoors and enjoy a few micorgreens in a week and a homegrown salad in about a month.
Salad in a Pot
All you need is a container with drainage holes, a welldrained potting mix and some lettuce, spinach or other “greens” seeds.
• Fill the container with potting mix and place on a saucer so you don’t damage furniture or woodwork.
• Sprinkle the seeds on the soil surface
• Lightly stir the seeds into the soil or just cover the seeds with more potting mix.
• Water thoroughly
• Water often enough to keep the soil surface moist.
• Move the container to a sunny window as soon as the seeds sprout.
• Water thoroughly and as needed. Pour off excess water or set pebbles in the saucer and the pot on the pebbles to keep the pot above water. This prevents root rot.
• Thin the planting so there are a couple of inches between each plant.
• Use these greens to garnish a salad or eat them plain.
• Start harvesting the outer leaves of lettuce when they are 3 to 4 inches tall.
• Regular harvesting will keep your lettuce producing new leaves. Or harvest all the leaves at once and create one big salad.
Grow Some Microgreens
Plant and grow as described above.
• Harvest when the first set of true leaves (second leaves to appear) start to develop.
• Use a pair of scissors to cut the greens above the soil.
• Eat alone or use on a salad, sandwich or to add flavor to other dishes.
Related
Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars
Jan. 28, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Past, Present & Future of Mitchell Park and its Conservatory, the Domes
Register here
Feb. 13 - 15, 2026
PBS Wisconsin
Garden & Green Living EXPO
Madison, WI
More information
Feb. 18, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Plants that Go the Distance
Register here
Feb. 25, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Flowering Houseplants
Register here
Mar. 5, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Start New Plants from Seeds, Cuttings and More
Register here
Mar. 11, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Save Money & Boost Your Growing Success with Bare Root Plants
Register here
Mar. 18, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Patio, Deck and Balcony Gardens
Register here
March 26, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Getting Started Growing Vegetable and Flower Gardens
Register here
April 1, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Growing a Bountiful Harvest
Register here
May 6, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Adding Native Plants
to Any Size Gardening Space
Register here
June 3, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Managing Your Landscape
with Pollinators in Mind
Register here
WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
Learn More


