Hi there! I’m Nicole Burke, Owner of Rooted Garden & Gardenary and Founder of the Kitchen Garden Coach Society. Can you tell I have a thing for gardens?
Even though I now harvest from my backyard almost daily and own several gardening companies, I wasn’t born with a green thumb. In fact, most of my first attempts at gardening were complete failures.
However, when my family and I began growing salad greens, our luck changed. The first year we planted lettuce seed in a raised bed filled with great soil, we had salad every night for six months and never bought greens from the store. It was the best feeling. It was from sharing these lettuce harvests that my first company, Rooted Garden, began.
Today, I’d love to share with you, as I do my clients, a few of my tips for growing delicious salad greens.
1. Begin with a container.
Salad greens have tender root systems and will flourish in a raised container. Use a container made of natural materials such as untreated wood, steel, or clay. Be sure there is a drainage hole and that the container is at least 6 inches in height.
2. Fill with great soil.
Be sure to fill your container with organic soil and compost. Salad plants love a sandy loam soil mixture. If you’re going to save money on any part of this endeavor, don’t do it at this step! Buy organic and if possible, locally sourced soil to fill your container that has a good mix of silt, sand, soil and compost.
3. Use the best seeds.
Don’t just grab some salad seeds from the kiosk at the hardware store. Purchase organic, non-GMO, and heirloom, if possible, seeds. Some of my favorite sources are Baker Creek and Southern Exposure.
4. Water regularly.
Did you know that lettuce plants are about 80% water? It’s critical to be certain these little plants get their fill. Be sure not to let your lettuce garden dry out. Lettuce seeds can only germinate if they remain moist. Watering a little everyday, giving the container time to drain, is ideal
The best news? Lettuce plants grow super fast and can be harvested over and over again. It really is the most wonderful way to begin gardening.
Whether you’re a garden pro or just beginning, growing salad greens has to be one of the most rewarding things to do in the dirt. So, if you haven’t already, grab your container and join me. Let’s grow salad together and make the kitchen garden a normal thing once again.
-Nicole Burke
If you liked reading what Nicole had to say about growing your own greens, then you will love her Salad School course! Here Nicole will walk you through all you need to know about growing your own local, organic greens right outside your door. Having access to this kind of delicious organic produce will save you so much money, as growing your own costs pennies compared to buying organic form the store, and keep you eating healthy all summer long! Plus…use this link https://gardenary.mykajabi.com/store/Pro8YXso to register and you will receive a FREE Roo or Joey apron with your Salad School registration! How amazing is that! Use Code SALADSCHOOL at checkout.
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