No sense in pining away for spring. According to Patrick Murphy, host of GLT's Grow, you can get planting right now to enjoy from fresh, delicious produce grown by your own hand.
- You can spend this winter growing nutrient dense tomatoes, lettuce and mushrooms indoors.
- Mushrooms are the most difficult of the three. Not all types can be grown indoors, like chanterelles and morelles.
- Button mushrooms are a good choice. Start with large plastic tubs, so make sure you have the space for them. You'll a light source, too. A basement or garage are good locations for growing, so long as the temps don't go below 45 degrees.
- Start with a layer of wet straw. About a week later, add gypsum granules, then a mix of soil and peat. One pint of mushroom spoors will be good for about three containers.
- For tomatoes, the cherry type is best for indoor growing. Smaller plants are easier to manage. You'll supplemental light, and you'll need the temps to be about 68 degrees.
- Start seeds in a soilless mix to prevent damping off. Try perlite.
- Start in trays, then when the plant is 2 - 3 inches tall, move them to a pot.
- For lettuce, just fill a small pot with soil, put in a seed, add water and wait. 65-70 degrees, eight hours of sunlight ought to do it. Try the pomegranate iceberg variety.
