Winter Lettuce on the Windowsill

There’s nothing tastier or easier than grabbing some homegrown lettuce to use in a salad. What makes it even easier is if you grow the right variety of lettuce indoors on a windowsill, or in a nice sunny position close to the kitchen.

So which varieties do best on a windowsill? A loose leaf lettuce like Cos or Baby Cos grows well, and is easy to pick as the leaves develop. Plant enough to cater for the family over Winter and into Spring, and you could even stagger the planting to keep you going a bit longer.

Blog-Lettuce-PotWhether you grow from seed or start with a seedling is up to you. Seedlings are a no-fuss way to get started, and will get you picking lettuce in no time.

Use a premium mix like Rocky Point’s Grow More Premium Potting Mix, and plant into a pot with drainage holes, which can then sit inside another decorative pot. This ensures water can drain effectively and it doesn’t stain the surface it is sitting on.

Always keep the mix moist but try not to over water your lettuce. If you start with a premium potting mix it should have all the nutrients you need to get you through to the end of Spring, otherwise apply some all-purpose liquid fertiliser once every couple of weeks.

You can harvest the leaves once it has matured, and if you make a clean cut above the base of the plant it should keep producing. The aim is to preserve the growing tip (crown) by taking the outer, most mature leaves first. Be careful not to cut or disturb the growing crown or the developing leaves in the centre; it could mean the end of your lettuce.

Growing lettuce indoors over the Winter months has many benefits. You’ll be adding a splash of green inside the house, and you’ll always see them, so you won’t forget the water and fertiliser. Another advantage is you avoid competing with the normal pests you sometimes encounter in the garden.

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