Growing Salad Leaves and Microgreens Indoors in December

When outdoor gardens sleep under frost, you can still enjoy crisp, nutritious greens every day—right on your windowsill. Growing salad leaves and microgreens indoors in December is easy, fast, and rewarding. Here’s how to have fresh harvests even in the heart of winter.

Why Grow Salad and Microgreens Indoors in December?

• No garden or allotment required: All you need is a bright window or a simple LED grow light.
• Fast results: Some microgreens are ready for harvest in just 7–14 days.
• Year-round flavor and nutrition: Cut fresh leaves for salads, sandwiches, or garnishes even as days are shortest.

Best Salad Leaves and Microgreens for December

• Loose-leaf lettuces: ‘Salad Bowl’, ‘Little Gem’, ‘Tom Thumb’.
• Oriental greens: Mizuna, pak choi, tatsoi, mustard leaf.
• Rocket (arugula): Spicy and speedy.
• Corn salad (lamb’s lettuce), land cress, winter purslane: Very hardy.
• Microgreens: Cress, radish, peas, beetroot, basil, coriander.

What You Need

• Shallow trays, seedling pots, or recycled salad boxes with drainage holes.
• Peat-free, multi-purpose compost or seed starting mix.
• Seeds (buy salad specific or microgreen mixtures).
• Spray bottle or small watering can.
• A bright windowsill (south or east facing) or energy-efficient grow light.

Step-by-Step: Sowing and Growing

1. Fill containers 3–5cm deep with moist compost.
2. Sprinkle seeds generously for microgreens, thinner for mixed salad leaves.
3. Press seeds down gently, cover lightly with compost or vermiculite.
4. Mist or water in.
5. Place by a bright window (rotate every few days for even growth) or under a grow light for 10–14 hours a day.
6. Keep compost evenly moist but not soggy.
7. Thin bigger salad seedlings if crowded, or just harvest earlier.

Harvesting

• Microgreens: Snip with scissors when 2–3 true leaves appear (usually 1–2 weeks).
• Baby leaves: Begin picking at 5–7cm high, taking outer leaves to allow regrowth.
• Successive sowing: Plant a new tray every week or two for constant supply.

December Growing Tips

• Avoid cold drafts from leaky windows.
• Don’t overwater—excess causes damping off and mold.
• Sprinkle a little crushed eggshell or grit on the compost to deter fungus gnats.

Indoor salad growing brings a burst of color, fresh taste, and nutrition to December meals—making winter a little greener and more delicious.