Botanical Interests introduced ‘Peas for Shoots’ this year as part of the micro greens trend. Photo courtesy National Garden Bureau
If your houseplants summered outdoors, it’s time to bring them back inside, if you haven’t already. You want to do this once the night temps hit the 50s.
Before you move them indoors, give the plants a good shower from the hose, making sure to spray the undersides of the leaves, as well as their tops and stems. The last thing you want is to cart any insects in with plants. At my place, the brown marmorated stink bugs seem to be taking care of boosting the indoor insect population. Gross.
Don’t be alarmed if your houseplants drop leaves when they move indoors. They are adjusting to lower light. Of course, you want to put them in the brightest window you have.
You’ll also notice their growth will have slowed, so houseplants will not need fertilizer or as much water as they did when actively growing.
I ripped out my tomato plants a few weeks ago. Because tomato plants are susceptible to several diseases, I put them in the trash rather than the compost heap. The plants were still producing, but had slowed down and they looked bad. I harvested all the tomatoes I could, including green ones, which are turning color on the back porch. The porch has whiffs of cilantro, too, because the brown marmorated stink bugs, which smell like the herb, have taken up residence there. Double gross.
I tried to grow kallettes this year, sowing the seeds for the mid-season plant that is a cross of Brussels sprouts and kale. I got nothing, except really nice foliage, and it’s October, way past mid season, so I pulled them out. I’m disappointed I didn’t get to try this new super food.
It’s not too late to plant garlic and shallots for harvest next season. You can also sow several crops of micro greens, those trendy lettuces, herbs and vegetables that are harvested when they are 1-3 inches. Baby greens are harvested at about 4-5 inches tall.
You can also grow micro greens indoors in winter with very little effort. This is a great way to get some fresh savory bits to garnish vegetable and meat dishes, eggs and sandwiches.
Look for seed packets marked micro greens or individual plants you might like, such as beets, basil or kale. Sow seeds fairly thickly over moistened potting mix. Cover, and place in a bright area, but not in full sun. Mist water as needed. Once sprouted, remove the cover and harvest the greens when they are the size you want.
