Reuse that Salad Container for …Salad.

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We use empty leaf lettuce containers as mini-greenhouses to grow new lettuce. This is arugula, which we've planted from seeds our plants produced in the garden last year. (We plant them very close together because we like to thin and use the sprouts.)

 

There's either something ironic or serendipitous or meta in this little green gardening tip. Or maybe a little a little bit of all three. Whatever one might call the act of reusing old lettuce containers to grow new lettuce plants, we call it genius. (And not just because we came up with it ourselves.)

The process is simple…you know those plastic clam-shell containers you buy leaf lettuce in at the grocery store? Well, once empty, they make perfect little greenhouses to grow more lettuce. All you need is some seeds, soil, a baking sheet with a rim, a refrigerator with a warm top, and a bright window. Here's how you do it:

1. If the plastic clam-shell container you're reusing doesn't have air holes in the bottom, use a sharp knife to create five slits…one at each corner and one in the middle. Conversely, if your plastic clam-shell container has air circulation holes that are so large that soil would leak out (like some berry boxes) line it with a paper towel. Place as many containers as fit on a baking sheet tray.

2. Half fill container with moistened seed-starting mixture or light potting soil.

3. Sprinkle lettuce seeds on top of soil according to directions on packet, and lightly press to ensure seeds are in contact with damp soil.

4. Place cover on container and set tray on top of refrigerator, or other consistently warm spot for 2-5 days until seeds have sprouted. Keep moist by pouring water into the baking sheet and allowing the dirt to soak it up.

5. Once sprouted, move to warm, bright, south-facing window. Keep watering from bottom.

6. When lettuce leaves reach the lid, uncover and allow to grow freely. Keep watering from bottom.

7. You can "harvest" your crop at any stage after leaves have formed by clipping at base of plants with scissors. As long as the roots are left undisturbed, new leaves will grow.

(If you want to get serious about starting your own seeds at home, we recommend getting seed mat warmers and this grow light kit.  This is the setup of what we use at the Beekman.)

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The covers help keep the soil heat in which is necessary for proper seed germination.

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Two intrepid spinach seedlings.

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If you have plenty of seed, plant them thickly to harvest sprouts. Simply leave a few behind to grow into full size leaves.

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Because we start a lot of seeds, we use grow lights. The lights are on a pulley because they must always hover just above the seedlings as they grow.