From Snowdrifts to Sprouts
Retirement is supposed to be all about slowing down, right? Ha! Not for this Oma. I’m on a mission to stay relevant, keep learning, and find new ways to grow—literally! What started as a desire to share something meaningful with family, and maybe a few like-minded gardening friends, has quickly spiraled into an indoor gardening adventure that’s equal parts fun, frustration, and fascination.
It all began during a vacation in Cairns, Australia. Picture this: we’re visiting family in the wet tropics—yes, wet, humid, hot—a place where everything grows and they are constantly fighting back the jungle as the main supply road south washes out. Suddenly the grocery store shelves are looking alarmingly bare. Watching fresh produce disappear faster than my grandkids devour cookies was an eye-opener. Add in the global market uncertainty (thanks, USA!) and the changing environment, and suddenly I was thinking less about flower beds and more about food security.
I don’t quite remember how I stumbled upon indoor gardening, but while visiting, it seems we had to earn our keep and were charged with gardening tasks. I found myself YouTubing how to propagate Dragon Fruit. Somewhere along the way, I discovered microgreens and the Kratky passive hydroponics method. Both led me down a delightful path of interconnected ideas—also known as another of “Oma’s obsession.”
Cue Opa, looking at his refrigerator “Honey-Do List,” raising an eyebrow at my additions, and asking if we were growing salad or planning world domination. He joked about grow light deliveries making us look more and more like suspicious neighbors. Spoiler alert: only veggies in this grow-op!
The Microgreens Madness
Microgreens are tiny nutritional powerhouses that grow faster than my grandkids can say “snack time.” Here’s my process:
Bakers racks work great, shelves are adjustable and the wire shelving makes it easy to hang light with “S” hooks or locking ties, you’ll probably want them spaced 12-18” apart for micro greens, and you can add blocks to lift seed trays closer to light if needed.
Soil: 50” coco-coir and 50% perlite moistened to form loose clumps. I’ve also used paper towels but soil works better at removing the seed shell with the method as follows
Container: Small Food tray (with holes punched on bottom (use a wood-burning tool to punch holes [outdoors to avoid the fumes]) filled with soil mix to the top pack gently
Method: Spray a good dose of water over entire surface. Distribute seeds evenly and thoroughly covering the entire soil surface. Seed Density is Key: Too many seeds, and you’ll get mold; too few, and you’ll have bare patches. Aim for a dense, even carpet of seeds.
Black-out stage: – Place a piece of dark plastic & cardboard or I use black coroplast board (find this a sign shops) and a 2.5lbs weight. Placing weight on top might seem strange but it helps in removing the seed husk. This is left for 3-5 days generally you won’t need to spray more water but do check on them. Eventually the greens start lifting the board. Think of it as tucking them into bed—lights out!
Light me Up Stage: With strong dense growth established remove the board and place under grow lights water from lower tray only, with at least 200 PAR (Photosynthesizing Active Radiation) rating, most inexpensive shop grow light are fine for Microgreens. Timer is set for 14-16 hours of light at least.
Watering: During Black out stage you probably won’t need to mist but if takes longer to germinate then mist a bit to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Once you place the trays in the light best to bottom water only by placing your tray with holes inside another tray without holes and adding water to it as needed letting the Microgreens absorb water from below will reduce any mold growing.
Harvest: 5-8 Days later when first true leaves appear, it’s time to give them a trim. Snip close to the soil without disturbing the roots. Unlike Sprouts you’re not harvesting the roots of Microgreens. All the nutrient punch is above the ground. FYI: 1 cup of radish Microgreens is equal to 3 cups of radish roots!
Passive Hydroponics: If microgreens were my gateway indoor garden drug, then the Kratky method became my full-blown fixation. I stumbled upon this passive hydroponics system following the proverbial rabbit hole of internet research, no pumps or complicated equipment it’s revolutionized the indoor growing game!
Shelving: You’ll want some good grow lights for this method. I have a 48” x 18” x 7’ baker’s rack 2nd shelf, the first growing shelf is positioned 30” below the top of the unit, I hung two Spider-Farmer 1000 grow lights and then the following two shelves spaced 20” apart with two Sun Blaster grow lights per shelf, my baker’s rack has extra shelves which I use for tray storage.
Lighting: If you choose other lights you’re looking for PAR ratings of 200-300 for seedling stages and 300-700 for vegetative growths stages, and higher for flowering and fruiting stages of plant growth. You will want to get yourself a PAR meter as some other brands of lights won’t have PAR ratings on the package and this handheld metering tool will help you determine the distance to place the shelves for the different stages of growth. Too close you will burn the tips too far you get leggy plants.
Containers: A lot of Kratky methods show big plastic bins converted by drilling multiple holes in lids for holding the net basket. I grow my lettuce in quart jars with a 3” basket and clay pebbles or you can use coco-coir or rock wool. I use to cover them with black tube socks but found I had to use both hands to move jars around, so we switched to using spray painted jars. SICO Flex Paint Matt black, two coats, and it dries fast! Available at Rona. Start with clean dry jars placing a strip of masking tape along the smoothest vertical side, this will be removed after it’s painted. This masked window will allow you to see the water level. Oh, and you want to do all this to reduce the light entering the jar as the light causes algae to grow.
Nutrient Solution: Next add nutrients to water. The amount is dependent on the brand you choose. Details of what I’ve tried you’ll find below. And an important note you should not use the same fertilizer you use for you garden soil! Hydroponic nutrients are balanced to compensate for the missing nutrients found in soil.
Once nutrients are added you wouldn’t be adding more for the life-cycle of the hydroponic plant growth, only add fresh water to the level of the roots and never covering roots entirely eventually as the roots pass the basket, you can use the bottom edge as your target level for adding watering. Plant roots need oxygen so you must ensure there is an airspace during all the growth stages.
Drop a few lettuce seeds right on the clay pebbles and the damp surface will soon cradle the first seedlings.
The Waiting Game (and Occasional Tweaking)
With Kratky, the magic happens as the plants grow. The roots will reach down into the nutrient solution, and the plants will happily grow. Check the water level periodically and adding more nutrients is not usually needed but use a EC meter to check PH and ppm.
In about 2 weeks you can start harvesting a few leaves and then more and more until the plant is exhausted. Meantime start some more seeds and you’ll have year-round constant supply of fresh greens.
When I first ventured into indoor gardening, I had no idea I’d end up researching PAR values and comparing nutrient ppm levels. Yet here I am, a retired business owner turned indoor gardening enthusiast. Perhaps the greatest joy of our indoor garden experiment has been sharing it with my three grandsons. There’s something magical about watching a child’s face wrinkle up after tasting a radish Microgreen for the first time, “spicy.” Then declaring it’s his favourite. Or watching little fingers planting flower seeds in pots for the secret Mother’s Day project.
What started as a practical solution to Maritime winters has blossomed into a passion project that keeps this grandmother learning and experimenting. I’ve discovered that retirement isn’t about slowing down—it’s about finding new paths to grow.
As I continue my indoor gardening journey, I’ll share more discoveries, failures (there are plenty!), and successes here on our Maritime Family Gardening blog. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, I invite you to explore the joy of indoor gardening. Connecting with nature, and creating sustainable practices that nourish both body and soul should be a year-round experience.
Here is a list of my online learning resources and my favourite online Canadian suppliers.
- Indoor Farmer everything you need to start growing
- Great Grow Lights best grow lights
- Seeds for micro greens, and hydroponics
- Bakers racks – Amazon, Costco or Home Depot, shop around for a sturdy unit, you don’t need a lot of shelves if you have good grow lights.
Mold Mayhem: Speaking of mold, that fuzzy white stuff you first see as roots germinate in Black out are fine roots starting. Once in the light there should be little to no mold but remember only water from the bottom and a little fan can help in with higher humidity environments.
Damping Off: Too much water. Let Microgreen trays dry a little between watering, every second day worked for me, in the case of Kratky method be sure to leave an air space for roots replenishing water only to the bottom of the net basket as roots grow.
Leggy Sprouts: Time to adjust those grow lights and move the trays closer. Or you’re using the wrong grow lights make sure the PAR rating is at least 150 to 200. If your seedlings are stretching tall and skinny, they’re not getting enough light.
Nutrient Deficiencies: With Kratky, it can be tricky to get the nutrient balance just right. Yellowing leaves or stunted growth could indicate a deficiency. Do a little research and adjust accordingly. Consult the staff at your local Hydroponics Shop.
Pesky Gnats: Those tiny flying insects are a nuisance, but they’re usually harmless. Letting the top layer of soil dry out can help control them. I hang stick yellow traps. You can buy large sheets on Amazon and just cut them into strips punch a hole and hang with a “S” hook.
So, there you have it—a glimpse into my ongoing indoor gardening escapades. It’s a journey filled with challenges, rewards, and a whole lot of leafy greens. Gardening is Cheaper Than Therapy: Okay, maybe not cheaper, but definitely more rewarding (and you get to eat your results!). Stay tuned for the next chapter, where I’ll be experimenting with different types of microgreens and maybe even attempting to grow tomatoes indoors. Wish me luck!
Loretta B.