Can one grow spring mix (i.e., mezclun) indoors in containers?

[S.Rodgers]

Has anyone done this?

I found this reference on the net for a particular brand of seeds:

"2006-07-03 12:51:06

Mesclun Mix European salad type custom mixture of red and green young salad leaves, including spicy leaves such as Arugula (rocket), Red Giant Mustard, Bianca Riccia endive, and mild leaves of red lettuce Marvel of four seasons, Rouge D' Hiver and Kyona and Tatsoi greens.

Sow every 2 weeks for a continuous supply. Harvest after approx 3 weeks using scissors, some of the plants will re grow."

This sounds great. Sow every 2 weeks for a continuous supply. I imagine I'd have to sow more frequently as the size of plot isn't mentioned. But hopefully someone here has done this, or knows of someone who lives in an apt with balcony, too, and knows _roughly_ what size containers and how often to plant (if this can be done at all, that is).

Thanks! :oD

[simy1]

I have done it, with seedling trays (in the US, they are ftX1ftX2inches plastic containers for growing seedlings) filled with compost (no seedling containers, just the tray full of dirt). Mesclun grew well and could be cut almost a couple of times. Of course mesclun will do well in a part-sun situation.

But, my experience has been that various types of greens grew at different rates, so I was eating the arugula first, then the tatsoi, then the rest. It was a pain to cut without damaging the tender growth. Now I grow it in separate mini-plots in my garden, mixing two or three types when I cut them. Many of those greens are also adept at naturalizing in the garden (most notably miner's lettuce, tatsoi, arugula, mache, peppergrass), so I make sure I let some of them go to seed, then spread the seeds randomly in the beds. I get extra mesclun for free that way. Also, they all suffer from being seeded too thickly, so the new arrangement gives much bigger plants for all greens.

[S.Rodgers]

Thanks, appreciate the reply. I live in Canada in an apt with a balcony with a short summer season so glad that this can be done. I was at library earlier today after posting this and didn't find anything re growing greens in containers. They talk about flowers mostly and _some_ vegetables but none of the books I found dealt with greens at all. Going to look at sprouting books next, even though sprouting not quite the same thing.

I have some standard flats that I thought to use which sound about the same size as the seedling trays you mention except that they're about twice as long. Since posting, I also decided that if I could at least get _some_ greens this way even if not all, that I'd be happy with that. Spring mix is not only very expensive, but the greens don't last well. This might be a good way around both issues even if only part of the time.

Thanks once again. :oD