Winter gardening--indoors!

While December is still a fine time in Houston to be planting cool weather crops outside like peas, lettuces, and carrots, you can also stay inside with some fun activities for kids of any age, by growing edibles and flowers inside!

One tradition I've had in my home since childhood, is planting paperwhites indoors.  Paperwhites are in the narcissus family--think of a miniature white daffodil.  They bring some lovely color into your living room, and an intoxicating smell when they bloom.

You can find paperwhite bulbs at the gardening store.  Here is how you "plant" paperwhites indoors:

1.  Find a container with a wide base, such as a broad vase, preferably with some walls to help hold up the stems as they grow.  A large shallow bowl can work as well.
2. Cover the bottom of the vase or bowl with old shells, river rocks, glass pebbles, or other small stones.  
3. Place the bulbs on top of the stones, with the root side sitting securely among the rocks.
4. Add more rocks around the bulbs to anchor them more firmly. 
5. Add water to the dish just until the bottom of the bulbs are touching the water.  Don't cover the bulb entirely with water.
6. Place in a sunny spot in your house. 
7. First, you will see long white roots growing around the rocks. Then, leaves should start peeking out in a few days.  The paperwhites will bloom in 2-3 weeks after planting. 
8. Keep refilling water so the bottom of the bulb is always touching the water.   
   

It's also a great time to get out of the chilly air and start thinking about the warm spring days that are still a bit far away.  Now's the time to start tomato, pepper, eggplant, and herb transplants indoors. 

1.  Find your preferred varieties online or in a seed catalog.  Great places to look are Seeds of Change, Johnny's Selected Seeds and Totally Tomatoes.
2. You can grow seeds in almost anything--even an old shoe!  Containers that work well are old yogurt cups, used plastic cups, saved or new 4" transplant pots, even an old ice cube tray.  
3. Use a pencil or nail to poke a small drainage hole in each container.
   
4. If you are using reused containers, disinfect them with in water with 1 part bleach to 9 parts water.  Get an adult to help with this step!  Then, thoroughly rinse each container with water (maybe not the old shoe, though...)
5. Fill each container to the top with some organic potting soil.  You can find this at any major hardware store.  Or, combine compost or garden soil with some vermiculite or pearlite (they help hold water in the potting soil.)
6. Then, plant 2-3 seeds in each container.  Make sure to label clearly the variety and kind of plant using masking tape and permanent marker on each container. 
7. Place the containers in a sunny window.  If you have some grow lights or low fluorescent lights, place the containers a few inches underneath.
8. Keep the soil moist by using a spray bottle to mist the soil or a small watering can.  You may want to place a tray underneath the containers to catch any water that runs out.  Check the soil before watering by touching it with your finger to determine if it is dry or wet. 
9. If, in a few weeks, your plants have outgrown their container, find a larger yogurt cup or 1-gallon used pot, and replant the plant there until you are ready to plant it in the ground.
10. In Houston, you should be able to plant your transplants outside in the garden (in a large pot or garden) in mid- to late February, depending on how close to downtown you live.  Think of all those juicy tomatoes! 

Enjoy bringing little seeds to life during these short chilly days.  Happy Holidays from the Recipe Gardens! 
~Sharon