Growing swiss chard under lights

Although the temperatures have been slightly above normal during the day I have decided to close the greenhouse for the season and begin indoor growing.

The chard needs a few more weeks before it is ready to harvest, and it is now happily growing under the T5 lights in an ebb and flow system.

I have, however, changed my thinking on growing chard and beets indoors, and I will concentrate on lettuce, flowers, and a few herbs.

A big factor in my decision regarding chard and beets is the space that is required. When you consider that the entire crop in an ebb and flow system really only provides enough chard for one or two meals after it has been cooked; it is not worth the trade in prime indoor space. In the same space I can grow enough fresh lettuce for more than a dozen salads, and we really enjoy the lettuce that we grow. So, it becomes a simple case of space economics.

Last evening our dinner included a salad of French butterhead lettuce from the greenhouse, and it was SO GOOD that it was a big factor in my making the decision regarding concentrating on salad greens during the winter.