I love having a garden. I love watching small seeds grow into food bearing plants. I love being in control of the food my family eats, and knowing that no pesticides were used. I love the feeling of looking at the fruits of my labor and thinking, “Hey, I did that!”

Now don’t get me wrong, not all of gardening is easy. I have had many, many failures of trying to grow things these past few years in WV. I don’t really have a ‘green’ thumb, it’s probably more yellow.  And being busy when I worked full time out of state, I was not able nor energized enough to weed, transplant, or take care of the garden. So I have had less than stellar growing seasons behind me.

Thankfully, times have changed. I have more time, and I have more knowledge about what I am able to grow, and how to take care of what I have!

Even with more time, I love cutting corners where it is effective. I have a toddler, and she’d rather we spend time going for walks or playing in the creek, than hanging out in the greenhouse or garden for hours. Not to mention a dog, a house to keep up with, and several side hustles (*ahem* Collins Celtic Crafts) that I’d prefer to spend more time on!

One of the best Garden Hack’s I discovered a few years ago: Planting Lettuce right into soil bags. No transferring to the garden later on. Keep the lettuce growing in your soil bags all season. It is SO easy and manageable!!

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Soil Bag Hack

  • Pick out your organic lettuce seeds. I planted Simpson Lettuce, Mesclun mix, and Spinach in three separate bags.
  • Find a good spot with a decent amount of sunlight to lay out your bags. Ours are in a greenhouse up on shelves. You’ll want them off the ground for drainage and to keep more critters off of them!
  • Cut squares about 2 inches apart on the tops of the bags. Make them big enough for the soil to get some sun and water.
  • Follow seed packet directions. I usually put at least 2 seeds per square, in case one seed doesn’t germinate. I’ve been fairly lucky with these bags, and about 90% of the seeds I planted have produced.
  • Once you’ve finished planting the seeds. Water thoroughly. I use the Mist setting on our sprayer about 12″ above the squares so I don’t wash out the seeds!
  • Keep an eye on your bags. Check the soil daily. You don’t want it to dry out completely. Keep them moist. Since my bags are in the greenhouse, they need daily watering. I do one ‘no-no’ and water mine in the evenings, but this has never caused a problem for me! The general garden rule is to water plants in the early  morning.
  • Watch your lettuce grow and enjoy when mature leaves have formed!

I just planted my bags this week, so I expect my mature lettuce, mesclun and spinach to be ready by early June. Right on time for summer dinners outside at the picnic table!

Here are some images of my herbs and other produce that I started within the last two weeks!

 

Have you tried this Garden Hack before? How did it work out for you? I’d love to hear about your gardens! Please comment.