Not so fresh salads of early spring and wish to plant something were reason enough to try growing salads indoors.
Find a site with enough light to sustain growth of young plants. Artificial lights work, but not as well as sunlight in a south-facing window. Later in the season when sunlight is more direct, an east-facing window may provide enough light and not so much heat.
Pick a clean container that you can move easily, such as a 12- inch planter with holes in the bottom, or one that fits your plan.
Most kinds of leaf lettuce work well for growing in this manner. Some mixtures are labeled for spring or fall but a general mixture should also grow well. Other greens may also grow well in early spring, such as spinach and kale.
For a very short crop of greens, “micro-greens” are an option. Greens that germinate quickly are usually put in a micro-green mixture. Harvest can be as soon as you see about four leaves on the plant; in weeks.
In the case of leaf lettuce and other greens, if you trim them, leaving some leaves for the plant to continue to grow, you can achieve multiple harvests.
Dr. David Graper, Horticulturist at South Dakota State University, shows steps for growing micro-greens or any short-duration crop in this link:
http://igrow.org/gardens/gardening/growing-micro-greens/
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