Garden Plant Guides

Tower Garden Grow Guide: How to Grow Baby Greens

Small in size, big in flavour and nutrition.
GROWING INFORMATION
Baby Greens
DIFFICULTY
1 out of 5 leaves
TIME TO HARVEST
2-3 weeks
INDOOR VS OUTDOOR
Both
BEST TOWER POSITION
Top

Why We Love Baby Greens

Anyone can grow baby greens in their Tower Garden. Not only are they efficient in space, but they also grow quicker than any other Tower Garden crop, and, best of all, they are packed with so many nutrients. In a nutshell, baby greens are immature leaves of a variety of greens that provide a truly unique, and arguably enhanced, flavour profile.

Download the Baby Greens Grow Guide PDF.

Planting Your Seedlings

What You’ll Need

  • Tower Garden Growing System
  • Seedling Starter Kit (if starting with seeds)
  • Baby Greens Extension Kit (included in HOME Growing System)
  • LED Indoor Grow Lights (for indoor growing)
  • Access to a power source

More information on starting your seeds is here.

  1. Germinate your seeds. This step will take roughly 1-2 weeks. Baby greens seeds should be ready for transplant 1-2 weeks after sprouting, or whenever they have at least 2–3 leaves and a visible root structure.
  2. Place one seedling cube into each baby green grow pot on your Tower Garden Growing System. We recommend planting baby greens in the designated baby green grow pots of your Tower Garden, leaving room for larger crops down towards the bottom. 
  3. Gently press the seedling cube until it touches the base of unit. 

Growing Conditions

Temperature: 8 - 27° C

Light exposure and watering cycle can be controlled by our digital timer, but for manual reference:

Light

For outdoor – minimum 6-8 hours of full sunlight daily

For indoor – set grow light timer for 14-16 hours on, 8-10 hours off

Watering Cycle

Please set the Tower timer to “O” for outdoor growing or “I” for indoor growing.

Maintenance & Pest Prevention

  • Check water and pH levels weekly.
  • If not in full sun when outdoors, rotate garden regularly for even growing.
  • Clean pump monthly.
  • Check regularly for pests.
  • Remove dead plant debris.
  • Destroy diseased plant material.

More information on Tower Garden maintenance is here, as well as extra help for pests and troubleshooting.

Harvesting

  • After you transplant your baby greens, your Tower Garden will do most of the work. And in two or three weeks, your crops will be ready to pick.
  • Many people harvest baby greens as soon as the first true leaves (i.e., those that come after the cotyledon leaves that form inside the seed) appear. The drawback to this approach, however, is that you get only one harvest from each seed.
  • If you let your baby greens grow a little longer — to the point of qualifying as petite or baby greens — you can actually harvest repeatedly from the same plants for weeks by taking only the older leaves and allowing the new growing tips to remain.

Ways to Enjoy

  • Salads – Like their larger counterparts, baby greens can be used as the base of some of your favourite salads. Baby greens offer a lighter, less intense flavour profile. 
  • Sandwiches - Add some healthy to your hearty sandwiches by sprinkling some baby greens on top. While they may not pack the crunch of lettuce, they will definitely include an incredible amount of nutrition. 
  • Sautéed - Leafy greens serve as great sides, and baby greens are no different. Add sautéed baby greens to your next stir-fry, or serve it on the side to complement your favourite main course. 

Looking for more recipes and kitchen inspiration? Check out Let’s Cook.