Mini Gardens - Care Ideas from Mrs. Sharp

HMCA Mini-Garden Information 

*Tiny Tim tomato - grows about 8” tall and has small red cherry tomatoes

 

*Radishes - These were an experiment, and some of them look as 

though their roots are beginning to swell while others look as if they were 

not planted quite deeply enough. Mounding the soil around the roots may 

help.

*Basil - Pinching out the growth tips will make more side shoots to keep the plants shorter and bushy. Use the leaves freely.

*Lettuce - There are several varieties of leaf lettuce which have a short 

season. Cut off leaves as soon as they are big enough to use. After a few 

weeks as the leaves get large, they will start to get bitter. It will be time to 

remove the plant.

*Alaska Mix Nasturtium - Both the leaves and flowers are edible and add a 

slight peppery taste to salads. 

These little gardens have done much better than I ever expected!

This may present a challenge in maintaining them. Here is my best

advice. They need SUN and DAILY WATER! Liquid fertilizer will also be 

helpful in providing continued nutrients in a crowded space. 

If kept in their box, the lettuce and radishes will be harvested/removed in a 

few weeks; then the other plants will have more room. Basil may need to 

be thinned.

If you have outdoor garden space you may wish to transplant. It will do 

the least root damage if you cut through the soil between the plants with a 

sharp knife - rather than tearing them apart.

Good luck! We had great fun and learning making these mini-gardens, and 

I hope that they are at least mini-productive!