I Grew Lettuce Indoors in December in Alberta

As an experiment, I threw some lettuce seeds (Grand Rapids leaf lettuce) into a pot of used soil on December 6, 2007 to see if I could grow lettuce in the house without special lights.

By the third week, it was Christmas and winter solstice.  Short days, not much daylight outside, let alone in.  The lettuce was looking pretty pale and thin, but alive.

As the sun returned, the lettuce began to look happier.  In late January, I harvested enough for a family salad.  This left a few straggly plants as a second crop - they're doing OK and I should get another salad out of it in a week or two.

All I did for lighting was put them close to my sunniest window.  Well, I moved the kitchen table first, but what's a minor home reorganization compared to home-grown lettuce in winter?

I have plans for more experiments and more grow-ops now that I know it works.