Achieving outdoor results from indoor grows.

… or as close as possible.

Dec. 26, 2020

It’s been about a week into the start of some Swiss chard and bok choy in the grow box. With this grow I’m using a garden soil mix. I want to try to achieve a nice healthy edible plant. I’m re-cycling the containers I got from Chinese take-out, assuming these are food grade containers. This helps with the one-time-use plastic so prevalent in 2020. The containers are also great cause they have clear covers to help keep the soil moist for seed germination.

My brother from the Monterey Bay area sent me some pictures of the bok choy and Swiss chard growing in his back yard. These images will be the “gold standard” comparison for the plants grown in the grow box, though I seriously doubt I can grow anything in New England that can compare to the size of the produce grown in California. However, I believe plants grown in a grow box will not have pest holes eaten into the leaves.

I’m always in awe of what grows out in California. Long growing seasons. Tomatoes started in January. Plantain, considered a weed but editable, grows to about a foot high in California. Almost unrecognizable, yet the same plant, but not really.

Above: Bok choy growing in California, Dec 24, 2020

Above: From Box to table. Our version of home grown out of the box greens. Not too bad on first try. Note, no insect damage on the box grown choy.

Swiss chard growing in California Dec 24, 2020

Should have had a bigger pot. Not the red variety as the California grown chard, but this will do.