How to Grow Lentils Indoors

Select whole lentil seeds that exhibit a uniform shape and size. Discard any broken or discolored seeds. Fill a bowl with warm tap water and place the selected lentil seeds in the bowl. Allow the seeds to soak overnight to soften their hard seed coat.

Place a single layer of pea gravel in the bottom of a 6- to 8-inch-deep pot. Use a pot that has several drainage holes on the bottom. Fill the pot with a loose, loamy potting soil that has a pH level near 7.0. Evenly space three seeds over the top of the soil. Press the seeds into the soil using the tip of your finger. Insert them at least 1/2 inch deep. Lentils that won’t receive regular watering, such as those grown as field crops, may need to be planted up to 1 1/2 inches deep. Firm the soil down over the seeds with your fingers.

Place the pot in a drip tray and water the seeds until a small amount of water seeps from the drainage holes. Cover the top of the pot loosely with a piece of clear plastic wrap. Set the pot in a warm location.

Move the pot of lentils to a sunny window as soon as the seeds begin to sprout. This usually occurs within three to eight days of planting. Apply a nitrogen fertilizer at this time. Select one labeled for use on legumes. Mix and apply the fertilizer as instructed on the package label.

Press a wooden dowel into the center of the pot. Use soft string to tie the stems of the lentil seedlings to the dowel. This will help hold the plants upright as they grow.

Keep the soil slightly moist around the roots of the maturing lentil plants. Turn the container every few days to provide an even amount of light to all sections of the lentil plants.

Harvest the mature lentil pods when the foliage on the plants turns yellow and the pods take on a yellowish-brown color.