Growing Salad Leaves
This is a hardy salad leaf producing a good crop of peppery leaves. It is quick and easy to grow in pots or in the soil and in a cold frame or greenhouse for winter salads
It will grow in any reasonable , well drained soil in sun or semi –shade.
If under glass, it could be planted in February to produce an early crop, but generally it is sown thinly in April through to September, covering, if there is a frost .
Once the seedlings are large enough,thin to around 10cm apart and keep well watered, particularly in hot, dry weather when it would be best to provide some shade as well.
To prevent the plants going to seed, pinch out any flower buds. However, rocket will self- seed, so some plants could be left to flower.
Cut the leaves to harvest, as with lettuce, as soon as they are large enough, leaving the plant to grow on and continuing to produce more. As, also with lettuce, sow extra seeds every 2 weeks through the summer to guarantee a continuing crop.
Lettuce is a cool -season crop that grows well in the spring and autumn in most regions and will even tolerate a light frost. If you choose the right varieties, you can have lettuce almost all the year round.
If growing in containers, loose leaf varieties are best suited .They need to be well watered as lettuces are nearly 95% water, but cannot tolerate wet roots. Therefore the pots need adequate drainage holes.
The seeds can be sown , directly into the container or the seedlings can be transplanted from seed trays and placed 10-15 cm apart and about 25mm deep. This needs to happen when the seedlings have 4-6 mature leaves
If planting your seeds directly into your outside garden, sow them thinly, 13mm deep, in rows 30 cm apart .
For a summer/autumn crop, sow outside from late March to late July. For an even earlier crop, sow indoors in early February in seed trays and plant out in early March and cover.
For an early winter crop, sow outdoors in early August and cover the plants in late September.
For a spring crop, sow the appropriate seeds , such as Winter Density, in either a cold greenhouse or outside under cover in mild areas.
Always keep the soil moist and well drained, preferably watering in the morning if possible, as also applies to the containers. Ideally, grow your lettuces in the shade of taller plants such as tomatoes.
Harvest the young leaves by cutting them off rather than pulling at them, but leave the central ones to continue to grow. Again, try and cut the leaves off, above the crown, or the plant may die, and in the morning before they are exposed to the sun .
Sow additional seeds every 2 weeks for a continued harvest .
This is a hardy salad leaf producing a good crop of peppery leaves. It is quick and easy to grow in pots or in the soil and in a cold frame or greenhouse for winter salads
It will grow in any reasonable , well drained soil in sun or semi –shade.
If under glass, it could be planted in February to produce an early crop, but generally it is sown thinly in April through to September, covering, if there is a frost .
Once the seedlings are large enough,thin to around 10cm apart and keep well watered, particularly in hot, dry weather when it would be best to provide some shade as well.
To prevent the plants going to seed, pinch out any flower buds. However, rocket will self- seed, so some plants could be left to flower.
Cut the leaves to harvest, as with lettuce, as soon as they are large enough, leaving the plant to grow on and continuing to produce more. As, also with lettuce, sow extra seeds every 2 weeks through the summer to guarantee a continuing crop.
Lettuce is a cool -season crop that grows well in the spring and autumn in most regions and will even tolerate a light frost. If you choose the right varieties, you can have lettuce almost all the year round.
If growing in containers, loose leaf varieties are best suited .They need to be well watered as lettuces are nearly 95% water, but cannot tolerate wet roots. Therefore the pots need adequate drainage holes.
The seeds can be sown , directly into the container or the seedlings can be transplanted from seed trays and placed 10-15 cm apart and about 25mm deep. This needs to happen when the seedlings have 4-6 mature leaves
If planting your seeds directly into your outside garden, sow them thinly, 13mm deep, in rows 30 cm apart .
For a summer/autumn crop, sow outside from late March to late July. For an even earlier crop, sow indoors in early February in seed trays and plant out in early March and cover.
For an early winter crop, sow outdoors in early August and cover the plants in late September.
For a spring crop, sow the appropriate seeds , such as Winter Density, in either a cold greenhouse or outside under cover in mild areas.
Always keep the soil moist and well drained, preferably watering in the morning if possible, as also applies to the containers. Ideally, grow your lettuces in the shade of taller plants such as tomatoes.
Harvest the young leaves by cutting them off rather than pulling at them, but leave the central ones to continue to grow. Again, try and cut the leaves off, above the crown, or the plant may die, and in the morning before they are exposed to the sun .
Sow additional seeds every 2 weeks for a continued harvest .