Topic: Winter salads

[small]

This year I'm trying really hard to extend my salad season. I've got troughs of 'poncy salad' such as mizuna, some watercress, AYR lettuce, etc in my cold greenhouse. Going fine so far, should I fleece them when frost is forecast? And will this stuff germinate in the greenhouse if I sow for continuity now, or should I start them off on windowsills?

[rugbypost]

I went to the local recycling depot (council) and got some old polystyrene  lay ed this on the floor put my trays of salad on them to stop the cold from the floor freezing it, and I cover with a few fleece blankets it works for a while but when the really cold snap sets in, its back bedroom by the window during the day , cover at night. To sow continuity you will have to do it inside the seed needs heat to germinate

[small]

Thanks, I've got some scrap polystyrene, I'll put that between the troughs and the bench. Do folks on here manage to keep this stuff going all winter? I only want a few leaves really, just a bit of my own Vitamin C....

[marcofez]

I've grown my winter salads in the polytunnel borders these last 2 years and I'm doing so this year as well. Done very well so far. Don't water as much and when a sharp frost is expected cover with fleece.

[ancellsfarmer]

Bought a tray of "living salad" from Lidl (99p-gone up!) and potted up single plants into 3" pots for portability Got  60 plants from 1 tray. Therefore can space them out as required and bring home a dozen at a time for "cropping". Has never failed.

[manicscousers]

Got some in the poly border but always do pak choi etc in troughs so I can keep them away from the slugs 

[Russell]

Last winter I had a couple of dozen Lobjoits Green Cos in medium sized pots in my conservatory, they provided me with lunchtime sandwich fillings well into spring (well, what passed for a spring). Eventually I planted them out on my plot using some Wilko bell cloches (half price in sale) and got quite a lot of production before they inevitably bolted sometime in May. A good return for not too much potting compost.
I am now well on with an action replay.

[small]

Thanks for all the ideas, I did wonder about putting some stuff in the conservatory but I tend to get aphids in there if I overwinter anything other than geraniums...I've fleeced the troughs, interestingly the old tough watercress is going strong but the August sown lovely lush potful has collapsed in the cold. It's a learning curve...and of course there is always the heavenly rhubarb chard with its constant supply of young leaves, heaven in a sandwich!

[squeezyjohn]

I've gone for the same in my greenhouse ... rocket, spinach, lettuce, nasturtuims, land cress and spring onions with a few orientals in there for good measure.

Last year's experiment with rocket was such a welcome relief from the starkness of winter during Jan and Feb when it gave us masses of tasty mild leaves that I was inspired to carry on this year with more.

[saddad]

My lambs lettuce is growing well outside here in Derby, but don't sow it in a poly... it seeds easily and keeps coming back, like land cress and other "weeds"... 

[small]

I just can't get land cress to grow, let alone seed! Rocket, yes, this year's self sown (appeared among my carrots, grr) was much better than the new stuff...watercress, now that does brilliantly, I've never tried lambs lettuce, that could be one for next year. I'd rather grow specifics than these mixed leaves packs, I'm never sure if I might be eating a stray weed of a deadly poison....

[gray1720]

My neighbour has a great green swathe on her plot at the moment of Jamie Oliver winter salad that she bought seeds of from Homebase. I've no idea what's in it, but for next year I'm going to give it a look, because I just can't get winter salad right...

Adrian