Talkback: Growing salad leaves

James Hunter

I did this and was very surprised how good it worked. Even used the summer lettuce leaves in the winter in my woodern lean too. Was plecently surprised and probably saved about 20 or 30 pounds and its leaves you have grown so you know what has been on them from a feed point of view. Did chard as well and that worked as well

poppyfields

I do love growing salad in pots, but the aphids seem to find it quickly no matter where I put them. How do you keep them away?

happymarion

I would not be without them, Pippa. You get a thousand or so seeds in a packet of "Speedy" salad leaves. I always sow more than I can eat though I have salad every day and put them on egg or cheese sandwiches so I have pots to give away. They usually earn me a present of something nice for my garden back as they are given to expert gardening friends

neil D

well done marion me and the girls are going to have a go tomorrow.

happymarion

Poppyfields, aphids do not like draughts so make sure your salad pots are in one. Also bring in any ladybirds you find and put them on an infested pot for a feast.

happymarion

Gracious, Pippa, the new directive from Europe which means we will not be able to buy mixed packets of salad leaves means I will have to buy several packets as you say, but the one packet kept me going all year last year so my bill for seeds will probably be ten times larger, unless these seeds can be saved for several years. Can they?

figrat

I understand the ongoing viability of seed is affected by how they're stored. I keep mine in plastic airtight containers in an old fridge in the shed. I thought some 5 year old mixed salad leaves seed was for the bin as I got very poor germination from it earlier in the year, but gave it another go about a week ago, in a short length of guttering, and it's all come up.

thrifty mama

I sowed  dwarf veg seeds and had 3 potatoe sacks planted last year all produced top leaves and looked healthy enough but weeks later when it was time to harvest they had produced about 9 /12 teeny weeny potatoes and the same amount of carrots, I had more sucess with salad leaves  beetroot leaves ,and rocket though, in pots . Dont think i will try again with veg yet unless someone can tell me what i did wrong ( hint hint )

happymarion

Thanks, figrat, I will stock up.  Thrifty mama, salad leaves are the easoest and most useful and quick.  They make lovely soup when they are coming to the end of their life.  Just keep sowing every fortnght.

h_shep

hi i am new to growing fruit and veg ,i have sowed some mixed leaves seeds in a propegator in greenhouse how long to germinate and from there when do i plant outside container pots

figrat

Lettuce germination can be badly affectedly by very hot weather, so I'd be tempted to put them somewhere shaded from the full heat of the sun. In fact, I don't think I'd have them in the gh at all in this weather! Germination should take about a week, more or less. Pot on when about 5-10cm.