WINTER SALADS

SEPTEMBER IS THE LAST-CHANCE

saloon for winter salads. Whether seed sowing or planting out seedlings, the earlier in September you start, the better. If growing outside you can just sneak in a sowing of lamb’s lettuce as well as a mix of leaves to harvest young in autumn. Try lettuce, rocket, kale and Oriental greens including leaf mustards. Head to your local garden centre for winter salad plug plants. You should be able to find winter lettuce, endive, land cress, spinach, winter purslane and salad onions. These will make bigger plants to stand for longer into winter; just keep an eye out for slugs and snails. Cover plants with fleece, portable cloches or mini-tunnels once the weather turns cooler in October or November. If you intend to use tunnels, mark them out now and plant within these boundaries. This way, when it’s time to bring the tunnel out, you’ll know that it will fit over your plants.