Sow salad leaves

Oriental salad leaf mixes contain species that germinate fast and at low temperatures. Flea beetle attack them early in the summer, but sowing plenty now means a good supply of pest-free leaves right into winter. Fleece them so they’ll last into spring. The main mixes contain mizuna, mustard, pak choi, rocket and tatsoi.

1 Fill a container with multipurpose compost. Rake it level and firm before making a shallow drill with a hoe or your hand.

2 Sow the mixed seed evenly down the drill about 1cm apart and cover with the soil that has been pushed up from the drill.

3 Leave a slight depression when tamping down the soil and soak thoroughly with a watering can that has a fine rose.