Bags of f lavour!
Why buy pre-washed store salads when it’s so easy to grow your own and REALLY get...
OVER the past decade, prewashed bags of mixed salad leaves have become a staple item on many people’s shopping lists. Our appetite for them has led to a market that’s worth about £500million a year, with an estimated 69 per cent of British households snapping up one bag a month, on average.
There’s no doubt in my mind that a big part of their appeal is convenience, yet shopbought leaves flatter to deceive. The contents might seem fresh but are often flown in from overseas, while the generous-looking packs actually contain a meagre number of leaves in a bag that’s been puffed up with gas.
A way to ensure a bountiful supply of incredibly fresh, tasty leaves is to grow your own. Mixed salad leaves can be raised in vegetable gardens, allotments or raised beds, but take up so little space that they can be grown in all sorts of containers, including pots, hanging baskets and window boxes.
Seeds can be sown outdoors any time from early spring until mid-autumn. They will germinate extremely quickly without the need for specialist equipment and require very little aftercare. Within 21 days you will have an abundance of fresh pickings that will help to brighten up meals for several weeks.
So what’s the catch? There isn’t one, apart from deciding what to grow in the first place. Visit your local garden centre or DIY store and you’ll find several tempting packets on display, while some of the catalogues sent out by leading seed companies include ten or more mixtures, along with individual varieties.
Many mixtures are themed by country or region, containing varieties that evoke the cuisine of that area. Among them are ‘Californian Mix’, ‘Provence Mix’ and ‘Niche Oriental Mix’. ‘Italian Mix’ boasts basil, cress, wild rocket, mustard ‘Ruby Streaks’ and even dandelions. Some mixes will add heat to salads. ‘Bright and Spicy’ contains pak choi, tatsoi and mizuna, while ‘Full on and Fiery’ is an aptly named blend of mustards, rocket and mizuna. I’m currently growing ‘Spicy Oriental Mix’, a fusion of pak choi ‘Canton White’, mizuna ‘Kyoto’, mustard ‘Red Giant’, mustard ‘Golden Streaks’ and rocket.
There’s no doubt that some mixes are a little on the green side. If you want something that packs a bit more colour, try ‘Fancy Summer Mix’, ‘Bright and Spicy’ and ‘Frilly Mix’, which is made up of varieties with differentcoloured, finely cut leaves – expect mustards, rocket, mizuna and Greek cress.
Apart from these vibrant mixes, seed companies stock packets of individual varieties. Rocket ‘Dragon’s Tongue’ has showy red veined leaves that pack a strong, peppery taste, and beetroot ‘Bulls Blood’ is grown for its dark burgundy leaves. The reddish oval leaves of Mustard ‘Red Giant’ are attractive and deliver a pungent smack of horseradish.
Mustard ‘Golden Streaks’ is a gorgeouslooking plant with finely serrated, acid-green leaves that almost appear yellow in bright sunlight. It looks great on its own or makes a perfect foil for dark leaved varieties. The pungent leaves are sweet with an unexpected tang of new potatoes. Never be tempted by strips of ready-grown mixed salad seedlings available from garden centres.
Costing about £2 each, these are expensive compared to a similarly priced packet of seeds, which will provide two to three separate sowings. They’re also fiddly, as seedlings have to be separated and planted up.
Mixed salads are perfect in pots, window boxes or trays. Fill your chosen container to the top with multi-purpose compost and tap gently to settle. Firm with the base of another pot to leave a level finish. Scatter seeds thinly across the surface and cover with a ½in layer of finely sieved compost. Label and water.
PLACE in a sunny or slightly shaded spot outdoors. The seeds should germinate within a few days. Thin out seedlings when they’re about 1in tall so they are not too crowded – the distance depends on the variety, so check the information on the back of the seed packet.
Another option is to raise leafy salads in the ground. Prepare the soil by forking over and raking until the texture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Use a garden cane to make short rows, ½in deep, and sow seeds along its length. Carefully cover with soil and soak with a watering can fitted with a sprinkler.
Leaves will be ready for picking about three weeks after sowing, when about 2in high. Either snip off individual baby leaves with scissors or cut the whole plant off, leaving a ½in stump – new leaves will soon resprout. Plants can be cut three or four times like this before they run out of steam.
Ensure plants romp away by watering regularly – if the compost dries out, they will go downhill quickly. Once plants start to flower and go to seed, pull them up. To ensure a non-stop supply, sow a fresh batch of seeds every three weeks or so.
Slugs and snails can be a problem, so take precautions. Cabbage white butterflies will sometimes lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves – check plants regularly.