Enjoy a blast of super-speedy rocket... and other fab salad
MIXED salad leaves are the 100-metre sprint champions of the vegetable world. Sow a pinch of seeds now and they will explode out of the blocks, forming plants that reach maturity quickly. Due to their efforts, you will be harvesting handfuls of fresh, tasty leaves within just three weeks of sowing.
As far as I’m concerned, homegrown leaves are far superior to those limp, pre-washed ones sold in pillows of air at supermarkets – they have a richer flavour, look more appetising and can be picked when required. Once opened, the contents of puffy salad bags will turn to slime at the bottom of the fridge within days.
Of course, growing your own helps boost access to fresh food if you are self-isolating or want to cut down on trips to the supermarket. It’s also more cost-effective than buying leaves from the shops – the pickings from a single packet of seeds will supply you with the equivalent of four bags bought at the supermarket.
A large range is available from seed companies, from fiery mixes containing different types of mustard, sorrel and rocket to milder blends made up of ingredients like pak choi, chervil and mizuna. Apart from seed mixes, you’ll find individual varieties, such as wild rocket and Greek cress.
If you have the space, grow mixed salad leaves in vegetable gardens, allotments or raised beds – they can even be squeezed into gaps within beds and borders. As they are shallow-rooting, another option is to raise them in containers, such as pots, trays, hanging baskets and window boxes.
Before sowing in the ground, give the soil some attention. First, turn it over with a fork, breaking down any large clods. Next, use a rake to draw soil into any hollows or to even out mounds, and then rake vigorously until the surface has a fine, even finish that resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Use a garden cane to make short rows, ½in deep, and sow seeds thinly along its length – space subsequent rows 8in apart. Carefully cover with soil and soak with a watering can fitted with a sprinkler. If you are sowing different varieties, pop a label at the end of the row as a reminder.
Growing in containers is easy. Almost fill with multi-purpose compost, leaving a 1in gap at the top. Press down gently with the base of another pot to leave a flat, firm surface. Scatter seeds across the top and cover with ½in of finely sieved compost. Label, water the pot and put in a sunny place.
Seedlings will appear within a few days and need thinning out when they are about 1in tall to give the remaining plants plenty of room to develop – the distance depends on variety, so check the back of the packet. Carefully pull them up by their leaves, taking care not to disturb the roots of seedlings close by.
Keep plants well-watered and pick leaves regularly from around the outside of plants to ensure a succession of fresh new leaves.
Once plants start to flower, pull them up and put on the compost heap as leaves will become bitter. For a constant supply of leaves, sow a new pot every three weeks.