Easy propagation WINTER SOWING
Sow winter salad crops and broad beans in batches under cover to keep harvests coming
Alittle bit of indoor warmth is all you need to start off salad crops on the windowsill this month. Although winter salads are hardy and don’t need a lot of warmth to germinate, they’ll benefit from being protected from the worst of the winter weather. A greenhouse offers the ideal conditions, but a cold frame or bright windowsill are suitable too. Maximise the amount of light you give the germinating seedlings by ensuring glass is clean inside and out. Place a sheet of white paper (or kitchen foil) opposite the window to prevent seedlings from growing leggy, by reflecting light back onto them from the darker side. Ventilation is also key, especially in a cold frame or greenhouse where damp and stagnant air is the perfect breeding ground for fungal diseases. On mild days open cold frame lids, greenhouse doors and vents for an hour or so. But remember to close them before it gets dark! Winter lettuce Look for lettuce ‘Winter Gem’, ‘Marvel of Four Seasons’ and ‘Winter Density’ – these grow happily in low temperatures. Sow indoors and grow on in pots in a greenhouse or cold frame. Or plant outdoors using cloche protection. Lamb’s lettuce Corn salad makes small clumps of spoon-shaped leaves that can be picked over for months. Grow in pots in a greenhouse or outdoors in the border under cloches. Mustards Fantastic for adding a spicy kick to winter salads and stir fries. Sow into large pots or troughs. Broad beans Sow into 9cm (3½in) pots for an early crop of beans that are less prone to fungal diseases and black fly. Protect from mice. Later, plant out into soil that has been kept frost-free under black plastic. Microgreens Snip off the seedlings of leafy herbs and veg such as radish and beetroot as they develop their first true leaves. Sow weekly for a succession of crops.