Best container for cut and come again salad leaves?

[shirlthegirl43]

I have tried time after time to grow cut and come again salad. I love baby salad leaves and have a huge selection of seeds. My problem is that I don't seem to be finding the correct container to grow said leaves in and usually end up with sparse, straggly things that just about feed me once.

Can anyone please give me tips on the best way to grow these for a good, thick crop? Madmax is taking packed lunches to work and I would love to be able to send him off with a home-grown salad.

[JO,JO]

you could try a grow bag in a cold frame,insert two old pop bottles in each side of the bag for watering purposes,ive got mine in a trough and will be purchasing a grow bag later this month for the cold frame and giving that ago x

[Novice Gardener]

I grew some last year in two deep pots on the patio - the kind you might put a shrub in. I think I sowed 4 in each tub, then inbetween I popped in some radish, beetroot and baby carrots. The salad leaves were fine and I had enough to last 5 of us the whole summer. The radish were fine too but the beets and carrots were fairly small, but they were lovely

[smallblueplanet]

We try and grow some of our salad leaves in a plastic 'shrub tub' too. Sometimes we start them in modules and transplant them. I think we sow too meanly - a bit like with lobelia seeds - should they be self-supporting? Anyway I know what you mean shirley. Perhaps some one has a foolproof method?

[gojiberry]

You don't need deep pots, The idea is that it is a quick grow regular sowing regime. I have some old plastic hanging baskets that were never very good as hanging baskets as they are to shallow, however they are great for cut and come again. I don,t cut and come again, I just cut and resow when the pots empty. I tend not to use a mix as they don't always grow at the same rate. My three favourite are red cabbage, beetroot and some radish begining with s.

Ian

[Snadger]

I've got a modular planting with six sections. In each I have put a pinch of mixed salad leaves, Mizuna mix?
I intend potting them on to some plastic window boxes I inherited, three modules in each, one box outside, one in greehouse to give a bit of a succession. I'll sow a few more once I start cropping the ones I have!

[shirlthegirl43]

Thanks for the tips folks, it would seem I am going wrong by assuming you sow in a container where they stay. I didn't realise I should be potting on.

Will try again, sowing in modules or fibre pots and planting up into a trough I have spare.

[Oleander]

I sowed direct into a growbag in a cold greenhouse, back in late January, and we have been eating salad leaves from it for a couple of weeks now. I think I sowed too thickly, or should have thinned out more, as I repotted some of the seedlings into plastic tubs with a bit more room and they have grown much "stouter" leaves than the ones in the growbag.

[lottielady]

I have been putting them in lengths of gutter to ensure a continual supply and also have a small raised bed on my patio as I too this year would like a supply of salad, so much cheaper than keep going to the shops

[Novice Gardener]

I have been putting them in lengths of gutter to ensure a continual supply and also have a small raised bed on my patio as I too this year would like a supply of salad, so much cheaper than keep going to the shops

Well thinking about the cost, I pay anything between 99p and £2 for a bag of nice salad leaves and we are going through at least 2 or 3 a week. It costs about £1.20 for a packet of mixed leaves, and that should last us the whole summer, maybe longer if I can get a little greenhouse going

[Demeter]

I am growing them in a rectangular (small window-box type of thing) container on my windowsill. I did not sow thinly enough and had to thin ruthlessly (seedlings went nice in sandwiches). I now have a box full of spinach beet, rocket and mixed salad, all growing very nicely. Not sure what size they have to be though, before I can start harvesting

Last week I sowed some more outdoors (much more thinly!) under my mangetout wigwam. My thinking is that by the time I've eaten the window sill stuff, the mangetout lot should be ready and I can re-sow in the first box. This is all assuming it is warm enough outside for salad to grow.

[armadillo]

I've been using those plastic crates that supermarkets throw out- about 1m x 50 cm x 20 cm deep; they're already perforated for drainage, and if the holes are a bit too big you can line 'em with palstic and puncture that. last year my rocket, spinach and a few radishes were very successful in them.

Also easier to keep the slugs away if you keep them up on a table!

[deezyb]

i've sown a couple of rows in the raised beds..but have thrown some seed in other random pots..not very deep...and they seem to be coming up okay - i have have to say i was surprised to see seedlings emerge! but glad also! i

I've never had a prob with sowing salad leaves in any pot/trough...am i just very lucky?

[Bluemchen]

Mine seem to be coming on a treat in a shallow tray - 7cm deep. Hope I'm not speaking too soon ...

[muckdiva]

Hi Shirl
I broadcast mixed lettuce seeds (not too thickly) into a normal seed tray, then once they have germinated prick out a selection to grow on as full size lettuce, leaving the rest in the seed tray to get the cut and come again treatment. Doing this about every 3 weeks or so seems to work pretty well. I love the idea of using the old hanging baskets for the purpose - I have a stack of unsuitable ones sitting behind the shed!