Winter salad

[bazzaboy]

I've just tried searching "winter salad" as a title and was surprised to get zero results so thought there should be one, thus this title/thread.

I've recently moved any surviving salad stuff into pots in the greenhouse and, given the recent warm sunny days, it thinks it's midsummer and is growing fast... But that won't last so wondering what I can sow now which, with some protection (bubblewrap once frosty nights?), might just continue to grow and survive in an unheated greenhouse?

I notice T&M are selling a range "for Winter growing" (Winter Gem, Artic King and a Winter Blend (mix) lettuces. Last year Sarah Raven was selling "The Best Autumn Sowing Salad" (not sure if available this year too?) - can't claim my results were very good but didn't use all the seeds so am about to give them another try (Corn Salad, Mizuna and Rocket). I've also cheated and bought some pea-shoots from the local garden centre - you don't get peas but just eat the shoots in true Jamie style. Another trick is to mix anything that does grow with sprouting seeds grown indoors. Any other useful tips please?

The other question is whether anyone wants to eat salad in mid Winter (I'm sure healthy Grapes will...) but as slow growth tends to mean it goes a bit tough what's the best way of overcoming that? Serve well shredded? Feed to chickens?

[Two_Sheds]

I've also cheated and bought some pea-shoots from the local garden centre ...Any other useful tips please?

Yeah: buy dry peas from the pulses section of the supermarket and grow those. Much cheaper than from the gc

My winter lettuce self-sows every year. I have half a dozen up at the moment on the lotty, which I will transplant into a more tidy line this week.

[bazzaboy]

lol, yes absolutely right 2S, good idea, will do.

Your winter lettuce... do you know the variety? Are they outside all Winter with some protection? And then you let them run to seed in the Spring?

[StephenH]

The other question is whether anyone wants to eat salad in mid Winter (I'm sure healthy Grapes will...)

I'm not wild about salad as a complete meal at any time of year, except possibly in a heatwave, but as a side-dish with something hot it's very acceptable, and that's what I mostly used this year's lettuces for, also in sandwiches, with toms or cheese or both. Also Nasturtium flowers and leaves. I'll grow Lettuces and Nasturtiums again this year, plus Radishes. Maybe I should be a bit more adventurous, and try Rocket and other saladings, but with very limited space, I don't want to devote too much to salad.

[Bren In Pots]

A grow 'All the year around' and 'Arctic king' lettuce overwinter in my greenhouse seeds were sown 25 September and go in the border once the toms have finished.

[northepaul]

I have some very healthy winter density lettuces growing in my veg bed, I have not grown them before but have heard good things about them. I am planning on growing a few things in my porch, so will keep an eye out here for any recomendations.

[Kathy2053]

I grew perpetual spinach in a pot which I moved into the greenhouse about this time last year... it kept going right up until spring of this year... so I've sown some more which has been growing all through the summer... hoping it wasn't a fluke and the same will work this year!

As long as you cut the leaves when smallish they are great as a salad leaf... Hope that helps.

K.

[Two_Sheds]

Your winter lettuce... do you know the variety? Are they outside all Winter with some protection? And then you let them run to seed in the Spring?

1) Rusty. Seeds for sale here (I didn't realise it had the RhS AGM)
2) no protection at all, even in frost & snow
3) yes, I let 2 or 3 plants go to seed every year

[kentvegplot]

I've got some corn salad this year, mizuna and some land cress. I grew much more last year but discovered I didn't really want to eat salad (except in the turkey sandwiches at X***).

[bazzaboy]

Thanks 2S, must try to get some of that... Interesting name "Rusty" as isn't "rust" on lettuce considered a bad sign and unpalatable?!

Also thanks to all others for suggestions, keep 'em coming please.

For those that go off salad stuff in the Winter it may be as well to remember that some of this green stuff can be chopped up and added last minute to stir fries...

But in the end it's not so much the eating of it I enjoy as the challenge of getting it to grow against the odds...!

[Jono]

Hi Bazzaboy,

(first post, so hello to all).

I grew Mizuna and Radiccio last year, and picked the Radiccio as a cut and come again row. Both were really tasty and only the snow killed them off.

Have sown more of both this year, as well as some Green in Snow and Serifon.

We tend to have salad on the side most evenings, so anything that'll grow in to winter is a bonus for us.

[bazzaboy]

hi Jono, Welcome to Grapevine, I'm sure you'll find it very useful. Thanks for your tips too, I'll try "Green in the Snow" - Sarah Raven has it, other suppliers too probably - but not Serifon. The wonders of Google tell me Serifon is another mustard but I haven't located a supplier, where did you get yours from? I see now that Sarah Raven also has several interesting alternatives that are maybe still worth a try this late including chicories and an edible carrot leaf. More folk must be attempting winter salads these days as they've sold out of their Autumn and Winter Collections....

Good idea to get in the habit of trying a salad mix every day, a challenge but you would at least get the stuff at its best, left to the occasional fancy the results can be disappointing as winter leaves toughen, age and wither, so daily slaughter of the young (leaves!) seems to be the ticket!

[Two_Sheds]

Serifon is another mustard but I haven't located a supplier

I bet it's called something else over here. How about Chinese mustard greens?

[Bren In Pots]

Don't forget there's always sprouted seeds for winter salads :-

thompson morgan sprouting seeds

[bravo2zero]

Try looking at seeds of italy catalogue there is plenty in there. Every year in my tunnel i sow spicey hot mix,pak choi and various mixes from seeds of italy. but joy of joy this year i have planted out some winter gem(hardier version of little gem)