Winter cold greenhouse salad

[Marb67]

A few weeks ago Monty Don planted some salad that is winter hardy in the border of his cold greenhouse. I can't remeber what they were buy he advised buying them already grown on for a head start because it will be too late to sow now (then october) i have been to garden centres and not found any winter hardy salad to buy so I am wondering if there is anything i can buy from supermarkets that will thrive in my newly built small rased border in my cold greenhouse ? It has spent tom compost mixed with aldi top soil.

Thanks.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Not sure if the supermarket 'living salads' will like the transition to colder growing conditions - but at approx £1 a punnet, containing about 200 well grown seedlings/plantlets, it's got to be worth a bash.

I bought one of these and planted out at the Hill and it kept me in salad leaves for weeks, until they eventually bolted.

[Penellype]

I think what Monty Don planted were winter brassicas such as Mizuna and Mustard greens. I don't think any of them were actual lettuces.

I've got lettuces and Namenia (another brassica) seedlings growing in my grow light garden in the utility room. I think the issue at this time of year is the length of daylight more than anything else, so I currently have my lights on between 7am and 6pm. This is an experiment - I've grown lettuces in January like this before but not in November, but they seem to be doing something.

[Marb67]

I have rocket plants I grew from seed in summer planted in the border but they are still small.

[Alicante]

If you look at bbc gardening guides ( sorry cant do links) it says that winter salads can be sown from August to mid November. It might be worth a try.

[Scarlet]

My salad bible - Salad Leaves for All Seasons by Charles Dowding (brilliant book) says that from Nov until March (outside) it's only true winter plants that make any worthwhile leaves and then only in mild weather of temps around 10*c and minimal frost: lambs lettuce, winter purslane, land cress, endives, mustards, kales, leaf radish, oriental leaves. Some chard and spinach may grow a little amount. Undercover expect a few more leaves to pick. These are mostly from sowings in August and Sept.
For early lettuce sow end jan/early February (undercover) for first leaves mid-April.

[kathyd]

I've got one called Winter Gem, to sow between Sept-Mar, and grow in a greenhouse. It says to germinate on the kitchen windowsill and then transplant into an unheated greenhouse or cold frame. It also suggests successional sowing for a continuous supply, so must be assuming they'll grow OK. They're available from Fothergills, don't know if anyone else has them, but might be worth a try? If you live in France and want to give them a try, send me a private message and I can give you a link to somewhere that sells them.

[Acanthus]

I've had great success with the supermarket ' living lettuce' transplanted out. And keep sowing mixed salad leaves every few weeks, they grow well in the greenhouse as long as the mice don't get there first!