Early salads

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Early salads

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Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 05 11:16 am Post subject: Early salads

Just thought I'd see what people are doing by way of salads and if we can exchange a few tips and ideas. So far I've only started a half seed tray of rocket indoors, and a full seed tray with three rows of rocket and three rows of lettuce seed that needed using up, that's in the greenhouse. The indoor rocket came up first but interestingly since the snow and ice stopped the greenhouse rocket seems to have completely caught up.

I'm going to try to be a bit more organised this year with salads - and use up some of the old packs of seed - probably starting seed trays and growing them in pots/containers to begin with. Must get some watercress on soon as well.

So, any tips, experience, ideas, questions?

twoscoops

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1924
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 05 11:33 am Post subject:
I'm hoping to sow my first salads infdoors on Sunday, as well as basil and coriander, which were poor last year. I feel optimistic here in the sunshine, and looking forward to the first shoots coming through.

Guest

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 05 11:35 am Post subject:
Most lettuce seed isn't much good past a year old, best to broadcast older seed and use as cut-and-come-again salad. Just off to start sowing in the polytunnel today. Salads do well under polythene as long as they get good vetilation.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 05 12:05 pm Post subject:

Well if the promised heatwave is coming this weekend, I will definitely be out there sowing salads. Things like rocket and the cut-and-come-again lettuces I always sow direct, under a cloche at this time of year. The crunchier lettuces I find are less successful sown outdoors, so I might start off some little gems on the windowsill as well.

I love this time of year - so much promise and all you have to worry about is a bit of frost. No blight or aphids or flea beetle or other nasties to obsess about yet!

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 05 5:38 pm Post subject:
I have plenty of success with older lettuce seed, but I do tend to plant them thick and thin out. We've got some salad rape, rocket and mizuna planted. Not lettuce yet.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 05 6:13 pm Post subject:

The rocket and cut and come again lettuce has been succession sown in the greenhouse all winter, have had quite a bit of rocket, and a few small portions of the lettuce. At the moment am padding it out with chickweed (some was growing in the greenhouse!!!

), and finely shredded chard which has been growing furiously all winter.

Have started off some other lettuces indoors too, let's hope they spring up soon!

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