Salad leaves are the leaves of vegetables that are eaten raw, and many different plants can be categorised that way, but I’ve chosen lettuce and spinach here, as they are the most commonly grown and are beginner friendly. They don’t need to be planted in a specific location in a crop rotation plan.
Lettuce
There are many different varieties of lettuce. The two important factors are taste and loose-leaf vs head lettuce. Loose-leaf varieties are ideal for picking individual leaves, whereas with head lettuces you harvest the entire thing. Sow seeds every few weeks if you want continuous harvests.
When to plant
If sowing seeds for summer and autumn harvests, then sow between late March and late July.
If sowing seeds for early winter harvests, then sow in early August.
Where to plant
You can sow them directly into their final growing position. They can be started off inside, but it isn’t necessary.
If you are planting loose leaf varieties, they can be very small with small root systems and fill in small gaps in the garden wherever you have them, provided you give them up to 6 inches of space to grow. They can be planted near most plants, but it’s best to avoid those in the brassica family (other than radishes, which are okay).
If you are going to be growing them during the hottest part of summer, then it might be a good idea to grow them where they can get some shade, either from other plants or a location in the garden that gets shade in another way. Otherwise they might bolt.
If you are growing head lettuce, then allow 1 ft between plants.
Growing
Water seedlings and newly transplanted lettuces. Try to water in the morning.
In the hotter months they may bolt and go to flower, which will turn the leaves bitter and often inedible, which is why it’s important to have them partly shaded, especially during the hottest part of the day.
Harvesting
If you are growing loose-leaf varieties, they may be ready to start harvesting within 4-6 weeks of sowing. Pick up to 1/3 of the leaves from a plant when harvesting.
If you are growing head lettuce, the time to harvest will vary based on variety and time of planting, but you can expect it to be around 2-3 months. Check the time from sowing to harvest for your chosen variety.
Spinach
When to plant
If sowing seeds in spring, then sow between March and May.
If sowing seeds in late summer, then sow in August or September.
Where to plant
Sow spinach seeds directly outside into their final growing position, growing them 3-4 inches apart.
If you are going to be growing them during the hottest part of summer, then it might be a good idea to grow them where they can get some shade, either from other plants or a location in the garden that gets shade in another way. Otherwise they might bolt.
Because spinach is fast growing you can plant them to fill in temporary gaps in the garden. Either a space because you haven’t planted something yet, or a gap because the plant next to it is still small.
Growing
Slugs and snails can eat the leaves, especially when young, and birds can also get seedlings. So you might want to protect the plants.
Spinach generally wants frequent watering, and doing so, alongside growing in the shade, can delay bolting.
When spinach bolts, it will send up long stems and produce flowers. Once this happens it will stop leaf production, so you can harvest the leaves (they may be bitter) and pull up the plant if you want the space or don’t want it to flower, or leave it in the ground to flower, leaving some leaves on it.
Harvesting
Harvest as explained above if you want to.
If you are growing them for baby leaves, these can be ready to harvest from as little as 1 month after planting. Pick up to 1/3 of the leaves, regularly.
If you are growing them for more mature leaves, then these will be ready to harvest from around 2 months. Pick up to 1/3 of the leaves.
I am proud to be affiliated with JustSeed, a company that I have bought seeds from for a few years now. I believe in what they are doing over there, and if you are going to buy seeds, garden tools, or seedlings, then please consider checking them out and using my link below to do so. Thank you for supporting me.
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