When the gardening bug bites in early spring and you’re itching to get into your garden early, growing salad greens is an excellent place to start.
With more than a hundred varieties of lettuce, this delicious salad green is often the most recognizable. However, there are a multitude of other tasty greens to be added to the home garden that offer just as many different ways to mix up that salad!
Consider adding some spicy greens like arugula to your salad mix.
Generally fairly cold tolerant, salad greens can be directly sown into prepared garden beds in early spring (3 to 4 weeks before the average last frost date). They thrive in fertile soil with organic matter. They can be planted even earlier, if you use cold frames to protect them.
Limited on garden space? Salad greens also do well grown in containers. If you are looking to have a continuous supply of salad throughout the season, opt for successive plantings of greens. Sow another succession when your greens are about an inch tall.
Leafy greens enjoy frequent watering, but be careful to not over water. To avoid possible leaf diseases, avoid overhead sprinkling or water in the mornings to ensure the leaves will dry during the afternoon warmth.
When cultivating, be mindful of their shallow roots. Careful hand-pulling of nearby weeds will keep them very happy.
Plants can be harvested by cutting the plants almost to the ground when they are a usable size. The greens will then grow new leaves from the base that has been left in the garden. If it is preferred, the entire plant can be harvested. Baby greens can be harvested in about a month after planting.
When the weather becomes hot, greens tend to bolt. The plants begin to grow rapidly and, rather than producing mostly leaves, they will produce seeds and become bitter. It is possible to grow greens in warmer weather, but it takes some extra planning and TLC.
Wherever you decide to grow them, salad greens are a nice addition to any garden. Spring is the easiest time to grow them and the perfect time to get some early fresh garden produce into your diet.