SALAD LEAVES
(ROCKET, MIZUNA, ETC.)
SALAD LEAVES
Sow in situ: January to December
Harvest: January to December
January: Buy seed. Rocket and mizuna both do well from early sowings. Always sow in situ. Make a shallow trench 8cm/3in deep and fill this with compost before sowing in 1cm/½in-deep drills. Allow 30cm/12in between rows and scatter seed more thickly now than later in the year – a good pinch for every 25cm/10in of row.
February: Harvest overwintered leaves. Sow rocket etc. if you didn’t do so in Jan.
March: Harvest regularly to stop plants going to seed. Sow a mix of leaves. Watch out for slugs.
April: Clear seeding crops. Start harvesting Jan sowings. Keep sowing for a fast turnover of small, sweet leaves. Lots of plants in the row means most grow well, even if a few are eaten or fail.
May: Keep rows well watered in hot weather. Watch out for greenfly. Keep sowing and harvesting. Always clear rows when leaves get too big – there will be more on the way. Sow mixtures with tender leaves, like basil, included.
June: Plants finish quickly in hot dry conditions, so water regularly to keep them cropping. New sowings will be up and ready to pick in around six weeks.
July: Start thinking about winter crops. Choose hardy mixtures and winter blends.
August: Short rows, sown every month, will give plenty to pick right through the winter.
September: Keep sowing as crops clear.
October: Harvest regularly, but don’t strip whole rows if you intend them to crop through the winter.
November: Try sowing mizuna, rocket and mibuna in large pots.
December: Buy seed. Make sowings in pots that can be started off in a little heat before putting out in the polytunnel.
SALAD LEAF TROUBLES
Slugs: March to October
Aphids: January to December