You can keep picking homegrown leaves through the cold months. Here's what to sow and how to keep it going.
Created by jflgardens.co.uk
Winter salad isn't a myth — with the right varieties, a little protection and a sheltered spot, you can keep a steady supply of peppery leaves through the coldest months. It's easier than you'd think and far nicer than the supermarket bag.
Look for leaves bred for winter — mizuna, mustard, oriental greens, land cress and winter lettuces all stand up to cold. Many of these 'cut-and-come-again' crops shrug off frost, and some even get sweeter after a cold spell.
A cloche, a low tunnel, or even a simple sheet of glass over a frame adds valuable degrees of warmth and keeps the worst weather off. In a greenhouse or polytunnel, winter salads thrive with very little help.
Winter leaves do brilliantly in troughs and pots, which you can move to a sheltered, sunny spot or tuck against a warm wall. This also gets them up out of the coldest ground and away from the worst of the winter wet.
Leaf crops grow slowly in winter, so sow little and often in late summer and early autumn for a long supply. Water sparingly, ventilate protection on mild days, and pick leaves regularly so the plants keep producing.
From seasonal garden care to a full growing-style overhaul, the JFL Gardens team works across Surrey and London.
