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Salad greens fresh from your own garden, what could be finer? Custom Search
Salad greens are just what they sound like, green vegetables that can be eaten raw or on occasion, some greens such as celery or endive can be prepared by cooking. There are so many varieties of lettuce available these days, every gardener should experiment with different strains and varieties to find a favorite. Leaf lettuce grows so fast, that by replanting every week or ten days, you will always have a fresh crop ready for the table.
Celery
Celery, another of the salad greens, can be grown in home gardens in most parts of the country at some time during the year as it is a cool weather crop and it can be grown in the upper South and the North as an early spring or late fall crop. Because celery has such demanding requirements regarding its growing environment, many gardeners will not bother with it. Celery thrives on soil so wet and full of organic matter that could double as a swamp. It also has a long growing season and requires quite a lot of tender loving care while it is developing.
Parsley
Parsley is a complement to salad greens adding a punch of flavor to your lettuces. Parsley is stands up to cool, but is very sensitive to heat. It thrives under much the same temperatures conditions is kale, lettuce, and spinach. If given a little protection, it may be carried over winter throughout most of the North. Parsley thrives in any good soil. There two types of parsley, curly parsley which is used for garnishing, and flat leaf or Italian parsley which has a more intense flavor.
Lettuce
Lettuce is a cool weather crop which can be grown in almost any home garden. It is as sensitive to heat as any vegetable grown. In the south, lettuce culture is confined to late fall, winter, and spring. In the colder parts of the South, lettuce may not live through the winter. In the north, lettuce cultivation is limited to spring and autumn. Planting in the wrong season is responsible for most failures of this crop. Any rich soil is adapted to lettuce, although the plant is sensitive to acid soil. A commercial fertilizer with a heavy proportion of phosphorus is recommended. Start spring lettuce indoors or in a hot bed and transplant it to the garden when the plants have four or five leaves. Gardeners need not wait for the end of light frost, as lettuce is not usually harmed by temperatures as low as 28 degrees F., if the plants have been properly hardened. Allow six weeks for growing the plants. For the fall crop, seed may be sown directly in the ground and then thinned; there's no gain in transplanting at that time of the year. Iceberg lettuce does not grow well in most parts of the United States, so try the tender and tasty leaf lettuces as an alternate. The four main types of lettuce used as salad greens are:
WatercressAlthough sometime considered an herb, watercress is a member of the cabbage family (Brassica) and is one of the oldest leaf vegetables consumed by humans. It has a wonderfully refreshing peppery tang and is most often used in salads and tea sandwiches. Watercress is easy to grow from seeds which should be placed in very moist and rich soil about ¼ inch deep. Thin to 4 inches apart and keep the soil well watered.. Keeping the soil moist is critical to your success in cultivating this plant. If using pots, keep the saucers full of water Watercress is extremely well suited to hydroponic cultivation, thriving in a slightly alkaline solution. Watercress does not have a long shelf life, so growing your own is a good option although it can be purchased in most produce sections. Like many other plants in this family, the leaves will turn bitter when the watercress starts to produce flowers.
Endive/Escarole
Endive closely resembles lettuce in its requirements, except that is less sensitive to heat. These salad greens may be substituted for lettuce when the culture of lettuce is impracticable. In the south, it is mainly a winter crop. In the north, it is grown spring summer and autumn. Broadleaf endive is known on the market as escarole. Growing details are the same as those for head lettuce. When the plants are large and well formed, draw the leaves together and tie them so that the hearts will blanch.
To view a chart which outline optimum planting temperatures and the number of days for your seeds to germinate, click here.
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