Nation of Gardeners results: Mixed Red Salad Leaves
These Mixed Red Salad leaves can be grown all year round and are quick to grow in containers, on the windowsill indoors or outside during winter in a frost-free greenhouse or cold frame. These leaves are perfect as a cut-and-come-again crop or for growing on to full lettuce heads.
As long as the plants have plenty of light and are kept frost-free, they will grow successfully to provide salad leaves year-round.
Our Nation of Gardeners were asked to sow Mixed Red Salad Leaves in December 2013 as part of a windowsill growing challenge during the colder months of the year. The table below charts their progress.
| Location | Elevation | Date planted | Date first signs of growth | Notes |
| Cheshire | 49m | 17 December | 20 December | Sown on North East facing windowsill. Very quick growth, etiolated seedlings moved to greenhouse after 10 days. Tastes like cress. |
| Renfrewshire | 28m | 16 December | 20 December | Sown indoors on South facing windowsill. 31 December: Fairly good germination but several seedlings collapsed so not many surviving |
| North Devon | 30-50m | 12 December | 15 December | Sown indoors on South East facing windowsill. Although quick to germinate, they haven’t established into full leaves, still thin seedlings. |
| Worcestershire | 55m | 28 December | 4 January | Sown indoors on a South facing windowsill. |
| Derbyshire | 39m | |||
| Cumbria | 90m | 18 January | 23 January | Sown indoors on a North facing windowsill |
| Ceredigion | 131m | 6 December | 9 December | Sown indoors on North West facing windowsill. 1 January: first picking, good flavour. |
| Bristol | 55m | 10 December | 14 December | Sown indoors on South facing windowsill. 26 December: first picking |
| Suffolk | 6m | 7 December | 10 December | Sown into propagator at 22 degrees C and then moved to went facing windowsill once germinated. Very leggy looking seedlings. |
| Hertfordshire | 150m | 8 December | 14 December | Sown indoors on North West facing windowsill. |
| Surrey | 58m | 27 December | 30 December | Sown indoors on South facing windowsill. 4 January 2014: Seedlings looking healthy but slightly behind green & spicy seedlings |
| Pontypridd | 157m | 15 December | 19 December (indoors)23 December (outdoors) | Indoor sowings on North facing windowsill were quick to germinate, started to get ‘leggy’ so cut back. 31 December: first picking. Not bitter – but plants very youngOutdoor sowings were slower to germinate but the seedlings looked much stronger. |
| Buckinghamshire | 66m | 27 December | 29 December | Sown indoors on an East facing windowsill. |
| Guildford | 56m | |||
| Gloucestershire | 74m | 11 December | 16 December | Indoor sowings on South facing windowsill, overshadowed by trees. Got very ‘leggy’ indoors so moved them to a south facing lean to greenhouse, with full sun when it’s not raining most of the day. |
| Derbyshire | 241m | 14 December | 17 December | Indoor sowings on South facing windowsill. 30 December: thick mat of seedlings by end of month, but not big enough to pick. 23 January: started to damp off. 2 February: All lost |
Tags: Indoor gardening, lettuce, salad leaves, Windowsill gardening
