Growing salad things.

[bonnie]

:)Martin is going to have a go this year at growing salad things in the greenhouse. we know tomatoes grow well, but what else are good growers?
he wants to use grow bags so are things like spring onions, lettuces?

we don't eat peppers or courgettes so they are out.

[franbee]

Radishes are quick and easy, and spring onions should be alright too. There are 'cut and come again' lettuce, a couple of those might be useful. I'm no expert, it's years since I grew veg. Oola and eleanor might be better people to ask!

[bonnie]

Thanks fran.

[Ivy]

How about cucumbers? Never had a greenhousehttp://www.anchoredbygrace.com/smileys/bigeyecry.gif

[annie fenbug]

Aubergines - lots of different shapes and sizes to try, they don't have to be the big purple ones.

Not really necessary to take up greenhouse space in the summer, but you could extend the season for beetroot - you can pick the leaves for salads (or cook like spinach) as well as eat the beets. If you use them before they get too big they don't take long to cook (or grate them raw for salads).

Lettuces are fine in gro-bags - possibly happier with a bit of shade or they might 'cook' if we have a hot summer (ha!), or just use large flower pots. Other 'baby' leaves worth occupying a pot or two are rocket and some of the oriental mustards. You cuold fill up any spare corners not occupied by rampant tomato plants with the more tender herbs - basil, for instance, or oregano.

[Treehugger]

I grew rocket last year and I was chomping on it all summer. My cucumber also did really well. I had a 'baby' cucumber so there was just enough for both of us to use in one meal.

I tried growing aubergines as well Annie Fenbug but they did nothing. They seemed to flower then..... nothing!

I'm going to try growing my lettuces in window boxes this year. The neighbours will probably think that I am mad, but they'll be a bit more useful than pansies and your usual window box flowers!

[annie fenbug]

Hi Treehugger - yes, I should have included a caveat that aub's are temperamental blighters! You may have to faff about with a paintbrush if they choose to flower when there aren't many pollinating insects around (our local bumble-&-other-bees are hopeless at timing - I've got six blundering round my apology for a greenhouse now, and I bet you the poor little s*ds will have been killed off by a late frost long before anything gets round to flowering). But then I've also had to do that for tomatoes and that really WAS a bore!

Ref your window box - there's always edible flowers, of course. Heartsease (old fashioned, small pansies, pretty indestructible) are v pretty, and my favourites are nasturtiums - they're related to watercress so the leaves have a similar peppery flavour, and again the flowers look lovely on a green leafy salad. Just don't make the mistake my Ma made one year and confuse 'tagetes' marigolds (which are NOT edible, although they're supposed to deter aphids) with 'calendula' marigolds (which are)!

[sunflower]

Cut and come again salad leaves are brilliant to grow. They are quick and easy and great for a midday sandwich.

[bonnie]

Martin planted some rockets yesterday and tomatoes, he also put spring onions in a tub. we only eat the basic salad things so will see how they get on. should the radishes be in a pot rather than a growbag?

[jazzactivist]

What about some herbs to add to your salads, bonnie, so that you can extend your range? These can be started off in the greenhouse and then planted outside. Herbs with quite big, mild tasting leaves like oregano, lemon balm and parsley are good. Chillies grow well in a greenhouse, so if you like spicy food then growing your own is great. You can also grow small cucumbers in grow bags, and there is a nice, small round type called lemon crystal. You do have to faff around a bit polinating the flowers with a paintbrush, but the result is well worth it. The best thing about growing your own salads, herbs, fruit and veg is that you don't have to store it during the growing season and can just go out and pick as much as you need completely fresh.

Also, don't just assume that you would never eat peppers or courgettes just because you don't like the shop bought ones. There are many different types to grow and they all taste a bit different. You might just find that you really like the ones that you grow yourself, and they are very versatile and can be prepared in so many different ways.

[dragonfly]

I grew a couple of pepper plants in the conservatory last year and found that aphids were a big problem, they seem to like indoor plants, so watch out for them bonnie. You can get sticky yellow traps to hang up in the greenhouse. I don't like sprays so every few weeks I washed every single leaf with paper towels wet with a bowl of water with just a tiny dash of liquid soap. I know soap isn't organic but there was so little of it that I thought it was ok. This year I am going to try and make a spray from rhubarb leaves.

[franbee]

I've planted a tray of salad greens and a tray of basil, but they will have to be farmed out when we go on holiday.

[bonnie]

Mum always had a pot of mint near the back door. 1. for the smell. 2. for adding to the peas when cooking. i have heard that it spreads like mad if you put it in the groung though.

[jazzactivist]

The way to do it is to plant your mint inside a bottomless pot in the ground, bonnie, as it spreads by runners just under the surface of the soil and the top of the pot stops it. I don't mind too much abut mint spreading around. If you have the space then it is fine as it always smells nice and it does have nice flowers too. There are different types of mint and I have 3 types growing in pots outside my back door - eau de cologne mint to keep flies away, pineapple mint as it has nice woolly bi-coloured leaves, and peppermint for peas and teas.

[dragonfly]

I have tried planting mint in a bottomless bucket but it always escapes so I grow it in a large pot as it doesn't like to be restricted in a small one. Except the pineapple mint, I let that romp through the borders. It is not as invasive as the ordinary mint and is easy to pull up and looks really pretty. I wouldn't be without mint as it smells lovely. Have you tried the little ground covering 'corsican mint' Jazz?

[Crocus]

I've never heard of pineapple mint girls. Explain a bit more please? xx

[dragonfly]

Crocus, right in the middle of the photo is the pineapple mint. You can zoom in on it for a closer look. It is green with a creamy edge. It smells lovely and is nice in salads and drinks.
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[Crocus]

Oh I've seen it many times, but wasn't aware it's pineapple mint, thanks DF! I must have a look if our garden centre has some pineapple mint. Love your garden, it's lovely. xxx

[franbee]

Well that was quick, my salad greens are sprouting already! Maybe we will get to eat some before we go away!

[jazzactivist]

Hi DF, someone once gave me a couple of pots of Corsican mint, but Scotland proved to be too cold for it. Once I have my own garden again I will have another go - perhaps try growing it in front of a bench so that I can enjoy the smell while I sit. I also use big pots for my mint, and was quite successful growing it in the garden in a big, bottomless pot. I don't mind it rambling around, though, as it is so pleasant to pull out the bits that are too invasive. I like the woolly leaves of pineapple mint, and the slightly fruity smell. I also once had a plant of chocolate mint, which smelt heavenly. As far as gardens go, I think that herbs certainly 'pay' for their place.

[bonnie]

I had no idea there was more than one type of mint [ thicko ] i will have to investigate this. i want a nice smelling one.

[dragonfly]

Most people only know of spearmint and pepermint bonnie. There are dozens of different ones and all smell nice although some are nicer than others. I had a collection of about a dozen in my other garden which this thread has reminded me of and I am going to get some more for this garden. I had applemint, orangemint, chocolate, ginger, lavender, lime, curly and I have recently heard of a banana mint. All smell mostly of mint with just a hint of something else. I love the little corsican mint for unlike the others it will grow in the shade and is very slow growing ground cover and it smells lovely if you run your hand over it. I will put you some roots in the post if you will pot them up until they have rooted well when they can go in the garden.

[bonnie]

Thanks DF, will certainly look forward to receiving them.x

[Oola]

pineapple mint is a very interesting one!

[bonnie]

You all have me wondering now!! will i have to go to a garden centre for these types of mint, do they start from seed, and would i be able to pick them up in say B&Q or Homebase?

ANSWERS on a postcard please.

[dragonfly]

Garden centres have a few sorts and I have seen packets of seeds somewhere (think it was the £1 shop) but the uncommon ones I have had from garden shows. You can buy them on line if you google 'mint plants'.