How to grow winter salad and bid goodbye to soggy supermarket leaves forever

It might seem like there's not much to do in the garden at this time of year, but learning how to grow winter salad should be at the top of your list – especially if you have a small vegetable garden.

Now, leafy greens are the perfect superfood. They're tasty, nutrient-dense, and counted among the easiest vegetables to grow. They also look quite pretty, making them incongruous in a garden border as they are in a designated vegetable bed.

'Learning how to grow winter salad is great fun and an easy way to harvest some fresh food from the garden, even during the colder months of the year,' promises Morris Hankinson, director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

Morris Hankinson

Morris Hankinson is the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries Ltd, the UK’s only specialist grower-retailer of hedging plants. He established the thriving business in 1992, shortly after graduating with a Commercial Horticulture Degree from Writtle College, Essex.

He adds that winter salads don't need a lot of outdoor space; they can also be grown in containers, hanging baskets, and inside a greenhouse.

'Why not experiment on a warm windowsill and see if you can grow any lettuce leaves? It’s all good fun!'

What you will need

If you're planning on growing your own winter salad, you'll be pleased to know it's one of the more inexpensive GYO options. All you really need is...

• A selection of cloches and horticultural fleeces (we rate this stylish lantern cloche with lid from Crocus, but any plastic cloche or bog standard fleece will do)
• A good peat-free compost, such as Levington PEAT FREE Seed Compost (with added John Innes) from Amazon
• A variety of winter salad seeds (plenty to choose from at Thompson & Morgan)

REMEMBER: Not all summer lettuce will grow over the winter, so look out for the right varieties.

If you need help with this, Morris suggests picking up a few seed packets of the following...

• Mizuna is a delicious, crisp and mild Japanese green which grows well in the winter months.
• Lettuce ‘Winter Density’ grows well throughout winter and is a tasty salad leaf.
• Kale ‘Winterbor’ can be used in salads and is full of nutrition, growing all winter.
• Mustard Greens grow well in winter, adding a spicy touch to salads through the colder month.
• Spinach ‘Winter Giant’ is large leafed with dark green leaves and packs a punch of nutrition in a winter salad.

Step-by-step guide

Once you have all the equipment you need to grow winter salad, it's time to set to work. And, thankfully, it's all incredibly straightforward (so long as you've learned how to sow seeds successfully, of course).

1. Choose the right moment

Just as important as learning how to grow winter salad is, of course, learning when to grow winter salad.

'Ideally you’ll need to start sowing winter salads in late summer or early autumn, but why not give it a try even later on?' says Morris.

'They do need time to establish before it gets cold, so if it’s a warm autumn there’s still time. Make sure the soil is well prepared with some well rotted organic matter and good drainage.'

2. Find them a sheltered spot

As is so often the case when learning how to grow your own vegetables, fruit, herbs and more, you will need to think carefully about where you're planting your winter salad seeds.

'Winter salads grow throughout the colder months but they still need protection so if you can sow them in a sheltered spot this will be helpful, especially if you can place them by a south-facing wall where they will get as much sunlight as possible,' says Morris.

'Use cloches, fleeces and cold frames which will give more protection and extend the growing season.'

3. Plant your seeds

When it comes to planting your winter salad seeds, a good rule of thumb is to treat them like any other lettuce seeds and sow them 1cm deep in rows, 30cm apart from each other.

'Water only when needed, ensuring the soil doesn’t dry out completely but is also not too wet, because winter lettuce doesn’t need as much water as other times of the year,' says Morris.

Don't forget to protect them from slugs, snails and some hungry birds by using either chicken wire or fleece – and be sure to sow successionally. 'Basically, this looks like sowing a batch of seeds every few weeks to ensure you have plenty of fresh leaves to harvest regularly for as long as possible,' advises Morris.

FAQs

Can you grow lettuce in winter in the UK?

Good news! You can grow lettuce in the winter in the UK.

'Winter lettuce varieties such as ‘All Year Round’ are perfect for continuous harvests through the colder months,' says Nelly Hall, brand director at premium bespoke glasshouses manufacturer Alitex.

'Sown in trays or beds every four weeks, you can enjoy fresh leaves like Mizuna, Rocket and Pak Choi all winter. Keep the greenhouse cool and water sparingly to prevent rotting, and soon you’ll have a steady supply of crisp, healthy greens until spring.'

What is the best winter salad to grow in the UK?

Lamb's lettuce is frequently cited as one of the best winter salad leaves to grow in the UK.

'Oriental greens make an ideal crop for pots and windowboxes in autumn and winter,' add the experts at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

Now that you know how to grow winter salad, you can set to work filling your garden (and fridge) with tasty and vibrant greens all year round. Perfect for anyone hoping to tick off their 5-a-day without spending a fortune at the supermarket, eh?