Salad Seeds

Salad Seeds FAQs

Salad leaves offer a cornucopia of tastes ranging from sweet and crunchy to aromatic, spicy and bitter. Easy to grow and versatile, salads grown from organic seeds are both delicious and nutritious. To help you get the best from your salad seeds, here are answers to some of your most frequently asked questions.

When can you sow salad seeds?

You can grow salad leaves from seed at any time of the year. During the summer, outdoor sowing yields great results, as does winter sowing under glass – which can include your conservatory or a bright window ledge. If you’re growing your salad leaves outside, late March right through to late July is the optimal time. Sowing for a winter crop? Look for varieties that tolerate lower light and cooler temperatures, like our winter mix, for example.

What are the easiest salad seeds to grow?

Most salad leaves are easy to grow and, as long as growing conditions are right, they will crop well. For quick results, try Lettuce ‘Tom Thumb’, which is fast-growing, compact, and resists bolting. Other great options include vigorous Salad Leaf ‘Cocarde’ and the cut-and-come-again Salad Leaf ‘Mizuna’.

When can I transplant lettuce seedlings outside?

You can plant your plugs and seedlings outside as soon as the risk of frost has passed – from April onwards. When planting outside, prepare your ground in advance, digging in plenty of organic compost in the weeks before and weeding thoroughly. Plant your seedlings between 6” (15cm) and 1ft (30cm) apart, depending on how big your plants are likely to grow, and protect them from slugs, snails and hungry thrushes. When moving plants outside, always harden off for a few days before you plant them into their final positions.