Helpful information
Timing: All year round (select varieties only in winter)
Where to do it: Outdoors, indoors
Garden space: Large garden, small garden, balcony, indoor space
Salad leaves include a range of nutritious food crops. Quick to grow, salad leaves are suitable for all manner of garden spaces, including indoors.
- Growing your own food can be immensely satisfying. Eating salad leaves is a great way to top up nutrition levels
- A range of physical movements are involved in growing salad. These range from dexterity when sowing seeds to more physical actions when watering
- Watching plants grow over time can engage nurturing instincts and a sense of wonder
A plate of mixed salad
Salad leaves, or salad greens, is the name given to a range of nutritious leafy food crops that are added to salads.
Some of the more traditional salad leaves include:
- Cos
- Lamb’s lettuce
- Romaine
- Rocket
- Chicory
- Mizuna
There are plenty of other crops that have leaves that are delicious added to salad, including:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Watercress
Microgreens are also very popular in salads. We have a separate guide to growing microgreens that you may like to read.
Why grow salad leaves
Whether you are an experienced food grower or are just starting out, growing salad leaves is a great addition.
Salad crops are very fast growing. Some varieties in certain conditions may be ready for their first harvest within a month!
Many varieties of salad leaves can be grown in the smallest of spaces. This includes indoors in a sunny spot. This makes growing salad possible for every type of garden space, including no traditional garden.
Salad crops do not generally have deep roots. They don’t need digging up to harvest. This makes them a good choice if you have limited energy, strength or mobility.
Many salad leaves are nutritious, containing a number of vitamins and minerals. Depending on the exact plant, this can include vitamin C, potassium, iron and calcium.
When you grow something from seed to the plate, there’s a real sense of achievement.
Mark, Thrive client gardener
A long wicker trough with salad leaves growing in
Seeds vs plug plants
The most cost effective way to grow your own salad leaves is generally to grow from seed.
You could do this by first sowing seeds in trays and planting out later.
Or, you could sow seeds directly into the ground outside.
Seed packets will give all the information you need to grow your salad plant. This includes timings for sowing seeds indoors or outdoors and how deep in the soil and far apart to grow.
You can buy seed packets that contain a single variety of salad leaves. There are also ‘mixed’ salad seed packets, that contain a few different types together.
If you don’t fancy growing from seed, or have not been successful with seed sowing this year, you can find salad plug plants in garden centres or online. These are small plants that have been taken through the first stage of growing. They tend to be available from mid spring. All you need to do is plant out into their final container or in the ground.
I get a great deal of satisfaction from growing organic vegetables and there are many added benefits to my health.
Neil, gardener, stroke survivor
When to grow salad leaves
When to grow salad leaves depends on the variety and how you are growing it. It is possible to grow salad leaves all year round. In winter, you will need somewhere suitable to grow them – such as a greenhouse, or sunny windowsill inside. Look for winter varieties of salad.
If you are growing salad leaves outside, wait until mid to late spring to plant out small plants or to sow directly into the soil. By then the soil should be warm enough for the seeds to germinate. You can continue sowing all through summer and often into early autumn.
If frosts are forecast, give your seedlings protection with a cloche.
Gardening tip
You can make your own cloche to protect your salad leaves. Cut a plastic bottle in half. Place the top half over your plant with the cap off. Slightly push the bottle into the soil so it stays in place.
Lettuce growing in a garden bed
Growing in the ground
Salad leaves can be grown in the ground in vegetable beds. The advantage of this is that there is enough space to suit a wide variety. This includes heritage type salads and headed lettuce like cos and romaine.
If you are growing in a large space, you can do successional sowing. This means sowing seeds gradually every two weeks. This way, you should be able to enjoy a continual harvest instead of everything being ready at once.
One downside of growing in the ground is the possibility of pest and slug damage. You may need to be vigilant about pests and add protective netting.
Make it easier
Raised beds are great for growing salad leaves. They reduce slug and pest damage. They also make it possible to garden from a seated position. Find more information in our guide to gardening in raised beds.
Growing in containers
Growing salad in containers is usually very successful. There are now varieties of almost all salad leaves specifically developed for container growing.
Plan what crop will grow in which container. Think about the depth of soil different salad leaves need. The seed packet should give advice on this.
You could also add some edible flowers as companions within salad crop containers. Nasturtiums and pot marigolds (Calendula officinalis) work well in containers and look pretty great in a salad!
Growing indoors
If you are growing in containers, some salad leaves can be grown indoors. They can be placed on windowsills or under growlights.
You will need around 12cm of soil depth to grow mature salad crops indoors.
Good crops to try indoors are those labelled as 'cut and come again'. This means you can keep harvesting the leaves and then more will grow in place. You should be able to get a few rounds of leaf harvest per plant.
There are other food crops you could also try growing indoors, to bulk up your salad. These include:
- Spring onions (start harvesting when young – expect this to take at least 12 weeks)
- Radish
- Herbs
- Dwarf tomatoes (these are a little trickier, as you will need to help pollination yourself. You can use a paintbrush or cotton bud to spread pollen between flowers)
Make it easier
If you are gardening seated at a table, think about the height you will be working at. Ideally you want your elbows and shoulders at right angles. This way you are not overreaching and adding pressure to tendons and joints.
Sometimes, placing a container on a chair may make it a more comfortable height to work at than on a table.
Lollo rosso leaves
A little bit of care will help keep your salad leaves at their best.
Watering
Salad crops have small root systems. They benefit from regular watering to keep the soil around them moist. A lack of water can affect the taste of your crop. It can also cause it to 'bolt' - meaning, grow tall and rapidly go to seed.
In very hot weather, try to water at the beginning or end of the day. This will avoid the risk of the sun scorching wet leaves.
Pests and diseases
Slugs and snails are very fond of salad leaves! You may need to defend your plants. Making a barrier, like netting, is one option. You could also go out at night to hunt them with a torch. Gently remove them away from your precious plants.
During a wet and cold spell, grey mould or botrytis may appear. Having enough space between plants is a good way to prevent this.
Flea beetles can attack rocket. If so, cover plants with fleece or fine mesh.
Weeding
If you are growing in the ground, you may want to remove weeds that appear. This will reduce the likelihood of pests and diseases.
Lettuce growing in a container
Your salad leaves should be ready to harvest six to eight weeks after sowing. This will vary by crop and weather conditions. For cut-and-come-again crops, cut the leaves when they reach around 10cms. Picking a few leaves from each plant will encourage more growth.
Salad leaves are best used fresh. Try to pick them just before you want to eat.
Wishing you a happy salad harvest!
Related content
Sowing seeds in trays
Growing plants from seed is a joy to experience. Follow our step-by-step guide to sowing small seeds in trays, including ways to make it easier.
