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Grow Salad Greens You Will Want to Eat

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Grow Salad Greens You Will Want to Eat

It’s easy to say you need to eat your greens but if you aren’t particularly fond of them you probably aren’t eating that many. Maybe it’s just that you haven’t been introduced to kinds that actually taste good. For one thing, store bought lettuce is often old and tasteless. Green iceberg lettuce is a popular one because it’s cheap but it sits in the fridge and rots until you remember it’s there. Put some gourmet lettuce in your garden this year and be amazed by how tasty lettuce can be. You will be surprised at what your options are once you decide to grow your own.

Grow Salad Greens You Will Want to Eat!

If you have stopped over to your local nursery I am sure I don’t need to tell you that there are a lot of salad greens to choose from. The seed aisle can be an extremely daunting task to a new gourmet eater but dive in and you will be rewarded. My favorites are the darker colored lettuces like red leaf, spicy red leaf and red oak leaf which is an heirloom. I also like to purchase seed mixes because you get an assortment of salad greens to try at a fantastic price. Adding red cabbage, endive and cilantro to your salad garden will add an extra kick to your dishes.

Growing lettuce is easy; a beginner can certainly grow a lettuce garden with little trouble. You do need to watch out for some pests. Beetles and caterpillars are likely the only problem you will find. To treat infestations use an organic solution and make sure to wash the lettuce thoroughly before eating. You can pick up a safe insecticide from your local nursery or make one yourself. Harvest time is pretty short for lettuce, typically you will start to get leaves within 30 days and can start picking them as they grow, making sure to pick off only the larger, outer leaves. You should harvest in the morning or 30 minutes before you need a salad for best taste and minimal wilting. Here is a guide to growing gourmet lettuces.

If space is an issue, take advantage of valuable patio space, the tiny amount of window seal you might have, place on your kitchen counter or even the front porch. Lettuce will grow in any container and is low maintenance to begin with so you don’t need a large space. Here are tips for starting a vegetable container garden.

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Emily is passionate about growing her own food, crafts, sewing, developmental disabilities and blogging. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a secondary in human development from Washington State University. She also holds an associate’s degree in horticulture from Clark College. You can often find her blogging over at Emily’s Frugal Tips, a frugal blog dedicated to teaching families how to live with more for less money.

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About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.