We grow a great variety of different salad leaves throughout the year, which changes from chicories in autumn, to spicy leaves in winter and spring and then more of a lettuce and herby mix through summer.
We raise all of the plants ourselves, sown from seed and planted out by hand. We then hand weed and harvest by hand on the morning of delivery. Our salad changes a lot through the year, and rather than trying to grow certain leaves that are not suited to year round production, we select leaves that are suited to the season that we grow them. This means that insect damage is less frequent (for example with flea beetles on brassica leaves through the summer) and planting is less frequent as many of the spicy brassica leaves like to flower during the summer rather than producing leaves.
We raise all of the plants ourselves, sown from seed and planted out by hand. We then hand weed and harvest by hand on the morning of delivery. Our salad changes a lot through the year, and rather than trying to grow certain leaves that are not suited to year round production, we select leaves that are suited to the season that we grow them. This means that insect damage is less frequent (for example with flea beetles on brassica leaves through the summer) and planting is less frequent as many of the spicy brassica leaves like to flower during the summer rather than producing leaves.
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Winter salad
From January through to April
Most of the salad leaves during this time is grown in the polytunnels. We grow a large number of spicy mustards including Green in Snow, Ruby Streaks, Golden Streaks, Golden Frills as well as Red and Green Mizuna, Watercress, Landcress, Wild and Salad Rocket and Red Russian Kale. Cooler leaves such as endive, winter lettuce, Claytonia (aka Winter Purslane & Miner's Lettuce), Corn Salad, Chard, peashoots and chervil are mixed in to balance the flavours. |
Spring salad
From April through to June
Some of the spicy leaves continue through this period, and the flowers of the mustards and rockets are added to the mix, but more cooler leaves like lettuce, peashoots and broad bean tips start taking the main stage. |
Summer salad
From June through to September
Lettuce and endive make up about two thirds of the mix during the summer, with hers like dill and fennel being added, and nasturtium leaves, orache, amaranth, salad burnet, buckshorn plantain and summer purslane. We also start adding edible flowers during this time. |
Autumn salad
From September to December
The spicy mustards and rockets start coming back into the mix at this time of year, as they are less inclined to go to flower, and also most of the flea beetle (which eats the spicy leaves from the brassica family) have fled by this time. The real highlight for us are the chicories which start to be introduced from October and then from November/Deember we begin harvesting from the tunnels again. |