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SALAD MIXES AND MICROGREENS

Salad mixes, mesclun, baby leaf and microgreens are new terms for many gardeners although they have been available in supermarkets as a packaged salad item for many years. So what are they and are they worth growing in the home garden? 

Salad Mixes, 'baby leaf' or 'mesclun' are an assortment of green, leafy vegetables grown in a seedbed and picked by removing the outside leaves at a 'baby leaf' stage. Salad mixes or 'mesclun' were originally French; the name comes from the word mescla, which means 'to mix' in the local dialect of Nice. The idea was to make a salad that included diverse taste and texture sensation: bitter, sweet, tangy, crunchy and tender. The original recipe was a combination of early shoots of rocket, dandelion greens and lettuce. Other ingredients in a mix might include chicories (syn. radicchio), beetroot greens, asian greens (tatsoi, mizuna), spinach, kale, and mustard greens.

Why Grow Salad Mixes?

If you were only going to grow one type of vegetable in your garden it should be leafy greens. Leafy greens begin to lose Vitamin C and other nutrients from the moment they are picked and so are very vulnerable to nutrient loss. Other vegetables like carrots or tomatoes have vitamins that are far more stable.  

• A large quantity of the salad greens available in the supermarket are grown hydroponically, the complete opposite of organically. Hydroponics is a growing system that bypasses the soil in favour of a 'nutrient soup' made from chemical fertilisers fed directly to the plants. The lettuces in the supermarket might look like a lettuce but chemical cocktail might be a better description.

• If you have only limited space then this is a rewarding way to use it. Salad mixes can be grown in recycled styrofoam boxes or other containers even on a balcony.

• It is one of those gardening ironies that just when you want salad, it is the hardest time of the year to grow it but growing a small area of salad mix under shade will minimise your watering and allow you to produce salad greens at the hotter times of the year.

How to Grow Salad Mixes

In the home garden it is best to set aside a small area for salad production, even 1m by 1m is enough to begin with. Pick a sunny spot with good soil and drainage. It is an advantage to box in the area so it is slightly raised. Dig the soil over thoroughly and incorporate compost, mushroom compost or well-rotted animal manure. It is worth spending a bit of time preparing the area. Plan to cover the area during hot periods with shadecloth (30%, preferably white) on a frame. This will allow you to continue production well into summer. Plan to leave space for successive sowings so you will not have long to wait between harvests.

Sowing seed each week will ensure you always have fresh greens. For mixed packets of seed simply scatter (broadcast) seeds thinly or sprinkle seeds in close rows about 8-10 cm apart; cover with 5-8 mm of soil. If the seeds are packaged separately then rows is the way to go because it allows for the different growth rates and so the fastest growing types will not 'monster' the others.  Water well, and keep damp until seeds sprout.  Unchecked, rapid growth is the main requirement for tender greens; a constant supply of soil moisture is crucial. After germination, thin seedlings to a final spacing of 2-3 cm. The thinnings make fine salad additions.

How to Harvest Salad Mixes

Harvest by cutting leaves as they reach 5 -10 cm in length; use scissors to snip them off just above the growing crowns (about 2.5 cm above the soil level) if you would like to be able to pick several times. This is called the cut-and-come-again method because the crop will grow back if you water and  fertilise. Or you can choose to harvest whole plants. The green, leafy vegetables that are part of the salad mix can also be grown individually to a mature size. The best time to harvest is early in the morning before the sun is high; heat causes wilting. Once you've harvested, rinse the leaves in cold water and drain on towels or pat dry. Mesclun is at its crispest with the best flavour when it's just harvested, so use it as soon as possible. Avoid using salad spinners because they bruise the leaves.

What are Microgreens?

Microgreens are basically many of the same leafy greens as are used for salad mixes but are cut at a smaller stage and only harvested once. They are eaten as thin, delicate plants, the smallest possible variation on salad greens and herbs. They provide texture and colour when used as garnish, or exciting flavours when used as part of a salad mixes. Think of microgreens as a cross between a salad mix and sprouts. Sprouts belong in the province of the kitchen and are not really part of the gardener's domain. While sprouts are well known for their health benefits they are not famous for their flavour whereas microgreens are both healthy and a taste sensation.

See sprouting seeds, books and equipment

Why Grow Microgreens?

You don't need a garden, just sunlight, to produce abundant supplies of nutritious microgreens.

How to Grow Microgreens

Microgreens are best grown in seed trays. They differ from the more familiar sprouts on several fronts.  Microgreens are grown in sunlight and usually harvested when there are four or more leaves whilst sprouts are usually eaten with their first set of leaves. Most people are familiar with the trays of wheatgrass available in supermarkets but there is a big range of vegetables that can be grown in a similar way including buckwheat, sunflower, pea and many of the salad mix varieties.

To grow them you need seedling trays or recycled styrofoam boxes. If the trays or boxes have large holes in the base that allow the soil mix to leak out, try covering the base first with a single sheet of slightly moistened newspaper. Then fill the trays with 3-4 cm of good quality organic potting mix (look for an organic certification number, not just the word 'organic' on the bag) or sieved compost. Moisten the mix. Soak the seed overnight. Sprinkle the seeds evenly on top of the mix and gently pat them downy. Cover the tray with a lid to keep the seeds moist until they sprout.

Where to Grow Microgreens?
You can grow them indoors on a well-lit bench or outdoors in a shadehouse. Indoors start them in a warm place like a kitchen then once they sprout they should be moved to a window or sunny spot. 

How to Harvest Microgreens

Microgreens are usually harvested when there are four or more leaves. Cut the shoots just above ground level with scissors at this stage.
Safety tips for growing salad mixes and microgreens:
Use only organically certified seed. Avoid seed that may have been fumigated or treated with a fungicide.
 

DISCLAIMER:

We guarantee our seeds to the value of the purchase price. We are happy to replace the seeds, give you a credit or refund, whichever you prefer. Other than our guarantee to the extent of the purchase price Green Harvest gives no other warranty expressed or implied. No liability will be accepted by Green Harvest, its owners or employees as to the accuracy of any information. No responsibility will be taken for damage to property or persons due to information given about a product or technique. No responsibility will be taken for the loss of a crop or income due to information given about a product or technique.

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