If you only have a small space for autumn and winter growing, then we would really recommend choosing some salad leaves to grow for a steady supply of healthy, tasty and easy-to-grow veggies. There are plenty of interesting salad leaves to try…
Giant Red Mustard
This is an absolute winner for winter growing. Baby leaves add a mustardy flavour to salads, larger leaves can be wilted down like spinach. Punchy.
Land Cress
Really similar in flavour to water cress, this is a great one to grow for light accompaniments to juicy steaks or burgers.
Mizuna
These are tangy leaves that are great in salads, adding both colour and strong flavour. Grow them under cover or in a mild location and they should crop right through the colder months. Red and Green Mizuna (pictured above) both available.
Corn Salad
A great salad leaf to grow in pots, and usually ready to harvest from November onwards. It has a slightly nutty flavour and soft leafy texture.
Winter Purslane
This tastes quite similar to baby leaf spinach and grows amazingly well in winter. Definitely a good choice for tasty salads! You can still harvest when the flowers come in early spring before the plants die back.
Frills Mustard
Ooh, these are just lovely. They are slightly milder in flavour than Giant Red Mustard, but still give nice mustardy punch. The leaves look great too.
Wild Rocket
Expect autumn planted Wild Rocket to really come into its own in late winter/early spring, just as other crops are coming to an end. Tasty, peppery leaves.
Endives
Such a good choice for growing outdoors, these lettuce like leaves are crisp and crunchy, making an ideal base for winter salads.