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Plug The Gaps Collection
£24.99£19.99
Perfect for those empty spaces
With a selection of space saving, quick growing plants, this collection is ideal for midsummer as gaps pop up in the veg patch, whether that’s from being harvested or being eaten by pests!
Number of plants: 90
Contains the following baby plants:
Mizuna x 10
Wild Rocket x 10
Beetroot x 10
Lettuce x 10
Leek x 20
Carrot x 10
Rainbow Chard x 10
Spinach x 10
Please note that the contents of this garden may vary slightly depending upon the season.
Sun or partial shade
Lettuces and leaves need some sunshine, but will tolerate partial shade (and in fact this can often help to keep them cool and prevent them from bolting) and moisture-retentive soil.
Great for beds, containers and planters
Lettuces and salad leaves don’t require a lot of space, making them perfect for growing in pots and containers, grow bags, planters and beds.
How far apart?
As a general rule, give them about 15cm space. As always, you should check the instructions on each variety when you receive your baby plants to make sure you give them enough space.
Keep them cool
Lettuces and salads will keep producing lots of leaves for several weeks if kept fairly cool – regular watering, mulching and growing them in partial shade can help. If they do get too hot, they are prone to ‘bolt’, and will stop producing leaves and instead start to form a flower/seed head.
Protect from pests
Slugs, snails and rabbits are the main ones to watch out for… slug traps using cheap lager work well, and a 1-2ft tall fence around raised beds, made out of bamboo canes and chicken wire, will normally help to keep rabbits at bay.
When to harvest
Most lettuces and leaves can be harvested as cut & come again – just cut off the outer leaves, leaving a few smaller leaves in the centre, on a regular basis.
For those that form a heart, like little gem, wait until they have matured and cut off at the stalk.
Plants bolting
In hot, dry conditions lettuces and salad leaves can get stressed and will rush to produce flowers and seeds rather than producing lots of leaves. Once this has happened you cannot reverse it, so the best thing to do is keep your plants nice and cool and well watered during warm spells to try and prevent it.
Slugs & Snails
Lettuces and leaves are very popular with slugs and snails – keep them protected (try beer traps, eggshell/grit, copper tape etc) and remove any slugs that you see.
Rabbits
Try to protect your leaves from rabbits if they are a problem in your plot – a simple 2 foot high fence made from chicken wire and bamboo canes is usually sufficient to deter them, but the more persistent rabbits will burrow underneath the fence, so be prepared to dig the chicken wire into the ground if needed.
Flea beetle
Tiny round holes in leaves, particularly in stronger leaves like wild rocket and mizuna is inevitably flea beetle. Where this is a problem, you can try using an insect proof mesh and mulching the plants to keep the soil moist and cool will help (they are more active in hot dry weather). You can still eat the leaves if they have holes in so don’t give up on them!
Symptom Checker
Patchy holes in leaves with slime trails = slugs/snails
Tiny round holes in leaves = flea beetle
Plants eaten to the base = rabbits
Plants flowering early = bolting
Storage Tips
We really recommend picking what you need, when you need it. But they will keep in the fridge unwashed in a food bag for a couple of days.
Ways to cook
It’s not all about salads, although freshly cut lettuce from the garden is one of the best things about summer salads! You can try making summer soups with wilted lettuce, pea and mint. And a lot of leaves are great in stir fries.
Recipe Ideas
Coming soon!
Do I need to sign for them?
All our plant orders are dispatched with an overnight courier* to mainland UK and do not need to be signed for when they are delivered, but will be left somewhere safe. When placing your order, please let us know where you would like the plants left if you are not in when the courier delivers.
We will keep you posted
You will receive an email approximately a week before your order is dispatched and another on the day your plants are packed and leave us so you know to expect and prepare for their arrival.
