Lettuce BabyLeaf Mesclun Salad Mix

Our salad leaf mixes are selected from varieties with comparable growth rates interesting and tasty baby leaf salads

The lettuce blend, Mesclun Mix contains: Red Batavia, Green Batavia, Cerbiatta, Endive Soldata, Salad Rocket Dentellata, Cress Greek, Mizuna

This is an exiting mix of vibrant colour and incomparable textures of salad in its youth.

It is made up of classic leaves and will enhance presentation and flavors of any dish.

The Mesclun Leaf Salad Mix is one of a series of blends which provide a wide variety of colorful and tasty salads.

They can be grown in open ground or under protection, direct sown into beds and then harvested at 12-15cm tall in as little as 28 days from sowing at peak season. Viridis Hortus Salad mixes can also be sown direct in to pots (use 1-3 liter pots) Just sow little and often to get continuity.

Each of the mixes can be grown all year round, for a continuous supply of tasty and nutritious baby leaves. They can be grown in the home, on windowsills or raised in pots in glasshouses or polytunnel ?S in cooler areas for winter early spring crops.

Sowing:

In autumn and winter seed can be sown into pots or seed trays which can be grown on the kitchen windowsill or in a heated conservatory/greenhouse.

Sow 20-30 seeds into a 10-12cm pot using a free draining compost and cover seed lightly after sowing.

For spring and summer crops, sow direct into prepared seed beds in the kitchen garden or greenhouse border, and this is the best growing technique for spring and summer crops.

Sow outdoors sprinkle seeds 1/2 inch apart in a 2 to 4 inch wide row covering lightly or broadcast sow.

Tip a small amont of seed into your hand, take a pinch and spread thinly along the trench. Cover with soil, label and water.

If birds are a problem in your garden, spread netting to prevent them eating the seed.

Sow every two weeks for a continual supply of tender young leaf.

Cultivation:

The best tasting leaves come from plants which are grown quickly; this means a temperature of 15-19°C (60-70°F).

Under optimum growing conditions a crop of salad leaves can be ready for picking 3-4 weeks from sowing. Slower growing crops can become more fibrous and hotter flavored.

Once cut the plants should have sufficient energy for re-growth to provide a second or even third crop of leaves, giving a regular supply with "little and often" sowings.