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Leafy Greens :-)
Hi All, me and my wife have just started a small raised bed this year with spinach and salad leaves. So far we harvested it 3 times over! But I'm thinking ahead that at some point around Sept-Oct I might have to sow some new winter varieties of salad & spinach to try and extend my harvesting for the year.
Can anybody recommend which varieties would be a good choice? And any tips for growing leafy greens into autumn/winter?
The raised bed is in a south facing garden up against the side fence so its reasonably protected from the wind.
If Monty Don himself replies to this, I will actually do a backflip (or try!). We love you DON!!
Thanks in advance... Joseph 
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Pentland Brig is a good, reliable kale to overwinter. Sow autumn.
I'm also a huge fan of swiss chard - Vulcan. It's a lot more vigorous than rainbow chard and has beautiful red stalks. Last sowing is about July, but you can harvest until November time.
If you live in the south Joseph you can overwinter chard easily including vulcan chard. Not too sure about up north, i'm sure others could advise?
Look at Rocket Gardens they suggest a whole load of winter greens. e.g. Red Russian kale, Chicory, Cavolo Nero, Winter green cabbage, Spring green cabbage, Green Frills Mustard, Calabrese, Green Borecole, Wild Rocket, Corn salad, Chinese Leaf, Winter lettuce, Spinach.
I knew it was a good idea joining this website! Thanks for the advice guys
I think the Vulcan swiss chard is definately worth a go, I tried sowing some chard this spring in my greenhouse but not with much success... I presume this should just be sowed straight outdoors in the raised bed for best results?
Well it would be illogical to grow any other chard
. It's wonderful stuff.
I pre-soak my seeds for 24 - 48 hrs in fresh water. Any longer and there's the chance that the seeds will develop mould/rot; however, i find this speeds up germination.
I plant them into a jiffy bag or a cardboard pot and grow on a sunny window sill. Chard actually grows from a cluster seed, and so you could actually get multiple plants from one "seed". If you see any other sprouts emerging try and transplant them. I only plant out when they have developed their second set of true leaves.
I find the website moreveg is really good for trying varieties as they send them in small quantities and for pittance.
If you are planting seed directly into the bed, I'd recommend you use modules instead. When you grow something like Pak Choi, or Chinese leaf, do so in modules, then leave them to grow for a month or so in your cold frame, until they are 4" or so tall, while previous plantings occupy the raised bed. As you eat raised bed plants, you replant from the modules. That way you significantly increase the harvest from the raised bed. I have a square metre of Pak Choi, and the quantity is astonishing.
Oh, and come the winter months, you can place the cold frame over the raised bed, to keep the soil warm. You will still have room for some modules as well as plants in the beds too.
Awesome!
What compost would you recommend as best for starting out these plugs/modules? I recently tried a tray of salad seeds using multipurpose cheap soil, put the tray in a cloche type container with a small vent in the greenhouse for germination and.... nothing. They didn't even sprout!
I just put in seed compost, made 4 drill lines. Sprinkle the seed along the lines watered as and when and forgot them. Don't cover the seed apparently they like the light. just keep them on the surface. I am on to my 5th tray this year and if you don't cut them too low they keep on albeit not so bushy for a second cut. I'm using half seed trays. Half a half tray makes a delicious addition to a salad. They grow anywhere.