Mild Long Beach, CA climate allows for year round growth. Yet, I am always dumbfounded to hear many gardens are dormant this time of year. Fall crops go by the way side – red headed step child to spring’s bounty.
Embrace seasonal eating! There is still time to sow an abundance of cool season crops including Lactuca sativa (Lettuce) and many Brassica oleracea varieties like, kale, mustard, broccoli, cabbage and lots more!
Why should you grow salad greens? Organic salad greens are a big-ticket item at farmer’s markets. As much as $3.00 per half a pound! Plus, home grown always tastes better, duh.
It’s super easy to grow salad greens. I start seeds in soil blocks and transplant but direct sowing is acceptable.
Direct sowing: sow seeds 1/8 inch deep about 1 inch apart. Cover seeds lightly with soil and firm gently.
Thin seedlings when they are a few inches tall or 2-3 leaves have formed. I do not have enough garden space to thin seedlings 10-16 inches apart, depending on lettuce type so I thin seedlings about 3-6 inches apart instead and harvest outer leaves frequently.
Don’t forget to keep seedlings evenly moist.
Pests? Lettuce is mostly pest free except for the occasional slug. I’ve never bothered with slug baits or traps I simply pick them off. However, make sure greens are thoroughly washed or you’ll end up spitting out a slug like I did. You’ve been warned.
Other Stuff I’m growing: Bok Choy White Stem, Tat Soi, Celery, Collards Georgia Southern, Flashy Trout’s Back Lettuce, Gourmet Salad, “Asian Baby Leaf Mix”, Kale Red Winter, Kohlrabi Purple & White Vienna, Mesclun Asian Salad Mix, Mustard Red Giant, Rucola, Spinach Baby Leaf, Spinach Early Prolific, Summer Lettuce Euro Red & Greens, Valmaine Lettuce, onions and garlic.
Frost kissed True Siberian Kale and Catalina Baby Leaf Spinach for green juice
Speaking of love, Valentine’s Day is around the corner and I couldn’t care less but for those that fancy cut flowers I encourage you to consider a more sustainable, local source for blooms.
If it’s a night on the town you’re after Compassion Over Killing will be hosting a Valentine’s Party in Los Angles on Sunday, February 14th. Advanced tickets are available until February 12th for $15.00 ($20.00 at the door) and include a drink ticket plus all the delicious vegan food you can eat from Cinnamon, The Spot, SunPower Natural Café and vegan cupcakes by The Fakery Bakery.
All proceeds benefit Compassion Over Killing. Join us!
Gratuitous cute doggy pictures
Chickens at Long Beach City College Horticulture Gardens
I grow salad greens this time of year too. Actually, this is the only time of year that I do. In summer I switch over to stuff that can take the heat. Literally.
Good point about sustainable flowers. When I was reading what was going on with Silverlake Farms, I couldn’t believe that most cut flowers in the U.S. come from so far away!
Your salad gardens are amazing, I’m incredibly inspired to get to work on mine tonight! Also, the picture of the chickens rival the dogs for cuteness, they’re damn adorable snuggling up under the brush.
I’ll keep checking back at this blog for inspiration!
Winter in Los Angeles is my best time for leafy greens. I add to your list celery, potatoes, cilantro, chard, onions, garlic, and spinach. With this mild weather my tomatoes have not died so we are still getting fruit. Thinking about starting corn in the next week or so.
It’s funny you mention growing salad stuff. I went to Disneyland and California Adventure this past weekend and they had several types of herbs and lettuces growing in their different gardens.
Wow. Your greens look gorgeous! I started some lettuce seeds about a month ago and I just transferred them to peat pots, which took a lot of time. The soil blockers are a revelation though – now I want one! So efficient! I started the seeds outside and with all this rain, I’ve been having to move them around a lot. Right now they are nice and comfy indoors, under my desk lamp. Thanks for the post!
OMG, look at all those greens! I miss my kale & chard plants. Doggie! Chicken!
have you had a lot of folks ask you what you’re planting now? as if you haven’t been planting all winter? i can’t believe that we here in the lb aren’t fervently working on becoming the bread basket or at least the salad bowl for the nation: WE CAN PLANT AND HARVEST YEAR ROUND! is this an original connection?
and how did summer get to be the popular time of year for salads? who can harvest them before they bolt? i love winter and its produce-so do my blood iron levels.