Sow a Beautiful Mixed Salad for Late Spring Harvest

Sowing a mixed greens seed blend this month is one of the easiest and satisfying ways to grow a beautiful salad for spring harvest. You can purchase seed blends from a variety of sources but this method is also a great way to use up your own seeds that may be at or near the expiration date. It also makes great use of small garden spaces and is well-suited to gardeners with little time on their hands.

The process is easy. Blend equal amounts of a variety of leaf vegetable seeds together and broadcast sow them into your garden relatively thickly (like feeding the chickens!). Harvest begins in a month or so, while the leaves are small. You can use a pair of scissors, or carefully pick with your hands, the largest developed leaves while leaving the growing rosette in the center of your plant intact. The plants will offer more leaves, allowing you to harvest 2 or 3 times over the course of a few weeks. This method of harvesting is sometimes referred to as “cut and come again” or CCA. If you sow 3 small areas or containers at weekly intervals, you’ll be keeping yourself in salad for much of spring and summer! (Some greens actually will allow cutting the entirety of tops down and then will re-grow; this method is also known as “cut and come again.”)

Some leafy greens to try in your salad seed blend:

• Any variety of lettuce — try mixing colors and types for extra fun!
• Asian mustard greens such as Mizuna, Komatsuna, Tatsoi and Red mustard
• Arugula
• Cress
• Spinach
• Sorrel
• Endive