Sunday 1 May 2011

Who's the Daddy?

Many of you will know that in our family we generally refer to Baby Leaf Salad as "Daddy Salad", because my daughters saw me grow so much of it so often that they thought it characterized me.

Just wanted to show you that I am still living up to this reputation.

This is the normal type - mixed lettuces:



This one is an oriental version:



And this is another:

Komatsuna, Mustard, Bekana

This spinach is still immature, but I have started to harvest just a few leaves. This container has two types in it - "Fiorana F1" and "Mikado F1".

Spinach

This is a type of Spinach called "Bordeaux", again still immature, but I'm growing it with the intention of using it at the Baby Leaf stage, and not expecting it to reach maturity. This is why I have sown it so densely.


This is my latest fad - Red Basil, harvested very young - almost at the "microgreens" stage. Ready in only about three weeks from sowing. It's lovely - sweet, "clovey", but not overpowering. Try it!

Red Basil

This Red Basil was added as an "enhancer" to some of the Daddy Salad...
Anyone can grow Daddy Salad. You don't need a garden. All you need is a seed-tray or an old washing-up bowl, a small quantity of compost, and a few seeds. You'd be mad not to give it a go...

Finally, a reminder that with Daddy Salad, successional sowing is strongly recommended. The salad grows very quickly, and will not keep for very long, so it is best to sow a new batch every couple of weeks. My last photo shows one tray reaching the end of its life whilst another is just starting.

13 comments:

  1. Nice variety for your "Daddy Salads". Cute!

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  2. Very good post. I had no idea you could use the red basil that way. You really do have a bunch of salads going at one time. I have always thought that container gardening for salads was a bit of a waste because you never got enough greens in one for an actual real salad but some of our lettuce in the garden is just going to waste because we can't use it all fast enough. I can really see the value of these lettuces grown in smaller containers like this now.

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  3. We have hree trays of Daddy salad growing at present but you've inspired me to start another. Currently I have two trays of traditional rocket and one of wrinkle crinkle cress - my tray of traditional Daddy salad never germinated, I think the seeds were two years old. Where do I source new ones?

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  4. I've just sown some basil that looks like your red but my seed packet called it purple. I've sown different corianders and basils so hope to have a variety for those salad days!

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  5. Hi Emma (JumblyMummy) - glad you're carrying on the family tradition! You can get salad mixtures and/or mixed lettuces from all the big seed suppliers. In my collection right now I have one from DT Brown, one from Nicky's Nursery, and one from Seeds of Italy. The ones I am actually growing are ones that were given over free with orders from Lakeland (Plastics). Of course you can also make your own mix with whatever you have available - and your rocket and Wrinkly Crinkly Cress would be good for that.

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  6. Mark those leafy greens in your third photo look so disgustingly healthy - well done! Nothing I grow from seed ever looks anything like that :)

    Now this has nothing to do with greens, but I do have a question for you. You know the wedding, when Kate and WIlliam were riding to Buckingham Palace in the coach? Well, a few times there WIlliam saluted (to the guard??) and Kate bowed her eyes right down... why did she have to do that for?

    Lol, sorry it's a question out of the blue, but I know that you'll know!

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  7. Ali, the saluting thing is this: As an officer, William has to salute the Colours (flags) of each of the guards of honour he passes. Kate would obviously not be required to do this, but bowing her head would be seen as a similar sign of respect. The Colours of a regiment are seen as the embodiment of its collective existence, and they are embroidered with the names of the battles in which the regiment fought.

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  8. It's good to see a post on leafy salads :)
    The trays always look so sad when they're getting past their best though don't they? Ours go to the hens at this stage.

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  9. Very good idea, utilising old containers and trays and not taking up space in the main beds.

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  10. Your salads look great, I'm really bad at succession sowing & then I end up with gaps and I wonder why I don't have any salad! Gonna some sow some salad today (& try to remember to keep sowing). I enjoyed your radish post, interesting way to eat your radishes dipped in salt! I like all the container growing you're doing (previous posts). P.S. Congrats on 5k pageviews; you have a fab blog! Kelli

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  11. Lol!! Your salads look fantastic.

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  12. Thank you for the reminder to sow spinach, I somehow keep forgetting, and I love the same kind of salad mixes as you. My purple basil took a lot longer to germinate and is still sulking, just short of the first true leaves stage, two weeks later. I never seem to have much luck with basil, no idea why. I think it is the way I water.

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  13. Oh wow, this looks very simple. I will definitely give this a try someday. For now, I just want my few veggies to sprout/produce and I'll be more than content!

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