Difficulty Easy

Where Semi-shade

Soil Light, free draining soil, any PH

When From late April

Preparation Dig soil to a depth of 30cm a couple of weeks before planting out

Planting In trays: sow in individual cells, just under the surface of the soil. Place cells in a tray on a north facing windowsill or in a coldframe until all danger of late frosts has passed. Transplant into well dug soil 20cm apart. Sow a small amount of seeds every 2 weeks, rather than all at once, to ensure a season long supply. Can be planted between garlic and onions if you are short on space

Care Almost none beyond an occasional weeding

Feeding None

Harvest Start harvesting the plants young. You can take the outer, lower leaves of spinach and rocket four or five times and the plant will put out new growth. Most lettuces are best harvested whole. Eat immediately after picking. If planting between garlic or onions, harvest with scissors rather than pulling the heads up out of the ground as any disturbance to garlic or onions’ roots will shock them into setting seed early

Storage Don’t

Saving Seed You can let lettuce, spinach and rocket bolt by keeping them dry. This will make the plant think they are in danger and force them to produce a flower stalk. Let at least 2 plants grow a flower stalk, the seeds will be ready to harvest when the flowers have faded and swollen into pods which will turn brown. Dry the seeds on a windowsill and use the next spring

Varieties Little Gem lettuce is delicious fresh from the garden as is Perpetual Spinach which keeps sprouting more leaves almost as fast as you can pick them. Wild Rocket remains my favourite

Pests Slugs at every stage. Pigeons can be kept off with netting