At the beginning of October, I’d been picking leaves from lettuces sown at the end of June and July already for a couple of weeks, and I was hoping to continue this supply of fresh leaves throughout autumn.
Eight weeks later, and even after a couple of frosts, some of the lettuces are still going strong, but now I wonder how they’re going to fare as autumn turns into winter.
I know other growers, such as Charles Dowding, produce magnificent leaves all year round, but these are grown in protected environments such as polytunnels and greenhouses. Living in London, with our brick houses packed tightly together, does provide me with an extra few degrees of warmth, so I’m hoping this will give my outdoor crop a fighting chance. You may ask, why not use your own polytunnel? Well, it’s all about space. Space is minimal, so there’s no room for walk in polytunnels, and I’ve found small cloches really fiddly for both picking and watering. I guess large arched metal hoops covered with fleece would give a little more protection whilst not blocking the rain, but that means you have to undo it all and re-attach it each time you want to pick your lettuces and large swathes of fleece are none-too-decorative in a small front garden either.
So I’ve decided to keep my experiments protection free.
My ‘Merveille de Quatre Saisons’, at the back of the bed, were sown at the end of June, a bit too early I reckon, and have now all gone to seed. My Cos ‘Freckles’ at the bottom left of the pic were sown at the beginning of September. A bit too late for them to really reach a big enough size for my autumn salads. But my ‘Cocarde’ oak-leaf lettuces are a real triumph. Sown at the end of July, I’ve been picking them from late September and although I’m not eating them every night (and sometimes mixing them with bought lettuces), they give me lots of tasty leaves to eat and look fantastic in my front garden too.
I’m not sure how much longer they’ll continue for (will keep you updated), but this year’s experiments are encouraging (and delicious). I think next year I’ll be planting a whole heap of lettuces at the end of July/beginning of August, as that seems the optimum time to get my autumn leaves off to a flying start.
Meanwhile, mustard leaves (and a few more lettuces) sown mid September, but not planted out until November, have just quietly settled in, without putting on any growth. Again, an earlier sowing in mid August and planting out in September or the beginning of October will hopefully give me spicy leaves aplenty next year.
So although my timings were a little out this summer, I’m really pleased that I still do have some tasty leaves to nibble at (including some self seeded baby nasturtium leaves) and hopefully, with some more careful planning, I’ll do better next year. I’m itching to get sowing seeds already!
p.s. All lettuces above available from Sarah Raven
Out of my shed 
Hi Naomi !
Your garden looks like heaven for all Peter Rabbits aged 11O !
Beatrix P.
(aka F from Metz, Fr where we are having our first snowflakes :(xxx
Hi Fatima, I think I might be on the farmer’s side if I saw Peter Rabbit anywhere near my lettuces! It’s a bit chilly here, but no snow in London yet….
Will watch the progress of your autumn lettuces with much interest. They’re looking good so far 🙂
Hi Anna, yes, really pleased to still have leaves to pick. Hoping some will make it into the New Year…….
Getting winter crops is difficult. You should benefit from milder conditions living in a city though, so that should help. I find covering them is a faff and if the air can’t circulate well, particularly in damp weather, they suffer from mould. I have a few pots with mizuna and a few leaves in another. I get some leaves but not really enough to be honest and I’ve got some lettuces at the allotment but they are quite small and the leaves a bit bitter. I’m hoping they’ll survive the winter and then start growing again in spring. I’m hoping my newly acquired greenhouse means next winter will be a better year for winter salad leaves.
Hi WW, jealous of your greenhouse, hopefully you’ll have lots more leaves next year, but enjoying experimenting with what we’ve got and happy to have some leaves to pick, albeit smaller amounts than in summer. I will grow more varieties next summer too to see which ones can tough it out, outside over winter.
Keep at it, you will eventually find the cultivars that really work for you, and you only need 1 or 2. Good luck!
Hi SG, Thanks for words of encouragement. Hopefully will have a few more leaves next autumn. It’s worth experimenting to find the best cultivars to grow and the right time to sow them.
I grow mine indoors over winter. I have a particularly sunny windowsill though which makes it possible. Interested to see how yours get on. I hope they survive 🙂
Hi Anna, My lettuces have survived the last few heavy-ish frosts, but with not much new growth, pickings are getting slimmer. Encouraging though that thy’ve made it this far, and will plan on sowing more plants next year to get a bigger supply of winter leaves. Jealous of your lovely indoor growing space!
I like the look of that Cocarde – must add it to my list to try this year. I’m with you re the faff of cloches, though they’ve been great protection for my Amaze lettuces so far this winter. I’m finding my coldframe to be the star asset for winter cropping. It’s lined with recycled polystyrene sheets for extra warmth and very easy to prop open on a milder day to give everything a good airing. Unlike Wellywoman, a greenhouse isn’t an option for me 😦
PS have added your link to December’s salady round-up, hope that’s OK. The salad challenge continues into 2013! 🙂
Hi Michelle, Thanks v. much for link to December Salady round up. Your coldframe does indeed sounds rather useful.
Now in January, my Cocardes are still very upright despite heavy frosts, but have turned a tad bitter, (though still edible with other leaves). Maybe that’s where the protection could help with this particular variety…Amaze looks great. Hope it tastes lovely too.
Looking forward to reading lots more on the Salad Challenge in 2013!
Re the bitterness, I’ve been speculating on that too with my ‘Bull’s Blood’ beet leaves. If I remember my A level biology correctly (from many moons ago), plants can respond to frost with their own version of ‘antifreeze’. It’s this which can make the leaves turn bitter. When I started the Challenge last year, a random Twitter chat with Alys Fowler revealed the couple of degrees extra warmth a coldframe provides keeps the leaves ‘softer’. I reckon this also means they’re not making so much of their ‘antifreeze’. I need to do some more research on whether all of what I’ve just said is actually the case though!
It sounds like your more bitter Cocarde is now playing the role of chicory or endive in your winter salad mix 🙂
P.s. Read this: Dr Franklin said: “To survive the freezing temperatures of winter, many plants undergo a process termed cold acclimation. In response to the cooler temperatures that presage the onset of winter, plants increase the expression of a large number of genes which lead to the accumulation of proteins and sugars that confer ‘antifreeze’ properties to cells”, but no nearer to the bitterness issue. Lettuces are often bitter just before they bolt, so although low temps are stopping them from bolting, maybe their growing cycle is just over?
Hi Michelle, All sounds very plausible and the plants making anti-freeze is ringing bells from my RHS General Certificate days (although I thought it was a sugar solution that stopped leaves freezing!). Must dig out my botany books! Really interesting stuff though, and looks like I’ll need to cloche-up salad leaves next year if I want sweeter leaves all year round (or grow different possibly waxier, more robust varieties?)
You’re right, I’m still enjoying them despite (or possibly because of) their bitter taste, as I’ve always had a penchant for chicory! Will report back after more research. N x