Cos lettuce, rocket, kale and other healthy greens are so cheap and easy to grow in cooler weather. You don’t need a lot of space to grow your own “salad bar” where everything stays fresh and waste is minimised as you rarely have to throw away older wilted veg.
This coldframe has been succesful for me in a cool climate where the frost is consistent. But it also protects the delicate growing green leaves from cabbage moth, snails and of course vermin.
My coldframe is 2m by 2m and comprises two squares of 25cm planks bolted together. The top frame is hinged simply to the bottom frame at one side. The whole lot is covered in easily obtainable polycarbonate bought on a roll, cut to size and stapled on with a sturdy staple gun.
It’s easy to plant seed straight into the prepared soil. My coldframe has a thick layer of newspaper on the ground to suppress weeds and is the “no dig” gardening style. I layer straw, manure and then gardening potting mix over the top. It’s not very deep, but quite sufficient for salad greens.
Eventually the larger plants bend into the lid, taking on a slightly stooped sad look so I pick the leaves regularly for eating ensuring a regular replenished crop.
This frame has delicate rocket, baby spinach, coriander (cilantro) and kale all sown direct and nurtured into lovely healthy young plants.
Don’t overwater, as the coldframe does retain a lot of moisture – but of course don’t forget about your seedlings which are “out of sight out of mind”! Mist them while young, and thin out the rows as they emerge.
Salad greens can be the most expensive items in your plant-based lifestyle, but grown like this they are so plentiful it’s easy to be generous and incorporate them into your smoothies as well as every meal.
As the greens develop, pick them every day to ensure you stay on top of the rapid growth. You will find it rewarding to see how much produce you can nurture in your protected garden coldframe.
