Growing Salad Greens in the Market Garden
Back in 2013 when Morgan and I first started our market farming venture, we had a dream to make a living by growing nutrient dense food for our community. Contrary to the agricultural trends of our time, we chose to be as small as possible. And, if we were to attempt to start a market farm again, I’d go smaller. We had an acre designated to growing market crops like kale, beets, arugula, tomatoes, pimento peppers. As much as possible, we chose to grow high value, multi harvest crops. One of the crops that we chose to grow based on those conditions was salad greens. These crops made a lot of sense for multiple reasons. Not only do you get multiple cuts from each planting, but salad greens are usually eaten for multiple meals a week, sometimes multiple times a day. Theoretically, this meant they would be valued more, and more popular with our customers. And this turned out to be true. They were very popular with our customers. A big salad made with fresh cut greens is a completely different experience than what a lot of people have come to expect when eating a salad. One of the reasons this experience was so different for our custmers was the diversity of the greens that we grew. In our market garden, we grew arugula, tatsoi, spinach, red mustard, mizuna, kale, baby lettuce greens, and a variety of asian greens. Today, Morgan and I aren’t selling at markets, but we still grow salad greens throughout the fall, winter, and spring. It’s become our favorite harvest from the garden. And the best part is, they are pretty easy to grow.
Growing Salad Greens in the Home Garden
When we were growing for market, I used a push seeder. I went to find my seeder online to link it and it looks like Hoss has a different style now. Also, boy! seeders are expensive. I’m hesitant to link any seeders or recommend any because quality is very important and without using one prior, I don’t feel good about recommending one. Especially considering their cost. However, if you have a big garden space, the seeders make planting really easy. In our home garden, I just seed by hand. I show what we did this fall when seeding greens in a recent newsletter. It’s really simple. You just loosen the top of the soil a bit, make some rows a few inches apart, drop seeds in the row, cover your rows, and water them in. You can grow multi-cut salad greens in pots as well. You can mix them into established flower beds, even. Most greens, grown in healthy soil, have a deep green color, often with hints of blue and purple. Some salad greens aren’t green at all. Red mustard is, you guessed it, red. And they look really beautiful.
An easy way to get a quick burst of flavor and make the decision process easy, is to buy seeds pre-mixed. Here are a few to consider:
Johnny’s Kalebration Mix
Baker Creek’s ‘Rocky Top’ Salad Mix
And if you choose only one green to grow, I definitely recommend growing arugula. While it’s peppery taste is not for everyone, it is mine and Morgan’s favorite green to eat, by far!
Arugula
Eruca sativa
History:
Arugula has been grown throughout history. In India, the seeds were used to flavor their dishes and the ancient Romans cooked the leaves. In the US, it is a very popular salad green known for its peppery taste and tender leaves.
Seeding:
Arugula can be direct seeded into your garden throughout the year. Seed Arugula in rows that are 3-6” apart, with the seeds roughly 0.5-1” apart. (I wouldn’t fret much about the spacing in rows.) Plant seeds to .25” depth.
Spacing:
3-6” between rows; 0.5-1” between seeds.
Cultivation:
After seeding your arugula, Do your best to keep your rows weed-free. Once established, a canopy will form and the Arugula will out-compete the majority of weeds. This will leave you with an easy to maintain patch of peppery salad greens. A light feeder, it doesn’t need much soil amending to produce a healthy crop. Arugula is very winter hardy and in zone 6 and up can be grown throughout the winter.
Pests:
The flea beetle is an annoying pest of arugula. It will pierce holes in your leaves, making them not as attractive. However, the plants are still good to eat and shouldn’t be avoided. Flea beetles are primarily a problem in the summer and during hot, dry conditions. Early spring and fall plantings will likely avoid this annoying pest.
Harvest:
Arugula can be harvested anytime once true leaves appear. For multiple harvests, wait to harvest until the plants reach 3-4”. Grown in cool conditions, the leaves have a mild, but distinct peppery taste. Spring plantings tend to flower quickly. The flowers are edible and also tasty.
Arugula in the Kitchen
Arugula can be a bit peppery, a bit spicy. To counter this, I like to use a salad dressing that is a bit on the sweeter side.A blend of olive oil, lemon, and a dab of maple syrup. Add a little salt to the greens and BOOM!
Also, try substituting arugula for basil in a pesto recipe.
Lastly, arugula tastes great in a stir fry! Try an over-easy egg on top of caramilized onions, peppers, and arugula.
Love the pictures!