Tomatoes, bell peppers, salad, oh my!

Do you grow your own lettuce and other greens for salads?

I found a few years ago that they grow better for me in large pots than in the garden for some reason. So i do try to grow them during the regular gardening season. I haven't tried growing them indoors however.

When does your growing season start in the South? First week of June I can set plants from the greenhouse to the garden.

Yep ... usually some kind of leaf lettuce and/or those seed packages of salad mix.  I've found they grow better in pots than in my garden.. The leaves aren't as large .. I just call them baby greens.

I grow tomatoes and bell peppers (and banana peppers) too, though most of those  are used for other cooking.

My system used to be to grow the things that are more expensive, and just buy the cheaper things.

I'm not doing a garden this year as we live in a very small town in a rural area and the classifieds are full of people who give away their excess for free, or very cheaply.

I'm still growing herbs though as they are pricy, and I love fresh ones. I've found so many uses for herbs and have really gotten to love them. I put fresh dill in scrambled eggs a few years ago and love it. I figured if it tasted good in egg salad or devilled eggs, why not? lol

I do like your salad idea though. My sister once named her garden rows after foods. A lasagna row (tomatoes, basil, oregano etc).

 

I have problems growing sweet peppers. Not sure why!  Lettuce grows good if I get it in early.  Tomatoes, grow a lot of them Cukes , we love. Last couple of years, we have had problems with squash bugs, they attack the cuke plants too. I have tried a lot of different things with no luck to get rid of them.Babs

Cinnamonhuskies:

When does your growing season start in the South

We are in shorts and it's warm now. We usually experience spring in March.

I planted salad greens one year and they just seemed tough compared to what you buy in the grocery store, maybe I should try doing them in a pot. I usually grow tomatoes, peppers, cukes, and zucchini but not this year. This year it will just be tomatoes and peppers along with herbs.

Brandy, sounds like you could plant lettuce, radishes, peas, spinach now  and potatoes.  I love spring. Feels like it here too which is so strange. My grass is starting to get green again. Babs

 Yesterday I transplanted 5 little lettuces from under my glass cloche - aka domed cake top - into the garden.  2 of them are under thrift store cheese domes, but the other 3 are not, even tho it is not yet "spring" along the Wasatch Front by any definition.  However, they were too crowded to leave under the large dome, so it was time to experiment.  Our dinner salad last night had 12 leaves from the Buttercrunch lettuce under the cake dome, mixed with the last of the leftover baby spinach from the store.

The lettuce from under the dome was tender & crisp, just perfect!

Gardening is my favorite!!! Salad and leafy greens are a must here! I have some beautiful chard and sorrel still producing! I am planning to thank and pull some of the chard this weekend for quiche w/garden chard... mushrooms and gouda : )