kids grow salad-leaves
kids grow salad-leaves logo
kids grow salad-leaves

Growing salad leaves with kids

Perfect for growing indoors, or on a patio, salad leaves are quick and easy crops that are ideal for adding to sandwiches or lunchboxes for some green goodness. Mixed leaves often produce 'cut and come again' crops - which means, the more you pick, the more they grow. There are plenty of other easy salad crops to grow with kids. Find a variety of specific guides and suggestions at our salad hub page.

What you'll need:

  • • Mixed salad leaf seeds
  • • Multi-purpose compost
  • • Container
  • • Watering can

Step 1: Sow your seeds

pink container full of salad leavesSalad leaves grow well in containers
Image: Joanne Dale/ Shutterstock
  • • Most salad leaf mixes can be sown from March to October.
  • • Fill your containers with compost to within 2-3cm of the top, and firm it down slightly.
  • • Scatter some seeds thinly on the surface (aim for about 1-2cm between seeds).
  • • Cover them with a thin layer of compost and gently water them.

Step 2: Grow your salad leaves

baby salad leaves growing in a containerBaby salad leaves
Image: PikturePerfect/ Shutterstock
  • • Keep your salad leaves well watered.
  • • When your seedlings are about 2cm tall, thin them out to give them space to grow.
  • • Most salad leaves will be ready to pick in about 21 days - as soon as the leaves are big enough to eat!

Step 3: Harvest your salad leaves

harvesting salad leaves with handsKeep picking the leaves - and more will grow!
Image: Natalia Lebedinskaia/ Shutterstock
  • • Pick leaves from around the outside of your plants.
  • • Pick them regularly, and your plants will produce more delicious leaves!
  • • Once your plants start to flower, pull them up, as they'll become too bitter to eat.

Popular salad leaves:

There's plenty more information in the downloadable guide. Print it out for more detailed instructions and even more salad leaves facts!

  Click the image to download the full pdf guide  
 
growing salad-leaves with kids pdf
 

Banner image: Alesia.B/ Shutterstock

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