successively planting salad stuff ..

beds numbered 1 and 3 are this year's salad beds .. for the most part, these beds hold lettuces .. bed 3 has the broad beans at the back and a colourfull array of different lettuces growing in the rest of the bed .. spacing of plants in this bed is based on the square foot gardener's method of planting .. lettuces are four to a square foot .. bed 3 is growing 'heads' of lettuce that are and will continue to be picked at their peak through the coming seasons .. as the heads are picked more lettuces are planted, either by transplant, or by seed, thereby ensuring there will always be fresh lettuces coming .. we hope to plant lettuces and other greens right on through the winter ..

bed 1 has been divided in half .. the back half, near the gate to the compost, is planted in a cut and come method .. the lettuces in this bed are planted about two inches apart in a row just less than ten feet long .. as these lettuces grow they blend into long colourfull lines of lovely lettuces .. to harvest, the largest leaves of these lettuces are picked .. i think i've had more than a dozen pickings since mid may .. however, as the plants grow and mature they become bitter at which point they will be relegated to the compost and new lettuces, or other greens, will be planted .. again, the idea is to continue picking and planting right through the winter season and into spring ..

the second half of bed 1 is planted with a few more lettuces that will grow into heads .. there are also two cherry tomatoes .. a patch of soybeans for edamame .. an our scallopini squash .. scallopinis are a summer squash, and they're already beginning to produce tiny squashes .. again, as the produce matures and is picked from this bed, other hardier greens and plants will be planted to last through the winter .. that is the hope, at least .. as gardening always carries with it a strong element of hope ..

i have been, and will continue to harvest the salad beds two or three times a week, and i also encourage you to come into the garden and harvest .. go to bed 1 and/or bed 3 and take yourselves home some fresh lettuces for salads ..if you'd like to, but are uncomfortable or unsure how to harvest the lettuces and other greens, just come and ask me .. better for us to get these little beauties before the slugs get to them ..