Help with Greens

[jamesey]

Hi,

I've been having green smoothies for a few months now, but to be honest, i'm not sure how "green" they are with the greens i'm using. I'm mainly using different varieties of lettuce, like lambs, batavia, cos etc and to be honest they aren't "dark green" like everyone seems to rave about eating.

The problem is where i live i am unable to find any dark greens anywhere!! Its all usually just salady/lettuce items that are light in color and doesn't have the bitter tastes. I went on holiday a month or so ago and i saw the supermarket near where i was staying actually had loads of big pak chois, and for the first time i has actually seen proper hige dark green leaves!! When i made a smoothie out of it i could instantly "feel" the power of it and the bitterness was incredible!!

The problem is im now stuck with the pale lettuce leaves again... i really want the dark greens but i no of know ehere to buy it.

I feel the only way is to grow them myself... i have a small vegetable patch in my garden and a greenhouse. Does anyone else grow there own dark leafy greens? I would like to know if itds easy to do, how quick dark leafy greens take to grow and which are the best to grow, and as it can get cold in the winter where i am, if they can be grown in not so hot weather ie.. if there are winter varieties etc

If anyone can help, id be really, really grateful!!!!!

Kind regards, james

[RawKnitster]

I have no experience with it, but yesterday my brother-in-law gave me a tour of his veg garden and 10'x10' greenhouse, in northwestern Washington. He has dozens of gallon pots of lettuce and spinach in various states of growth. He starts some every couple weeks in late summer and fall. Harvests them all the way into February.

Good luck!

[Ilse W.]

I grow swiss chard, have 6 plants which will give me enough greens for the next few months all the way into winter. I will also sow some spinach soon. I might make a cover from corrugated acrylic for one of my raised beds, that should let me grow lettuces all the way through winter. We don't have many freezes here, so as long as the beds are covered at night, they should be ok. Other vegetables that grow through the winter here are beets, so I have them along with beet greens, and of course kale. All must be extremely easy to grow, since I'm successful with them :D.

[jamesey]

thx for the replies guys..

emma, in regards to the swiss chard, how long does this take to grow - do you pick the baby leaves or leave it until it grows into the really big leaves? i' m thinking of growing in my greenhouse, ive got massive deep rectangluar pots which which i can plant lines of, do you think this would be ok?

[carolg]

I'm thinking of seeing if I can get some kale and lettuces growing before winter sets outside (COLORADO here). Someone local told me get them planted now for a winter crop. Sure would be sweet to save $ and eat them fresh daily.

carolg

[Ilse W.]

James, I start picking the outside leaves once they are about 6-8 inches long (just the leaf part). I think they would work just fine in your pots.
Carol, start your winter crop now, you should be able to harvest plenty of greens, before winter sets in. Kale even gets better with a freeze! (Listen to me giving gardening advise, lol. You should see the weeds in my yard!:D)