[Fisherman]

What's your favourite fast growing salad crop and have you got any unusual ones that you could recommend for either indoor or outdoor growing? Just looking for something different to try.

[Kristen]

Mooli Radish - I love the way they grow half out of the ground, half in the ground

Too early to sow yet though ...

[digalotty]

you cant beat a bit of rocket for me

[viettaclark]

I scattered a mix of last year's left over seed (various coloured lettuce, mizuna, rocket and spinach) in 3 big pots outside about 3 weeks ago and they've sprouted and going strong!
They'll do for baby leaf and I've still got mizuna, sorrel, spinach, lamb's lettuce, red and green mustard and 4 different winter lettuces on the go in the beds. These will start to run to flower soon so need to eat and plant more! Also got some radishes coming on nicely which I'm just hardening off.
Had trouble with mouli last year but might use up the seed and try again....
We love our salad!

[solway cropper]

I love the red-leaved lettuces like lollo rossa. I just scatter thinly and harvest on a cut and come again basis. You can start them off under glass from any time now.

[noshed]

Rocket is great and look at the price of it in Tescos

[superplanty]

Lettuce "Salad Bowl". Cut and come again. Lasts for months.

[Jamie Butterworth]

I love the red-leaved lettuces like lollo rossa. I just scatter thinly and harvest on a cut and come again basis. You can start them off under glass from any time now.

Ive just bought some Lollo rossa seeds, cant wait to grow them

[bigben]

last year I had a half packet of rocket and an empty space so chucket it in around mid October not expecting much. It came up and I was eating it into the new year - as Noshed says - look at the price in the shops!

[mumofstig]

I have corn salad and rocket still to eat in the cold greenhouse.......I just sow some when the toms come out, as well as winter lettuces and leafy endive which have all gone now.
I noticed yesterday that the silverstem chard has started to shoot already, so that will be salad for a while   But that's not quick growing which is what the question was

I love Seeds of Italy mix of 8 lettuce and 6 radicchio, great for cut and come again, which you can sow from march in the open and during winter in the greenhouse .....somebody else on here recommended it to me, but I can't remember who

[ferreter51]

I love the red-leaved lettuces like lollo rossa. I just scatter thinly and harvest on a cut and come again basis. You can start them off under glass from any time now.

That's the one I like, too.  I have some just coming through in the greenhouse.  I'll grow them on a bit and then plant them out.  For faster results, I keep a few in the greenhouse.

[BabbyAnn]

For something quick to add to salads, there's nothing like sprouting seeds and you can grow such a wide range of things now not just mung bean sprouts, alfalfa, mustard or cress although they are always welcome too     

[compostqueen]

I have the Italian seed mix going all the time    I've got oriental leaves too which can be eaten small in your salad, or left to grow on for stir fry

I love rocket (the flowers too are very peppery)  I like the perennial sorrel which imparts a real lemony tang to your salad (it can be used to make sauce too)  I  love Little Gem lettuces with their crunchy little boat shaped leaves which are perfect vessels for holding mayo etc 

An unusual, but very easy to grow leaf, is Treviso!  It's very hardy and so beautiful on the plot. It can be chargrilled too. I think it might technically be a chicory, not sure though 

Don't forget that the humble beetroot has lovely edible leaves which can be used when small in your salad bowl

[Chrysalis]

Now I'm getting hungry!  Not just for salad leaves, but for all that they promise - sun, heat, blue sky, fresh air and contentment...  :Dwill have to pretend and sow indoors as it's so foggy and cold here in the Midlands

[Fisherman]

Thanks for all you replies

I will have to try Mooli Radish and Treviso the latter of which I have never come across. As I am a bit of a salad freak I like to grow all sorts of salad crops from Spring through Autumn. Early season I grow crops in metre long gutter trays in a cold greenhouse moving on to deeper outdoor troughs when it gets warmer (gutter trays dry out too quickly then). Some of my favourites are spinach, rocket, oriental mixes, pak choi, various lettuce, mustards, chards, beetroot etc. As BabbyAnn recommended sprouting seeds and beans are also a worthwhile growing. I find winter months a bit tricky and the seeds of Italy mix of 8 lettuce and 6 radicchio sounds like worth trying out. I’m always on the lookout for some new salad crop to try if anyone as any other recommendations especially winter cropping ones.