[Lardman]

I scattered the BBC big dig one in a seed tray and Im hooked.  (Normally I don't bother with lettuce)

The rocket however seems to be taking over, I was thinking of rolling my own without it.  Can anyone suggest a nice mix of leaves that I can use as cut and come again - Normally they get stuffed in a pita or on a cheese sandwich rather than eaten as 'a salad'.

[sclarke624]

Something with 'salad bowl' init would be nice.  Comes in red and green.

[Jonajo]

I tend to shun growing lettuces as whole beasts now and instead opt for the mixed leaves set-up; not the ready put together packets of cut and grow mixed leaves but my own variety using my personal favourite leaf seeds - which is reserved for one of my beds.

Once the leaves grow, I harvest and they grow back. Last year kept me going through the season with minimal effort and stupidly cheap costs compared to the vast £££ for a small bag of basic leaves in the shops which are often wilting before they get home, not to mention the lack of flavour and lack of excitement more often than not.

My current mix is a combination of wild rocket, beetroot, lollo rosso, land cress, spinach,  romaine, radicchio, basil and leeks (I implore people to sow a sprinkle of leek seeds in salad beds as when you cut the grassy stems when young they impart a glorious oniony-leeky flavour).  And jolly gorgeous it looks too with the random bursts of red through the green.

And I have happily got though some and merrily been giving a load away to friends for the last 3 or 4 weeks. Next week I will sow the next bit of the bed with a similar mix, and ditto later on in the season.
 
And right next to this bed is a smaller bed with peas sown just to get them as pea shoots - a great addition for any salad.

[maxie]

Thats a good tip there jonajo im going to try that as i find the mixed salad leaf packets a bit tasteless to say the least.

[diggerjoe]

I am not bothering with whole lettuce this year and have a good mix already growing in a willow planter. I just mixed up spares from seeds packets that were from a few years back and the planter if full. The idea of a few leeks amongst them is brilliant will do that. The pea shoots planters worked rather too well but have to say that on the patio they do make a good splash of green and I have added a few nasturtions well - a cheap way to fill a tub for edible summer colour.

[compostqueen]

I use Misticanza from Seeds of Italy and I always have leaves available. Indoors in the cold greenhouse over winter and it's prolific. The low light levels of winter don't seem to phase it at all.  I sow it outdoors, making successional sowings. A little goes a long way so you don't need to so too many at once or you'll be eating salad mix for breakfast 

[woodburner]

My current mix is a combination of wild rocket, beetroot, lollo rosso, land cress, spinach,  romaine, radicchio, basil and leeks (I implore people to sow a sprinkle of leek seeds in salad beds as when you cut the grassy stems when young they impart a glorious oniony-leeky flavour).  And jolly gorgeous it looks too with the random bursts of red through the green.

A friend had trouble growing leeks to any size, so I suggested she use the young grassy stems in salad. It's a standard ingredient in salad leaves in my late hubby's country of origin, and I'm curious where you picked up the tip.