Zone 9 winters are famous for being mild, having only a few short days of frost. A great crop for winter is leafy greens, and why not plant a mixed green salad garden?
What is a Mixed Green Garden?
A mixed green garden is based on the salad of the same name. It is basically any type of mixed varieties of leafy green crops. Lettuces of all types, arugula, watercress and spinach. Almost all types of leafy greens grow well in Zone 9 during the winter, so a mixed green garden can be quite productive and lead to a healthy diet!
How to Grow Mixed Greens
Most mixed greens have basically the same requirements:
- Rich, well drained soil
- Consistent nutrients and water
- A nitrogen weighted nutrient balance
Rich, Well Drained Soil
Soil that is rich in nutrients and its ability to maintain them as well as not hold large amounts of stagnant water will encourage the growth of leafy greens. If the soil holds to much water and does not drain, leafy greens can be susceptible to many problems such as fungus, root rot and other issues.
Consistent Nutrients and Water
Just as important as the presence of nutrients and water is the constancy of them. Soil that is rich in nutrients and moisture one day and devoid of the two the next day will stress leafy greens and prevent lush growth. Maintaining a stable nutrient and moisture level is fairly easy by keeping the soil mulched and fertilized with high quality compost.
A Nitrogen Weighted Nutrient Ballance
Leafy greens benefit greatly from a nutrient balance with a fair amount of nitrogen. Nitrogen is the nutrient in soil that promotes leaf and stalk growth. A great method of seeding soil with nitrogen is the grow beans or peas during the spring and summer. These plants fix nitrogen into the soil through a process in which they pull it out of the air and make it available in the soil.
