I can't grow greens!!

[Livi's Mama]

Once in a great while I get a decent looking lettuce plant but spinach I've never been able to grow. So far so good on my 1st try at swiss chard. Anyone really awesome at growing leaf lettuce etc & care to share tips?

[claras_mom]

I haven't had just huge success, but I think I know part of what I've done wrong in the past. Greens seem to like cooler weather, so they can be grown in a shadier spot. I've actually read of people planting lettuce in wheelbarrows (like I have an extra one lying around...not!) so that they can be moved into shady spots as the sun moves.

Actually, planting greens is on my to do list for the weekend, so I'll be eager to hear what others have to say!

[Pandora114]

Cooler weather, indirect sunlight, and SANDY extremely well drained soil.

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

I plant mine in the shade, and I plant them early, when the soil is still cool, as soon as it's tawed and can be worked.

What is going wrong with your greens?

[craftymom]

Lettuce grows better when it's cool. Here, I grow it in the winter--the last few left in the garden are trying to go to seed now. Not an option for you , but lettuce CAN stand 32 degrees and live--in AZ my lettuces got ICED--so maybe you need to plant in April? Or early Sept?

Chard can handle chilliness too--mine doesn't get much sun in the winter and keep growing. It doesn't like heat/sun and will go straight to seed.

If you're having trouble w/bugs, I've had NO bug problems w/chard--just powdery mildew on occasion. I lose lots of radish and lettuce seedlings due to bugs (or slugs?).

Good luck! Chard is one of my favorite things to grow.

[beebalmmama]

I was just telling dh yesterday that I was going back to just growing greens, which is the only thing I've been successful at thus far.(My tomatoes, peppers, and squash look pretty pathetic right now). I've had success in the past with Arugula, mustard, bok choy, and so far my kale and chard are coming along well. My spinach is coming in pretty spotty and something has been getting at it. I've been on slug detail for all my greens lately and covered with row covers to keep out flying pests. So far my lettuce is untouched, Arugula and mustard mildly chewed, and my tat soi (not as good, but something always seems to get to the tat soi quicker than the other greens. Spinach is getting munched more than all of them, chard and kale look good. All my greens are getting full sun right now, but my peas should be shading them more during the late afternoon sun as they get taller. My second greens bed to go in will be shaded fully in the afternoon and will get sun until noon or so. I planted my greens in mid April (direct seed)Zone 5, and transplanted my kale this past month. I prepped the beds with compost, but other than that have not fertilized otherwise. My brother has grown greens in straw beds. He's uses straw bales and cuts out a portion of the top and fills with 3-4 inches of topsoil and waters the heck out of it to soak the bale. I've not tried it, but he's had success.

[Livi's Mama]

What is going wrong with your greens?

Well if I put seeds in the ground, they don't seem to sprout. I keep them watered. I've tried several varieties at 2 different homes. If I put them in pots, they sprout, but don't ever get very big. I guess I *have* gotten Black Seeded Simpson lettuce to produce in a pot on occasion, but never direct seeding outside. ANd if I try to start them inside & transplant, they just fall over & die. I'm probably doing so many different things wrong. although I don't try to grow them in the hottest part of summer, so I did learn one thing along the way... And I guess I should say that my 1st try at chard this year (in a pot) is looking good so far!

I like the straw bale tip, beebalmmama. I'll have to keep that in mind.