Winter salads in Switzerland?

[compostpopeParticipant]

Hi Charles

I’ve been inspired by your first book and website to try my hand next year at growing some winter salads and vegetables on my allotment here in Basel, Switzerland. At the moment I only have a (currently empty) cold frame (about 1 by 2 metres) but am considering making cloches and even perhaps putting up a polytunnel or greenhouse.

The winters here tend to be colder for longer than in England. I understand that you have gardened in France where the climate might be similar to here. How do you rate my chances of success? Do you have suggestions of what might or might not do well?

Regards, and Happy Christmas

Compostpope

[charlesModerator]

 Good plan but I think you are colder than where I was in south west France where nights could be frosty but daytime sun often felt warm in winter. What are your temperatures at the moment for example?

Having said that you have more sunlight than in Britain and that is more useful than our dull, damp mildness. Any structure will multiply the warmth from that light and, bearing in mind that winter salads are frost hardy more than moisture resistant, it sounds worthwhile. Any of the salads I usually recommend for winter should be good and especially Rouge Grenobloise lettuce whose origins must be quite close to you!

[compostpopeParticipant]

Thanks for the reply Charles, I shall look out for the lettuce you suggested. I’ve noticed that a neighbour grows corn salad outdoors and forces chicory in his cellar which I can also try.

At the moment we are having a mild spell, with 6 to 10 degrees during the day and 4 or 5 at night – but we had minus 8 for several nights just over a week ago and last winter it went down to minus 12 or thereabouts for a week or more (though that does’nt happen every year).

I appreciate what you wrote about winter salads being more frost tolerant than moisture resistant. I think I will experiment next winter with my cold frame and some cloches before moving on to anything bigger. Whilst on the subject of cloches – how often do they have to be lifted (if at all) for ventilation? I might only get to the allotment at weekends during the winter….

[charlesModerator]

With cloches I leave gaps for air to enter all the time. It may look draughty for the plants but that is good and so much better than near-total exclusion of moving air, in pursuit of higher temperature. Your temperatures sound reasonable and -8 is feasible for winter salads, -12 less so but their resilience always impresses me.

[compostpopeParticipant]

Thanks for the information Charles, I’ll make some “Geoff Hamilton” cloches (as seen on Youtube) and try them this year.

Compostpope

[gjParticipant]

I have a crop of winter density growing nicely in a fleece tunnel. The fleece is over hoops about a meter high as I previously had some early Brussels there. The wind has made a couple of small holes so there is plenty ventilation.

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