Greens update for 2011

[pepperhead212]

As usual, I have a bunch of greens planted, though not as many as for the winter, as many bolted last season in the spring, and I learned from that.

This season, here are the ones that have bolted already:

The red mizuna sent up stalks on EVERY plant while still in the pot! And this is while the regular did fine right next to it, and is still doing well in the ground. Maybe this one NEEDS to be direct seeded.

New Nabai bok choy is bolting in the garden - 3 of 4 plants so far, while all of the Win-Win and Mae Qing are doing fine. Maybe this is one that gets jolted by the cold nights, like napa, rather than the hot days, though we have had a few days in the 80's.

A "Thai Mustard Greens" that a trader sent me (figuring I would like anything Thai) is all going to seed. Not even sure of the variety, or what it might be. I didn't grow it in the winter, figuring that from Thailand it would be more heat resistant, so I'd try it in spring. Now, I'll try it in the fall/winter planting.

Everything else is doing great! Too early to notice much between the 4 kohlrabi varieties, though I had trouble with Grand Duke germinating (only 3 in 4 pots, and I had at least 2, usually more seeds/pot) and had to fill one of the pots with a kolibri.

Lettuce will be my first greens harvest, in just a couple days!

[sorellina]

Ciao Dave-

I'm not having bolting with the Purple Mizuna, but there's 1 Choi Sum, 1 Da Cheong Chae, and 1 Red Frills Mustard with flowers. If I were to cut the middle stalk, would the plant continue to make more leaves?

[pepperhead212]

Hi Julianna,

It has been my experience with these things that once they bolt, there is no chance of them coming back.

[daylilydude]

I'm not experienced with oriental greens, but in my experience with collards, mustards and the like, once they bolt they are done, they may grow more leaves but they are really bitter!!

[sorellina]

Well bummers. I have no idea why they're bolting since I started them so early. They were rootbound when I transplanted them, so maybe it was more a root stress thing. I'll have to sow more in their place.

[daylilydude]

Yes!! And add a few collards to the batch...

[sorellina]

Ciao Dave-

I'm wondering what Asian herbs you grow to use with the greens? I picked up a few plants that are new to me yesterday: Culantro and Vietnamese Lemon Mint. I also got a plant of Lemongrass and Mauve-flowered Garlic Chives.

[pepperhead212]

I grow Thai basil, which I use probably as much as any herb in my garden, so I have that and regular basil growing hydroponically in the off-season. I also grow some lemon basil in the summer. I also have two kaffir lime trees (one is too much, but one might die at any time, and I could never live w/o these!) and a curry plant, which I have to bring in every fall, and they just went back out a couple of weeks ago. I start some lemongrass from stalks I buy at the market - just slice the very bottom off the stalks, to expose some fresh area, and put them in a glass of water, change it about every 3 days, and they root in about 3 weeks. Then plant about 18" apart, as soon as threat of frost is past, and by fall I have enough to last me until next season, plus some to sell. Rao ram, AKA Vietnamese coriander, is an herb I also root from cuttings I buy in the market, as well as green perilla, Vietnamese balm (probably that lemon mint that you got), and sometimes wild betel leaf (when I can get it on stems, and not removed). I have tried growing culantro, and have not had much luck with it. I have garlic chives, but they are the white flowered ones.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot what I have more of growing than anything else: mint! This is a patch that comes up every year, and is surrounded by concrete, so it can't escape! This is used a lot in Vietnamese cooking, and I have so much of it that comes up every year that my neighbors come over and get some whenever they it for their tea.

I don't flavor the greens much with the herbs, unless the greens are just part of a larger dish, such as a noodle dish. On their own, I usually flavor them with garlic, and often some nam prik pao. However, that lemon mint is very good with many veggies that traditionally go well with lemon juice and lemon zest, and I often use it tossed in at the last second before serving.

[pepperhead212]

Here is a greens slideshow showing how huge these greens have gotten since I transplanted them on 4-25. I have also harvested some of the lettuce, bock choy, mizuna, komatsuna, and senposai, but you would never know it! I just hope is does not get very hot very fast...the only thing that these plants don't like.

[pepperhead212]

My mizuna is just showing signs of bolting on a few plants, so I cut them down, and brought it in and cooked with it last night. No signs of off flavor, and those just forming flower stalks were actually good on their own! I thought they may be, considering other flowering brassicas that are so good. No other bolting, despite intense hot weather - 95 for a high one day, the hottest of five 90+ days we have had so far this "spring".

[sorellina]

Mine's bolting bad, Dave. I think what happened this year is that the bed covers weren't ready at the time that I needed to get the plants in and they got overly rootbound and stressed. When do you think I should start more seeds? Would it even be advised to do another round now or should I wait until August to sow seeds? Our first frost is around Halloween.

[pepperhead212]

How long were yours in the pots before transferring them, Sorellina? Mine were in for over 4 weeks, almost 5, which is unusual, but it was raining so bad that I finally had to go out and plant them in very wet soil. Yet I was surprised that NONE were rootbound, and some were even very loosely rooted, barely holding the soil in! And these were SMALL pots - 72/flat.

I just found my mustard greens bolting today, so I harvested the ones that bolted, and I may harvest more tomorrow, to pickle them. A few more of the mizuna show signs of stalks coming up, so those will be next.

Funny...my first frost date USED TO BE about 10-10, but now it is more like Halloween, also, or into November. How times change. I usually start fall greens around 9-1, but last season was so hot that I waited until after 10-1. Only way you can find out if any will grow there in the summer is to plant them! Just plant a couple of each variety, if you haven't tested them yet. This is how I found out which ones would bolt latest in the spring, and it has done pretty good, so far.

[grunt]

Sorrelina: A lot of the Oriental greens will bolt if they are too crowded, or if they are transplanted. I forgot this and transplanted some Choy Sin = it bolted two days later. They really don't like to be disturbed.

[pepperhead212]

I have never had trouble with transplanting Asian greens, and this is how I do all of mine. This season I had a new one that bolted in the pot (red mizuna), but this was an exception. Even in those small pots - 72/flat - I have no problems.

I can't believe how these greens are resisting bolting!!! Only one of 8 Mizuna bolted so far, an none of the Senposai or Komatsuna have any sign of a stalk showing.

[Deleted]

My wife is Cantonese ( Hong Kong) and a LOT of my gardening techniques were passed along from my Mother-in-law 40 years ago. She was from Canton, Southern China... I have sown seeds for my Bok Choi, Choi Sum, etc... rather densely for y e a r s and when the small seedlings are 2+ inches tall, I THIN the rows by transplanting to form other rows. Don't care what the "books" say about NOT transplanting them, IT WORKS VERY WELL..........
I FULLY AGREE with the 2 postings (above)..... Crowding is MUCH WORSE than
thinning the rows and transplanting.
LarryD
LarryD

[Deleted]

Sorellina...... I plant all my Asian greens after AUGUST 15. They will do well growing into cooler temperatures.
LarryD

[sorellina]

Ciao all-

Thanks everyone for your help on this! I still have some Gai Lan and Red Frills Mustard, but I haven't harvested in a while, so I'm not sure if it's any good still. I'll resist the temptation to start seeds until at least mid August. I love Asian soups and I'll be ready for them again come fall.

[pepperhead212]

One of the three senposai out there finally bolted. Still OK, as far as flavor, as I pulled it up and cut all the leaves off as soon as I saw the seed stalk starting. Two more of the mizuna bolted. The Komatsuan still has no signs of bolting. Those things are incredible. I took this photo and some others on 7-12, and the bolting has happened in the 3 days since.

[gulfcoastguy]

I'm considering planting some asian greens in August for fall harvest. I really like bok choy at the chinese resteraunts but don't know much about the others. I did grow chinese cabbage about 30 years ago once.