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hunter_tx

Asian greens for beginners

hunter_tx
19 years ago

I would like to try growing some oriental greens, but have no experience doing so. Does anyone have suggestions for greens suitable for eating raw in salads and such. I have two different seeds so far (only ones available at a local seed supplier): Pak-choy and Michihili chinese cabbage. Do you generally follow the same guidelines for planting as you would mustard greens and cole crops?

Thanks, Mrs H

Comments (10)

  • Violet_Z6
    19 years ago

    Mrs H,

    >Do you generally follow the same guidelines for planting as you would mustard greens and cole crops?

    Yes, you are correct. Most leafy greens will fall into either of the two categories you mentioned.

    Check with your state's Extension Service. Each county should have it's own Cooperative Extension Office which provides free publications and information for the asking. They can also tell you the average last frost date for your area and ideal planting times for specific crops and varieties in your area.

    The following two images are excerpts from the Vegetable Planting and Planning Calendar for Missouri (download the pdf complete with spring and fall planting dates, how much to plant per person, etc. Just call up the office in your county. Look under the "Government" section (usually blue pages) of your phone book under "Extension". They will have valuable vegetable/gardening tables available specifically for your area from data they've collected from growing those crops in your state.

    Violet

    {{gwi:385463}}

    {{gwi:385464}}

  • npthaskell
    19 years ago

    I love Autumn Poem, available from
    http://www.johnnyseeds.com
    and related "Yu Choy" (especially "80 day") from Evergreen, link below

    Here is a link that might be useful: yu choy from Evergreen

  • hunter_tx
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    THanks for the replies. I had kind of given up after four days and thought no one was checking in on the forum, lol. I managed to find another couple of seed varieties Thursday. I planted what I have and they should be sprouting in the next week or so. One of them is a red chinese cabbage and the other is tat soi (think that's how it's spelled). Are there any special techniques needed for growing any of these? I'm excited about having a few new faces in the garden. Thanks so much for the info.
    Mrs H

  • ChicoGirl
    19 years ago

    Violet recommended the book (Thanks, Violet...)
    "Oriental Vegetables - The Complet Guid for the Gardening Cook" before. I bought it from Internet (either from half.com or e-bay??). It was published in 1991. You couldn't find the fancy new items' description, but I think this is a nice book to have for beginners mainly because it's so affordable and cover the basic. (currently $4 plus S/H $2 plus tax maybe?) The book's index has a growing information chart with climate, frost tolerance, sit, plant characteristics, sowing times(in months), and main season of use for most Asian veggies. The rest of the book is a good reference that you can find general info for common veggies.

    Once you place an order to any seed company, you would receive their catalogues and from there you would notice more and more of new items that "you just got to try them". LOL.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Possible source

  • FogLily
    19 years ago

    We have Chinese pen pals and decided to 'go Chinese' this year, diving deeper in our studies so we are new to growing Asian veggies as well. We fell in love with the Evergreen Y.H. Enterprise peoples ( http://www.evergreenseeds.com ) because they are so quick about the orders! We have borrowed a wonderful book that has given us new insights to using the veggies "The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, Classic Family Recipes for Celebration and Healing" by Grace Young. Would like to find more interesting veggies and cookbooks (we cook Chinese every Wednesday) and people's insights to growing, cooking and eating Asian vegetables.

  • otcay
    19 years ago

    Another good beginner's plant is the boxthorn Lycium chinense

  • breezyb
    19 years ago

    I know I'm coming late to the party here, but just joined this website & am having a ball reviewing all the old posts. One of my most favorite Asian greens is Mizuna. You will find it in catalogs either under "Asian Greens" or under "Mustards", although it isn't really mustardy in taste. Can be used raw in salads or in stirfries. I find it a really versatile Asian green.

  • evidentjoy
    19 years ago

    Hi breezyb, I'm glad you joined and bumped this up. I discovered a company that offers an asian veggies collection.

    www.containerseeds.com

  • Violet_Z6
    18 years ago

    Glad you found the book useful ChicoGirl.

    :)

  • Violet_Z6
    18 years ago

    Search for the word "source" in the forum and you can find lots of Asian Vegetable seed providers.

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