Availability Updated May 22, 2009
Burdock, Cardoon, Endive, Lettuce,
and Salsify
(Composite Family)
[ Burdock | Cardoon | Endive | Lettuce | Salsify ]
ORGANIC CERTIFICATION UPDATE: We were able to get organic certification on part of our farm this year. We have many varieties in this year's catalog which are being offered as CERTIFIED ORGANIC. If the item is being offered as CERTIFIED ORGANIC, it will have an OG after the price of the seeds.
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Burdock
Burdock culture: Plant early in the spring and be careful when weeding as the young plants closely resemble a weed relative.
Takinogawa: 105 days. Long skinny roots that are used in Japanese cooking. (Sold Out for 2009)
Cardoon
Tenderheart: An Italian favorite. Easy in mild winter climates. The blanched ribs are an antipasto favorite and the flowers are great for dried arrangements. The foliage is a very attractive grey-green with serrations. Large ribs must be blanched by wrapping in heavy paper or loose straw as it is growing in the garden. Vegetable dates back to Roman times. Plant as you would Swiss Chard. Pkt. $1.50 OG
Endive
Endive culture: Culture is the same as lettuce, but the best tasting specimens are obtained when blanched and grown to mature after frost. I blanch the plants by covering with old tubs or cardboard boxes. The blanching process usually takes 10 days to 2 weeks.
Full Heart Batavian: 85 days. Wide, wavy leaves with irregular edging. Pkt. $1.00
Green Curled: 80 days. Finely cut, dark green curled leaves. Hearts will blanch to white and spread to 12 to 18 inches. Pkt. $1.00
Lettuce
Lettuce culture: Plant as early as the ground can be worked, thin for best head development on heading varieties. Packet will plant at least a 25 foot row.
Big Boston: 75 days. Large butterhead type with light golden green center and a reddish tinge to the outer leaves. Pkt. $1.00
Black Seeded Simpson: 50 days. The first lettuce I grew as a very young child. A chartreuse, pale green-yellow in color. The best for sandwiches and wilted lettuce. Pkt. $1.00
Blonde de Paris: 65 days. Crisphead iceberg type. Pkt. $1.00
Goose: 50 days. A beautiful speckled red on dark green, semi-bibb type. (Unavailable for 2009)
Kagran Sommer: 54 days. Very bolt resistant bibb for early-mid summer. Large, light green heads, large, well-folded, firm hearts. Harvest when mature or it gets bitter. Pkt. $1.00
May Queen: 50 days. 19th century heirloom, earliest butterhead type, pale green tinged with brown. Pkt. $1.00
Merveille de Four Season: 50 days. French Bibb type, red leaves, produces nice large, tight heads. Pkt. $1.00
Nevada: 60 days. Crunchy, dark green lettuce. Not an iceberg type, but a good heading variety. Good tolerance to heat and bolting. (Limit 1 Pkt.) Pkt. $1.25
Prizehead: 50 days. Bright green leaves with reddish brown, crisp leaves. Does superb from a mid-August planting, tolerates tyemperatures down to 15 deg. F and is still edible. Pkt. $1.00
Red Romana: 70 days. Large, red leaf romaine, red color. Is best in cool weather. Pkt. $1.00
Romaine: 65 days. Erect, tightly folded plants. Great for salad. Pkt. $1.00
Rouge de Hiver: 60 days. Very beautiful, semi-Romaine type that is reddish green in color. Does well in a fall planting. Pkt. $1.00
Ruby Red: 60 days. Deep red leaf lettuce. Pkt. $1.00
Tom Thumb: 55 days. Very small, tiny heads of butter-type lettuce. Gorgeous, very hardy for Fall, tolerates cold weather well. Pkt. $1.00
Waldman's Green: 55 days. Large, wavy, frilled leaves, a nice dark green leaf lettuce, tolerates cold weather well. Pkt. $1.00
Webb's Wonderful: 70 days. English romaine type lettuce, large, crumpled leaves with a good tolerance for heat and cold. Pkt. $1.00
Winter Density Cos: 60 days. Large, very compact, dark green, slow to bolt, romaine type lettuce. Pkt. $1.00
Salsify
Salsify culture: Plant as early as possible in the Spring. Plants take a full season to develop to their potential. The leaves are almost garlic-like in nature and can be mistaken for grass-like weeds. One packet plants 20 foot row.
Geante Noire de Russie: 135 days. Long, black-skinned roots. Leaves can be used in salads. Sow early. Pkt. $1.75 OG
Mammoth Sandwich Island: 120 days. This is also known as vegetable oyster. The roots over-winter in the garden here without any trouble. They are of the best eating quality in the late Autumn. Peel the roots and chop in small pieces and boil, add milk and margarine and seasoning and "wham" - - - a meatless "oyster" stew. Pkt. $1.50 OG