MALABAR SPINACH

 

Very frost sensitive. Plant seed when it is hot or transplant then. Gorgeous and tasty plant. Plant seed about 1 inch deep every 6 inches.

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Green Malabar:  70 days.  Beautiful, deep green with a shiny gloss to the leaves. High in vitamins. Vining, tropical like plant that tolerates no frost. May be used as a spinach substitute in salads. Cooked leaves and stems are somewhat slimy (like spinach), but very nutritious. Does not tolerate cold conditions at all. Approximately 80 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $2.50 Certified Organic Seed

 

Red Malabar:  70 days.  Wonderfully colorful plant used as a warm weather spinach substitute when spinach tends to bolt. Climbing plants are wine red with thick green leaves. Does not tolerate cold conditions. Approximately 100 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $2.50 Certified Organic Seed

 

CHICORY

 

Plant as early as soil can be worked and a succession planting in late July. Plant a few seeds per inch about 1/2 inch deep. Thin as needed to 3 to 4 inches between plants. Forcing means to dig the roots and place in soil inside in a darker area and let them sprout from the root in diminished light to create a milder tasting product. (Approximately 1,200 seeds per pkt.)

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Catalogna Long Green:  75 days.  Rapid growing dandelion-like leaves. Overwintered in garden produces tastier leaves early the following Spring. Pkt. $1.25

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Mixed Radicchio:  80 days.  A mix of 3 types that will provide a nice colorful mix of salad greens. Best quality is obtained from forcing the roots. I dig the roots in the Fall, place in tubs of dirt, put in my basement in minimal light and let them form loose heads of tasty greens in the mid-winter. May also be picked directly from the garden in late Fall, but this will result in a stronger flavor. Pkt. $1.50

 

Palla Rossa:  95 days.  Heads have dark green leaves outside and red inside. Not necessary to force. Best planted mid-summer. Pkt. $1.25

 

Red Treviso:  100 days.  Long slender green leaves that turn red in the cool Fall weather. Bitter and non-heading unless trimmed and forced. When properly forced produces a delicious mid-Winter salad green. Pkt. $1.25

 

 COOL WEATHER GREENS

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Ideal for cold frames and season extenders.

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Arugula:  40 days.  Fast growing, cool season salad green. Distinct, spicy flavor, best used when young and when grown in cool weather. Heat and longevity tend to make it taste bitter. Can be planted as soon as the ground can be worked up until mid-August. Approximately 1,000 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $1.50

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Broadleaf Mache:  55 days.  Commonly called cornsalad. Grows well in cool weather. Long, glossy green leaves, forms bunches, distinct, nutty flavor. Used as a mixed salad green. Plant early or again in mid-August. Does not like the heat. Approximately 1,500 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $1.25

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French Sorrel:  50 to 70 days.  Tangy, lemon-flavored leaves that are a good food for the chickens and rabbits (as well as for humans). Add sparingly as a garnish to salads or to soups due to its strong flavor. Plant early in the spring and pick the leaves as needed. This winters over here in Iowa for an early Spring treat. Approximately 1,000 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $1.50

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Hon Tsai Tai:  40 days.  A quick maturing Chinese green that has purplish stems. It flowers quickly, but the flowers are very tasty. Direct seed as early as possible. Approximately 250 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $2.00

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Minutina (Plantago corynopsus):  50 days.  Cold hardy salad plant, that does best in cooler weather. Plants are small with slender, crinkled green leaves. Direct seed early in the garden. Plant in early August for a Fall garden. Approximately 800 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed   SOLD OUT AS OF FEBRUARY 20

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Mizuna:  55 days.  Very fine, cut-leaf foliage; tender, juicy Japanese green. Plants are very vigorous, ornamental and tasty. Can be eaten both raw or lightly steamed. May be direct seeded in early Spring, but I plant it August 1 for a nice Fall crop. Approximately 700 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed

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Red Leaf Mizuna- 58 days.  very similar to Mizuna except a deep purple  and red color.  A colorful addition to greens or salad mixes. 500 seeds/pkt.  Pkt. $1.75 

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Rapini:  60 days.  Broccoli Raab type Asian cabbage. Best if you live in a mild climate where it can be overwintered and harvested early in the spring. If not possible, plant early in the spring and harvest the small, dime-sized side shoots. The first buds are the best followed by the secondary shoots. They can be steamed in water or sautéed in a combination of water and olive oil and then dressed in olive oil, lemon and salt. Approximately 850 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed

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Red Orach:  30 days.  Beautiful plant, deep purple-red, naturalizes. Needs to be direct seeded in the garden very early or seed will lay dormant until the next season. Best eaten steamed and eaten like spinach. Old vegetable dating back to Roman times. Approximately 250 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $2.00

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Vegetable Mallow:  50 days.  A tender mallow used as a cooked green leaf vegetable (like spinach). A favorite of Thomas Jefferson. Very nutritious. Early and easy. Looks like an upright weed. Direct seed in the garden from early Spring through mid-Summer.  Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed

 

 WARM WEATHER GREENS

 

Good for harvest during the summer heat.

Melo Khiya (Corcorus olitorius):  80 days.  A popular Arabic Summer vegetable green. Quick grower in hot weather. Plants get upwards of 3 feet tall. Young leaves are tender and cooked like spinach. Flavor is best when cooked and not eaten raw. Once plants get more mature the fiber can be turned into jute and used as a fiber plant. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed

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Shungiku Largeleaf  80 days.  (aka Edible Chrysanthemum) Flowering plant that makes a nice decoration. Also, the leaves have a particular tanginess when sautéed and used in soup and salad. Direct seed in the garden about the time of your last frost. Approximately 1,250 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $1.25 Certified Organic Seed

 

 GREENS MIXES

 

These are an especially tasty addition to salads. Another great way to extend the fresh season is to take a cheap discount store plastic dishpan filled with soil. Then sprinkle seed on top of the soil thickly and grow in a sunny window for fresh salad fixings in the off-season. The greens are especially tender and mild this way.

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Fall Greens Mix:  A special mix of greens including lettuces, chards, greens, Chinese cabbage, spinach, and endive that is designed to be planted in the late Summer (early to late August here in Iowa) to be harvested from mid-September until the ground freezes. Packet will plant a 25 foot row. Pkt. $2.25

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Spring Greens Mix:  A special mix of greens including lettuces, spinach, chard, arugula, mustard, and wrinkled cress that is designed to be planted early in the Spring. It will provide a colorful and tasty salad mix. Harvest when the plants are young and tiny for fresh green salads. Direct seed in the garden early in the Spring. Packet will plant a 25 foot row. Pkt. $2.25

 

 CRESS

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Wrinkled Crinkled Cress:  30 days.  Early, vigorous plants producing a spicy flavored addition to salads. Approximately 1,000 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed