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When oriental leaves like red mustard and mizuna go quickly to flower, is there anything one can do to retrieve them? I must admit, they look pretty so I have left them blooming but have I blown my chances of harvesting leaves from them? they are planted outside in containers.
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Hi Kitty
I think once the flower forms, they can't be retrieved in terms of producing more leaves, but I'm sure the other Grapes know a bit more than I do about this.
I would have thought the existing leaves can still be harvested though.
They tend to 'bolt' in hot dry weather and containers have a habit of drying out faster than ground-planted leaves. -
I don't know why they bolted so quickly-I bought them as plants rather than starting fron sed and planted them out but they went to flower really quickly. It hasn't been hot and they weren't dry-maybe planted out too early?Comment
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I have a few blocks of oriental mustards, which are beyond yummy and a real delight: no pests, no problems and quick growing. The block in the most sun has started to bolt, so I have snipped off the heads to slow it down a bit, and the leaves taste pretty good still despite the bolting. It grows so quickly from seed that a new planting in succession could be ready before you know it. The advantage of it bolting is seeds to save!Comment
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I've also noticed that the bees seem very keen on the mizuna flowers so I'm leaving a few bolted plants in to attract them.Comment
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My over-wintered Red Mustards have just bolted. It's their time, as it's getting too hot and dry for them now.
They are spectacular .... 2 foot wide and 3 foot tall.
(PS they are good at self-seeding)Last edited by Two_Sheds; 21-05-2009, 06:41 AM.All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.Comment
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My mum tells me never to transplant orientals as they will bolt. She advises eating the thinnings!Originally posted by kittyk View Post
Orientals do grow quickly from seeds and usually don't like it to hot & dry as they will bolt.
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I get best results by sowing these after midsummer (if we get one!)Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.
www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - SpringComment
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Last year I grew these like weeds, this year, I can't grow them for toffee.
I've just come to conclusion that it was a lack of water, I'm growing them in a free draining (very free draining, thankyou Mr mole) raised bed and they don't like it."Orinoco was a fat lazy Womble"
Please ignore everything I say, I make it up as I go along, not only do I generally not believe what I write, I never remember it either.Comment
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I have a whole bed of them, all self sown from last year! Giving them to all and sundry before they bolt.Comment
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By the way, once they flower, you can collect the seeds from the seedheads and if you grow them - you'll have free plants! Orientals grow quicklyOriginally posted by kittyk View Post
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I've given up on these, I sowed several lots last year and they all bolted stupidly quickly!Comment
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I let mine grow too big , they blow your head of if you munch at them!Comment
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I think chinese brassicas like the warm weather but a bit of shade will do them good and I think help delay bolting. I have some spare planks keeping the netting down over the veg beds & I think the sun, rain and shade has done world of good.Originally posted by Noodles View Post
Maybe I'll take piccies tomorrow.Comment
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