Oriental Leafy Veg for Sowing Soon?

[veg4681]

Is anyone thinking of sowing seeds for Oriental or Chinese leafy veggies indoors in the next few days or so? Of course this is for growing in greenhouse/cover after they're decent sized seedlings.

Could you recommend those that are tough/thicker leaf types that might cope well with cooler temperature.

[smallblueplanet]

No, but I can recommend Joy Larkcom's book to you.

Oriental-Vegetables-Joy-Larkcom

[momol]

Veg,

I sow some Kai Lan, chrysanthemun and spinach several days ago, It was really an experiment really. Last year, I sow my oriental veg around early feb ( but it was much warmer and sunnier than now). Will let you know how it goes.

Momol

[veg4681]

Veg,
I sow some Kai Lan, chrysanthemun and spinach several days ago, It was really an experiment really. Last year, I sow my oriental veg around early feb ( but it was much warmer and sunnier than now). Will let you know how it goes.

Momol

Is the spinach you sowed the New Zealand one (surely not my Leaf Beet/Perpetual Spinach yet)?

I remember you said Collards is similar to Kailaan so would you sow that one soon too.

Any idea what the official sowing period is for Amaranth, Kang Kong, Komatsuna, Tat Tsoi and Collards. They can't be as late as May-June as is the recommended sowing period for Pak Choi and Choy Sum. Mind you, still have overwintered Pak Choy in the bed but nowhere big enough to give me the reason to eat them...and they're growing at a glacial rate . Sh*t, I feel like having a Chinese from the Chinese Takeaway today, after all it's TGIF!

[momol]

Veg, it is a normal spinach( the one that bolt easily).

My last year experience with them were hit and miss but then I kind of know approximately when to do early sowing, but bear in mind, last year was much sunnier.

Komatsuna, Tatsoi and collards can take more cold than the amaranth, you can sow them mid february or march ( onwords) depending how sunny it is ( more the issue of leggyness due less light).
You can sow collards as early as KL as they are the same family. I am not sowng anymore collards now, still got several standing outside (ready to be harvest).

Amaranth and kang kong will be around end of april ( they really need warm temp', sow them inside to speed up). I sow my Pak choy and choy sum around mid march.
Relax, you GH, it will help you a lot with raising those seedlings .
Don't be despair with your pak choy...just go have some chinese take away, it will cure your veggy missing thing ( work for me) .

momol


Momol

[veg4681]

Thanks for the info, just updated my spreadsheet . The seed packets are recommending sowing date for some of these Chinese leafy veg a bit late (somewhat annoying because I would have never known). So far nothing has germinated for me so I'm happy for the early sowing. Earlier I was just entering sowing details etc for my flowers for the hanging basket, just so glad I bought the GH!

[momol]

I am not following any instructions actually (most time) just by trial and error plus due to being impatient and most time I have been sowing things much earlier than suggested. I hope not misleading you with my daring way....

Just don't sow too much at a time, if it go wrong you can sow again.

Momol

[momol]

to veg...

Veg,

Just want to let you know, the spinach are doing ok and not leggy ( so as Kai lan) but bad news for chrysanthemun( now I know, too early for her...).
How are your YL beans ?

Momol

[Two_Sheds]

I would say, in my experience, it is about 6 months too early to sow Chinese veg.

This is the only year I have successfully grown Chinese veg, after 3 years of trying and failing, and its because I sowed them in late summer. they really really hate being hot and dry.
They have been in their element this winter, the slugs have finally died off and they love the cool damp weather. I am picking loads of Pak Choi, giant Red Mustard Osaka, green mustard etc. All good in stir fries with my garlic chives, spring onions and leeks which are cropping now too.

[veg4681]

I would say, in my experience, it is about 6 months too early to sow Chinese veg.

This is the only year I have successfully grown Chinese veg, after 3 years of trying and failing, and its because I sowed them in late summer. they really really hate being hot and dry.
They have been in their element this winter, the slugs have finally died off and they love the cool damp weather. I am picking loads of Pak Choi, giant Red Mustard Osaka, green mustard etc. All good in stir fries with my garlic chives, spring onions and leeks which are cropping now too.

6 months to wait ? That's a bit long for me, can't wait. However I do agree that the later sowings (from August onwards) fare better (look nicer, don't bolt prematurely, less slug attack etc), so really you need to grow them ahead to enjoy the following year as you obviously are. My Autumn sown Pak Choy survived the frost!

[momol]

I got several mustard type overwintering this year :japanese giant mustard , tat soi, mizuna,komatsuna & purple mustard. The Pak choy and Kai lan were all eaten up ( by us not the slugs) by mid december. Mustard loves cool seasons and grow happily during cold spring and fall.
As for other oriental brassica such as pak choy & pe tsai group, they are doing very well during spring ( in my experience) but they bolt immediately once summer arrive. My spring grown mustard was doing very well too. All of them love moist rich soil with cool air.
My continued 2 years failure were on: big stem mustard, bulbing mustard and rapini .

[veg4681]

I am not following any instructions actually (most time) just by trial and error plus due to being impatient and most time I have been sowing things much earlier than suggested. I hope not misleading you with my daring way....

Just don't sow too much at a time, if it go wrong you can sow again.

Momol

Actually I really need to pick your brains on the best way to manage successional sowing of Oriental leafy veggies so that I have a regular supply of veggie at least 2-4 days a week. As bed space is premium in my garden, anything that can be grown in window box, I will grow them.

Good grief, this is my list of veggies for trialling out this year. Any of these suitable and small enough for growing in window boxes? So far I think Pak Choy and Watercress are ideal candidates so long Pak Choy are harvested as baby veg but some of these are compulsorily a bed veg e.g. Swiss Chard.

Komatsuna
Choy Sum
Pak Choy
Tat Tsoi
Edible Amaranth (Chinese Spinach)
Kang Kong (Water Spinach/Water Convulus)

Collards
Chinese Broccoli (Kailaan)
Chinese Cabbage
Watercress
Chinese Celery

Perpetual Spinach
New Zealand Spinach
Calabrese Sprouting Greens
Swiss Chard (Silver White & Rainbow Chard)
Sutherland Kale
PSB????

I nearly ordered Broccoli Raab/Rapini and Nabana but decided the above are enough to keep me fully booked.

[momol]

Blimey Veg...,

Ok here are veggies I have grown in pots before:
Kai Lan, Choy Sum, Komatsuna,Amaranth, Kang Kong,Water cress,Chinese Celery ( mine you, the spacing were not following official instructions, I squeeze mine but feed them with manured water once per 10 days).

The Kang Kong can be treated like cut and come again ( mine were 5cmx6cm spacing, grown in big pots, if it is grown in ground, give it more space). I only sown KK (40 seeds or so) once as they will provide till end of autumn. During summer, you can cut them once per 10 days or so (if it is cooler, will be longer than 10 days for the new shoots to grow).

KL, Amaranth, CS need at least 20x15cm spacing ( on ground, in pots they can be slightly closer but then you will get thin results !!!).
Water cress were grown in long pots, don't remember spacing anymore as they were so close to each other ( make sure they can enjoy boggy condition), Chinese celery can be grown in 20 cm small pots (2 litres ?).

Perpetual/chard, NZ Spinach, Kale & collards need at least 40x35cm on the ground (remember, my spacing are always too close due to space issue). These can be treated like cut and come again.
Collards can be planted as parennial ( but need protection during severe winter) and can be treated as cut and come again. I harvested the plant but given 10 cm tall left and 2 weeks or so it will form new shoots and regrow.

Komatsuna will grow as big as Choy Sum...btw, I think rapini and komatsuna taste pretty close by (IMO).

The rest, I can't give any advice.
Btw, apart from mentioned above, nabana is also difficult for me. Will grow all the difficult ones this year and harvest them as baby veg this way I won't waste any.
I actually still got 2 rapini in the ground and surprisingly they produce mini florets ( base on this I think rapini will do better as fall planting).
Rapini taste similar to mustard ( sweet but has very mild bitterness, yummy).

PSB,will not grow anymore, took too much space and grow too long.
Kale and Calabrese , I haven't grown them... have on idea how big will it grow .
If you have more space, give them bigger spacing Veg, they will be better and happier ( plus you don't have to feed them that frequent) !
I got no choice .

Momol

[momol]

I always sow too much veg, and always end up too much...but not complaining really as we can eat tons of leafy veg....

try sowing them per 2.5 weeks, it might give you continuous supply.

[veg4681]

The Kang Kong can be treated like cut and come again ( mine were 5cmx6cm spacing.

Is that spacing per plant or the size of container . As Kang Kong is come and cut again, how quickly do they grow back after each cutting...so as to help me come up with the magic number of seeds to sow only once hopefully, if you recommend that at all. I think more imperative to try and save the KK's seeds this year, yes, no?

Kailaan, Amaranth, Choy Sum need at least 20x15cm spacing. Water cress were grown in long pots, don't remember spacing anymore as they were so close to each other (make sure they can enjoy boggy condition), Chinese celery can be grown in 20 cm small pots (2 litres ?).

Again is that spacing between each plant or container size (20cm is long!). Yeah don't the watercress grow busy busy busy, everywhere & everywhere, surely the most ideal veg for the window box and they're cut and come again! Absolutely love it! I may only sow the Watercress seeds once unless you think I need at least twice. Good I'll use 7.5 inches pot for Chinese Celery, have few lying around.

Perpetual/chard, NZ Spinach, Kale & Collards need at least 40x35cm (remember, my spacing are always too close due to space issue).

I think I roughly knew these would have to go on the bed (along with Calabrese Sprouting Greens) but their bigger size also means that some of these are possible for harvesting continually even after overwintering (like your Chard) . Would be interested to hear if Kale and Collards might behave similarly to the somewhat everlasting Chard.

Btw, apart from mentioned above, Nabana is also difficult for me. Will grow all the difficult ones this year and harvest them as baby veg this way I won't waste any. I actually still got 2 Rapini in the ground and surprisingly they produce mini florets (base on this, I think rapini will do better as fall planting).

Will definitely give the Rapini and Nabana a go next year. How would you compare their taste with, a leafier form of PSB?

Am I right in treating the size of Komatsuna as Choy Sum and Tatsoi as Pak Choy?

I reckon those you can grow in container will be easier for saving seeds as you can isolate them from other Oriental Brassicas and also cover the pots with a fleece. Too many Pak Choy seeds about so in no hurry for them.