Chickweed is an edible groundcover type of herb that tastes like spinach and grows profusely at my parents' house in spring... having it on the back porch would be like a taste of home. It is a mild diuretic and appetite suppressant, and would probably look awesome in a hanging basket.
I started this one indoors at first due to impatience while I was lacking potting soil, but they sprouted very quickly and look spindly and weak. Next time I'd plant them directly to soil outside.
Will plant more when I get more soil!
Showing posts with label Greens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greens. Show all posts
Monday, April 20, 2009
Dandelion
Growing wild dandelion in a pot seems a little scandalous, but I love the bitter leaves and can never seem to find any in the store or outside in places where there aren't pesticides.
Methi (Fenugreek)
I started sprouting fenugreek for salads, then discovered that the clover-like plant it produces is also edible and called Methi in Indian cooking. Naturally, this would lead me to starting a methi clover patch! I just planted lots of the 1-inch sprouts together and sprinkled with soil... they produced green leaves the next day.
These seedlings are about a half an inch wide after a week.
Nasturtiums
One pot contains Spitfire Nasturtiums (bright orange climbers), and the windowbox holds Empress of India Nasturtiums (scarlet with blue-green leaves). These are growing faster than any of the other seeds, which is really rewarding! I plan on using them to spice up salads... the flavor has a bit of a kick, and both greens and flowers are edible.
They're prolific and easy to grow, repell certain things like beetles, and are often used as a "trap" for pests and will attract pollenators which is very important around gourd-pollenating time. They're definitely working at being tastier than the vegetables and herbs... already I caught a slug munching this poor Spitfire (far left leaf).
The Empress of Indias are in a windowbox attatched to the railing because they're more bushy than climby, and they're likely to be the most beautiful color so I wanted to be able to see them easily from my room. You can already see the red tint along the edge of the leaves on this 1-inch seedling.
I nibbled one of the spitfires... tastes a lot like spicy watercress, but with more heat!
They're prolific and easy to grow, repell certain things like beetles, and are often used as a "trap" for pests and will attract pollenators which is very important around gourd-pollenating time. They're definitely working at being tastier than the vegetables and herbs... already I caught a slug munching this poor Spitfire (far left leaf).
The Empress of Indias are in a windowbox attatched to the railing because they're more bushy than climby, and they're likely to be the most beautiful color so I wanted to be able to see them easily from my room. You can already see the red tint along the edge of the leaves on this 1-inch seedling.
I nibbled one of the spitfires... tastes a lot like spicy watercress, but with more heat!
Radish
Radishes are everywhere!
The Sparkler White Tips take about 4 weeks to harvest, and the Cherry Belle just 22 days, so repeated plantings are necessary if one wishes to have a constant supply. I have planted Sparklers in all the bigger plant pots (tomato, zucchini, gourd) as well as in the empty spot in the wine barrel, and Cherries in the Radish Bin. I won't be re-planting the bigger plant pots... by then the squash shall be producing shade.
Radish Bin: Every wednesday, I'm planting a tiny row of radishes... theoretically, every wednesday I will be able to harvest one row and replant it, giving me an average of one radish a day. I've begun staggering the rows in a zig-zag, as this allows space for 2 more radishes. I'll expect to be clipping leaves here and there for salad additions when the mood strikes.
* radish bin picture
These are some Sparklers at 26 days in the wine barrel, 2-3 inches wide... definitely nowhere near harvest time (expected at 20-30 days), and it hasn't bulbed at all under the soil. Temperatures have been super chilly up until a few days ago and growth has suddenly spurted, so I'm assuming that they've been so slow due to autumn chill.
The Sparkler White Tips take about 4 weeks to harvest, and the Cherry Belle just 22 days, so repeated plantings are necessary if one wishes to have a constant supply. I have planted Sparklers in all the bigger plant pots (tomato, zucchini, gourd) as well as in the empty spot in the wine barrel, and Cherries in the Radish Bin. I won't be re-planting the bigger plant pots... by then the squash shall be producing shade.
Radish Bin: Every wednesday, I'm planting a tiny row of radishes... theoretically, every wednesday I will be able to harvest one row and replant it, giving me an average of one radish a day. I've begun staggering the rows in a zig-zag, as this allows space for 2 more radishes. I'll expect to be clipping leaves here and there for salad additions when the mood strikes.
* radish bin picture
Here is a tiny sprout! It's about half an inch wide, and deceptively cute.
These are some Sparklers at 26 days in the wine barrel, 2-3 inches wide... definitely nowhere near harvest time (expected at 20-30 days), and it hasn't bulbed at all under the soil. Temperatures have been super chilly up until a few days ago and growth has suddenly spurted, so I'm assuming that they've been so slow due to autumn chill.
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