Asian greens include green leaved vegetables such as Valerianella locusta, commonly referred to as mache or corn salad, Brassica rapa japonica, called mizuna, and Brassica rapa rosularis, known as pak choi or tatsoi. Small leafy greens are grown primarily during the cooler times of the gardening season.
Mizuna in Vegetable Gardens
The mizuna plant grows as narrow rosettes. The leaves have white stems and petite dark green finely dissected leaves with fringed edges. The plant is fast growing, able to be harvested in 20-40 days. In addition to cool season weather, it tolerates hot temperatures without bolting and early season frost.
Mizuna is best harvested as baby leaves. It is a popular type of Asian greens often used in Mesclun salad mixes. It has a mild sweet and tangy mustard flavor. Two mizuna varieties with colorful leaves are:
- Brassicarapa 'Lime Streaked' with its lime green color able to be harvested in 35 – 45 days.
- Brassicarapa 'Ethereal Red-Veined' has streaks of red in the green leaves and can be harvested in 20 – 40 days.
Asian Greens Called Pak Choi
Pak choi is also called tatsoi or spoon cabbage. The vase-shaped pak choi, like mizuna, has white petioles and dark green leaves, although some new varieties have a dark purple coloring. It is a cool season crop also tolerating heat. However, it does not withstand frost, therefore, seeds or transplants should be placed outside after the last frost-free date in the garden’s region. This plant will grow well in part shade conditions; this helps reduce bolting later in the growing season.
Individual leaves can be harvested early for baby greens or later when the mature plant has grown 6” tall. Pak choi has a peppery taste, crunchy texture and often used in stir-fry dishes.
Growing Corn Salad
Mache has a history of being called corn salad or lamb’s lettuce. Mache has elongated glossy spoon shaped leaves growing in a rosette shape. Mache can be harvested by cutting individual leaves or at the base of the plant after fully grown.
The plant is very cool season hardy making seed easy to grow in early spring and again in fall. For warmer weather, gardeners should look for varieties of corn salad that do not bolt in hot weather.
Mache has a mildly sweet nutty flavor that is used in uncooked salad mixes or as a garnish. Favorite Valerianella locusta varieties for growing early include:
- V. 'Vit' is a French heirloom seed that grows in spring and fall, has good cold tolerance and able to be over wintered in mild climates.
- V. 'Large-Seeded' is a well known seed better for spring growing because it does not quickly bolt.
- V. 'Gros Graines' is a French heirloom variety with soft tender leaves, frequently mixed with other types of lettuce or arugla. Harvest is in 45 – 50 days.
Asian greens like mache, mizuna and pak choi are easy to grow at the beginning of the growing season while temperatures are still cool. Reseeding again in fall will grow another crop of leafy baby greens able to be harvested before winter.
Leafy greens are also easy to grow early in the growing season especially in containers. Microgreens are easy to grow for beginning gardeners who want fresh vegetables for the kitchen. All of these ideas will work on a terrace vegetable garden and will combine to make a healthy and colorful dinner.
Permission received for all photos used in this article.
Chris Eirschele - Chris writes on plants grown and gardens explored; she is a member of the Garden Writers Association.
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