Re: [gardeners] Salad Greens
Catharine Vinson (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 17 Dec 1997 20:22:53 +0000
Liz wrote:
> After making the earlier post I checked the mail box to discover a
> Cook's Garden catalogue. It's just about my favorite seed catalogue,
> mostly because of the many varieties of salad green seeds they offer.
> It is also the catalogue I'm least likely to buy my salad seeds from
> because I don't know what to buy and what not to buy. I could easily
> spend over $100 just on greens seeds.
I ran to check the mail hoping my CG catalog would be there. Nada.
Phoooooey!!!
Anyway, there are few things in their catalog that aren't terrific. Some
of their assortment/collection packages might be a good place to start
exploring greens.
> Some of you have a lot of experience with the various greens for
> salads. I thought that since it's catalogue and ordering season we
> could share our knowledge and maybe help out poor ignorant folk such
> as me, myself and I figure out what to order.
Liz, we are all addicts. Order it all!! <bg>
> A couple of my favorite non-lettuce salad greens are arugula
> selvetica and radish leaves. Arugula selvetica -- the one with
> small, deeply cut leaves often called wild arugula -- has a taste
> that large-leaved cultivated arugula can't match. It's peppery -
> tangy, an instant pick me up for a simple sandwich or mixed green
> salad. It has a clearer flavor to my taste buds than does cultivated
> arugula. I find that cultivated arugula is not as spicy and has
> "horse piss" overtones.
Absolute agreement on this. I just pulled my Arugula selvatica. Started it
from seed from CG las January..it has done beautifully. Didn't poop out in
Atlanta's heat this simmer. Didn't bolt. Oddly, the same seed that I then
sowed for Fall bolted within 45 days. Best I can figure is that wild
rocket can withstand heat if it's acclimated, but an August sowing puts
too much stress on the plant when it gets growing (it's still hot in early
September) and so it bolts.
> None of my mache seeds germinated. I don't know why.
Mache has a low germination rate. Kinda like spinach. If you didn't try
the big seeded variety, try that next time. I've had better luck with it
than the fancier varieties.
>
> Anyone want to share their experiences? I'd like to know what you
> consider a must have item (mine are arugula selvetica and radish
> leaves) and what you wouldn't bother with.
Must haves for me: mizuna, mibuna, baby pak choi, Patience (spinach/sorrel
"cross"), brocolli rabe, chard, broad leaf escarole..
Don't bother with: gawd, there is nothing an addict won't grow, although
in Atlanta most of the radicchio (heading types) aren't too successful.
And if you like Collards (of course Liz does, since she is a true
Southroner), get Morris Heading Collards from Southern Exposure Seed
Exchange. It's my favorite, although Georgia Gem (I think that's the name)
runs a close second.
Catharine, jealous as heck that Liz got her CG catalog!!