Detailed information for market and home growers. Many varieties of tasty, nutritious greens grow quickly and bring fast returns. This session covers production of Asian greens outdoors and in the hoophouse. It includes tips on variety selection of over twenty types of Asian greens; timing of plantings; pest and disease management; crop requirements and harvesting.
Optimizing your asian greens production Dawling 2019Pam Dawling
This workshop covers the production of Asian greens, outdoors and in the hoop house, for both market and home growers. Learn to grow many varieties of tasty, nutritious greens easily and quickly, which will bring fast returns. This workshop includes tips on variety selection of over 20 types of Asian greens, the timing of succession planting, crop rotation in the hoop house, pest and disease management, fertility, weed management, and harvesting.
Growing out of season vegetable crops, in hot weather and cold weather. Growing vegetables to store for out-of-season use. Techniques to success in all seasons: germinating seeds, growing plants, protecting crops from hot weather, pests, cold weather. Choosing suitable crops that will work for your farm or garden.
Year round hoophouse vegetables. Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Which factors should you consider when planning how to keep your hoophouse filled with productive food crops all year? We consider suitable crops for various times of year: cold-hardy winter greens for cooking and salads; turnips, radishes and scallions; early warm weather crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers; high summer crops such as edamame, cowpeas, melons, sweet potatoes. We also look at less common ideas: bare-root transplants for planting outdoors in spring, seeds, flowers, and cover crops for soil improvement.
The workshop includes ideas on how to maximize use of the space, including transplanting indoors from outdoors in the fall, seasonal transitions, packing more in with succession planting, interplanting and follow-on cropping. Planning is an important part of success: deciding which crops to grow, deciding how much to harvest and how much to plant, crop rotation, mapping and scheduling. We also look at the challenges of low temperatures, nitrate accumulation, snow, soil-borne diseases, and the challenges of summer: high temperatures, bugs, salt build-up. Year-round use includes attention to caring for the soil: maintaining organic matter, and pest management including solarization.
Hoophouse in spring and summer 2017 Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Food, Seeds, Cover Crops, Cut Flowers, Soil Building.
In colder zones growers use the summer hoophouse for all those hot weather crops that struggle outdoors! But if you can already grow melons, limas, okra outside, you may be left wondering how to make good use of that valuable covered space when it’s hot. As well as heat-loving crops, this presentation discusses cooling the hoophouse; using the opportunity to tackle soil-borne diseases or improve the soil and other uses like seed drying and storage.
Hoophouse in fall and winter Pam DawlingPam Dawling
How to use the hoophouse in fall and winter to grow varied and plentiful greens for cooking and salads; turnips, radishes, scallions. How to get continuous harvests and maximize use of this valuable space. Tips to help minimize unhealthy levels of nitrates in cold weather. Growing bare-root transplants for planting outdoors in spring. Growing early warm-weather crops. Transplanting indoors from outdoors in the fall.
Fall vegetable production 2016 Pam DawlingPam Dawling
How to optimize production by choosing a suitable combination of warm weather crops, cool weather crops and cold-hardy crops. Seasonal tips on dealing with hot weather followed by dealing with cold weather, scheduling late summer and fall plantings, thoughts about season extension and an introduction to winter hoophouse growing.
Planning for sustainable farming by feeding the soil. Growing and maintaining healthy soils. Using crop rotations, cover crops, compost and organic mulches. A step-by-step guide to crop rotation. Example of a ten part rotation of vegetables and cover crops. Benefits of crop rotations, cover crops and compost. Opportunities to grow cover crops. Fitting the cover crop with the goal; smothering weeds, fixing nitrogen, scavenging leftover nutrients, improving soil drainage, grazing for small animals, bio-fumigation, killing nematodes. How to make aerobic (hot) compost. Resource list included.
Optimizing your asian greens production Dawling 2019Pam Dawling
This workshop covers the production of Asian greens, outdoors and in the hoop house, for both market and home growers. Learn to grow many varieties of tasty, nutritious greens easily and quickly, which will bring fast returns. This workshop includes tips on variety selection of over 20 types of Asian greens, the timing of succession planting, crop rotation in the hoop house, pest and disease management, fertility, weed management, and harvesting.
Growing out of season vegetable crops, in hot weather and cold weather. Growing vegetables to store for out-of-season use. Techniques to success in all seasons: germinating seeds, growing plants, protecting crops from hot weather, pests, cold weather. Choosing suitable crops that will work for your farm or garden.
Year round hoophouse vegetables. Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Which factors should you consider when planning how to keep your hoophouse filled with productive food crops all year? We consider suitable crops for various times of year: cold-hardy winter greens for cooking and salads; turnips, radishes and scallions; early warm weather crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers; high summer crops such as edamame, cowpeas, melons, sweet potatoes. We also look at less common ideas: bare-root transplants for planting outdoors in spring, seeds, flowers, and cover crops for soil improvement.
The workshop includes ideas on how to maximize use of the space, including transplanting indoors from outdoors in the fall, seasonal transitions, packing more in with succession planting, interplanting and follow-on cropping. Planning is an important part of success: deciding which crops to grow, deciding how much to harvest and how much to plant, crop rotation, mapping and scheduling. We also look at the challenges of low temperatures, nitrate accumulation, snow, soil-borne diseases, and the challenges of summer: high temperatures, bugs, salt build-up. Year-round use includes attention to caring for the soil: maintaining organic matter, and pest management including solarization.
Hoophouse in spring and summer 2017 Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Food, Seeds, Cover Crops, Cut Flowers, Soil Building.
In colder zones growers use the summer hoophouse for all those hot weather crops that struggle outdoors! But if you can already grow melons, limas, okra outside, you may be left wondering how to make good use of that valuable covered space when it’s hot. As well as heat-loving crops, this presentation discusses cooling the hoophouse; using the opportunity to tackle soil-borne diseases or improve the soil and other uses like seed drying and storage.
Hoophouse in fall and winter Pam DawlingPam Dawling
How to use the hoophouse in fall and winter to grow varied and plentiful greens for cooking and salads; turnips, radishes, scallions. How to get continuous harvests and maximize use of this valuable space. Tips to help minimize unhealthy levels of nitrates in cold weather. Growing bare-root transplants for planting outdoors in spring. Growing early warm-weather crops. Transplanting indoors from outdoors in the fall.
Fall vegetable production 2016 Pam DawlingPam Dawling
How to optimize production by choosing a suitable combination of warm weather crops, cool weather crops and cold-hardy crops. Seasonal tips on dealing with hot weather followed by dealing with cold weather, scheduling late summer and fall plantings, thoughts about season extension and an introduction to winter hoophouse growing.
Planning for sustainable farming by feeding the soil. Growing and maintaining healthy soils. Using crop rotations, cover crops, compost and organic mulches. A step-by-step guide to crop rotation. Example of a ten part rotation of vegetables and cover crops. Benefits of crop rotations, cover crops and compost. Opportunities to grow cover crops. Fitting the cover crop with the goal; smothering weeds, fixing nitrogen, scavenging leftover nutrients, improving soil drainage, grazing for small animals, bio-fumigation, killing nematodes. How to make aerobic (hot) compost. Resource list included.
Plan for continuous supplies of popular summer vegetable crops, such as beans, squash, cucumbers and sweet corn; cold-weather hoophouse greens and year-round lettuce. Avoid vegetable gluts and shortages.
Sequential planting of cool season crops in high tunnels Pam Dawling 2017Pam Dawling
Factors to consider when planning how to keep your high tunnel (hoophouse) filled with productive food crops in the cool seasons: suitable crops, cold-hardiness, deciding which crops to grow, deciding how much to harvest and how much to plant, crop rotation, mapping and scheduling, month by month planting, seasonal transitions, packing more in with succession planting, interplanting and follow-on cropping.
Diversify your vegetable crops 2017 90 mins Pam DawlingPam Dawling
As a vegetable grower, offer a broader range of vegetables and keep your customers coming back with a different crop every week, while still dependably supplying their old favorites. Learn how to distinguish between the crops likely to succeed and the siren call of too many weird eggplants.
Providing vegetables for the full eating season 2013 Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Growing vegetables throughout the season - succession planting for continuous harvests of summer vegetables such as beans, squash, cucumbers and sweet corn; also
year-round lettuce, growing and storing cold-hardy winter vegetables
Succession Planting for Continuous Vegetable Harvests
How to plan sowing dates for continuous supplies of popular summer crops, such as beans, squash, cucumbers, edamame and sweet corn; cold-weather hoophouse greens and year round lettuce. Using these planning strategies can help avoid gluts and shortages.
How to grow garlic, control weeds, pests and diseases, know when to harvest and how to cure and store. How to produce garlic scallions, garlic scapes and green garlic. How to choose between varieties.
Crop rotations for vegetables and cover crops 2014, Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Ideas to help you design a sequence of vegetable crops which maximizes the chance to grow good cover crops as well as reduce pest and disease likelihood. Discusses formal rotations as well as ad hoc systems for shoehorning minor crops into available spaces. The workshop discusses cover crops suitable at various times of year, particularly winter cover crops between vegetable crops in successive years. Includes examples of undersowing of cover crops in vegetable crops and of no-till options.
• Rotation planning for permanent raised beds
• 7 step rotation planning for row crops, steps 1-4
• A useful format for rotation plans
• A walk around our crop rotation
• Steps 5-7 of rotation planning
• Pros and cons of tight rotation planning
• Resources and contact info
How to succeed at growing lettuce year-round, using season extension techniques as needed. How to choose between different types and different varieties of lettuce, to suit your conditions. How to deal organically with pests and diseases. Many ways to protect lettuce from cold weather. Tricks to germinate and grow lettuce in hot weather. How to schedule lettuce plantings for a continuous supply, with no gaps or gluts.
Pam Dawling at CFSA Conference. This handout/these slides were presented at the 30th Annual Carolina Farm Stewardship Association by the Author. Please do not reproduce without the express consent of the authors.
Year round vegetable production dawling 2017 90 minsPam Dawling
Strategies and techniques for producing vegetables sustainably all year, including caring for the soil, season extension, intensive planting, harvest and storage
Cover crops for vegetable growers Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Using cover crops to feed and improve the soil, smother weeds, and prevent soil erosion. Selecting cover crops to make use of opportunities year round: early spring, summer, fall and going into winter. Fitting cover crops into the schedule of vegetable production while maintaining a healthy crop rotation
Loquat Fruit : Introduction and Importance, varieties.Binita Suwal
loquat is very nutritious food that contain anti oxidants. Loquat is originally from southeast china, later neutralized in Japan and India. Loquat is moderate sized tree of abt 20-30 ft height.
Production of late fall, winter and early spring vegetable crops Pam DawlingPam Dawling
How to grow vegetables for harvest in late fall, though the winter and in early spring, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region, zones 6-7. Includes a list of suitable crops; details about growing them; how to schedule sowings to meet desired harvest dates; extending the season with row cover, low tunnels and high tunnels (hoophouses); mitigating the challenges of hot and cold weather, and protecting crops from insects. Hoophouse information includes minimizing nitrate accumulation in leafy greens, and planning for the Persephone days when the daylight length is shorter than 10 hours. Crops include lettuce, spinach, cooking greens, Asian greens, and roots. Includes information on winter hardiness, crop spacing, yields, and successful efficient planting techniques. Names some favorite varieties. The goals are to help growers farm the back end of the year, and increase earnings and the local food supply, while reducing the likelihood of beginner errors.
Asian Greens in the Winter Hoophouse 75 min 2022.pdfPam Dawling
This workshop covers the production of Asian greens in the winter hoophouse, for both market and home growers. Included are tips on choosing among over 20 types of Asian greens, ways to keep the space fully planted: filler greens, follow-on cropping, inter-planting, and succession planting. Harvesting is covered, as well as crop rotation, irrigation and pest and disease management.
Plan for continuous supplies of popular summer vegetable crops, such as beans, squash, cucumbers and sweet corn; cold-weather hoophouse greens and year-round lettuce. Avoid vegetable gluts and shortages.
Sequential planting of cool season crops in high tunnels Pam Dawling 2017Pam Dawling
Factors to consider when planning how to keep your high tunnel (hoophouse) filled with productive food crops in the cool seasons: suitable crops, cold-hardiness, deciding which crops to grow, deciding how much to harvest and how much to plant, crop rotation, mapping and scheduling, month by month planting, seasonal transitions, packing more in with succession planting, interplanting and follow-on cropping.
Diversify your vegetable crops 2017 90 mins Pam DawlingPam Dawling
As a vegetable grower, offer a broader range of vegetables and keep your customers coming back with a different crop every week, while still dependably supplying their old favorites. Learn how to distinguish between the crops likely to succeed and the siren call of too many weird eggplants.
Providing vegetables for the full eating season 2013 Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Growing vegetables throughout the season - succession planting for continuous harvests of summer vegetables such as beans, squash, cucumbers and sweet corn; also
year-round lettuce, growing and storing cold-hardy winter vegetables
Succession Planting for Continuous Vegetable Harvests
How to plan sowing dates for continuous supplies of popular summer crops, such as beans, squash, cucumbers, edamame and sweet corn; cold-weather hoophouse greens and year round lettuce. Using these planning strategies can help avoid gluts and shortages.
How to grow garlic, control weeds, pests and diseases, know when to harvest and how to cure and store. How to produce garlic scallions, garlic scapes and green garlic. How to choose between varieties.
Crop rotations for vegetables and cover crops 2014, Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Ideas to help you design a sequence of vegetable crops which maximizes the chance to grow good cover crops as well as reduce pest and disease likelihood. Discusses formal rotations as well as ad hoc systems for shoehorning minor crops into available spaces. The workshop discusses cover crops suitable at various times of year, particularly winter cover crops between vegetable crops in successive years. Includes examples of undersowing of cover crops in vegetable crops and of no-till options.
• Rotation planning for permanent raised beds
• 7 step rotation planning for row crops, steps 1-4
• A useful format for rotation plans
• A walk around our crop rotation
• Steps 5-7 of rotation planning
• Pros and cons of tight rotation planning
• Resources and contact info
How to succeed at growing lettuce year-round, using season extension techniques as needed. How to choose between different types and different varieties of lettuce, to suit your conditions. How to deal organically with pests and diseases. Many ways to protect lettuce from cold weather. Tricks to germinate and grow lettuce in hot weather. How to schedule lettuce plantings for a continuous supply, with no gaps or gluts.
Pam Dawling at CFSA Conference. This handout/these slides were presented at the 30th Annual Carolina Farm Stewardship Association by the Author. Please do not reproduce without the express consent of the authors.
Year round vegetable production dawling 2017 90 minsPam Dawling
Strategies and techniques for producing vegetables sustainably all year, including caring for the soil, season extension, intensive planting, harvest and storage
Cover crops for vegetable growers Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Using cover crops to feed and improve the soil, smother weeds, and prevent soil erosion. Selecting cover crops to make use of opportunities year round: early spring, summer, fall and going into winter. Fitting cover crops into the schedule of vegetable production while maintaining a healthy crop rotation
Loquat Fruit : Introduction and Importance, varieties.Binita Suwal
loquat is very nutritious food that contain anti oxidants. Loquat is originally from southeast china, later neutralized in Japan and India. Loquat is moderate sized tree of abt 20-30 ft height.
Production of late fall, winter and early spring vegetable crops Pam DawlingPam Dawling
How to grow vegetables for harvest in late fall, though the winter and in early spring, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region, zones 6-7. Includes a list of suitable crops; details about growing them; how to schedule sowings to meet desired harvest dates; extending the season with row cover, low tunnels and high tunnels (hoophouses); mitigating the challenges of hot and cold weather, and protecting crops from insects. Hoophouse information includes minimizing nitrate accumulation in leafy greens, and planning for the Persephone days when the daylight length is shorter than 10 hours. Crops include lettuce, spinach, cooking greens, Asian greens, and roots. Includes information on winter hardiness, crop spacing, yields, and successful efficient planting techniques. Names some favorite varieties. The goals are to help growers farm the back end of the year, and increase earnings and the local food supply, while reducing the likelihood of beginner errors.
Asian Greens in the Winter Hoophouse 75 min 2022.pdfPam Dawling
This workshop covers the production of Asian greens in the winter hoophouse, for both market and home growers. Included are tips on choosing among over 20 types of Asian greens, ways to keep the space fully planted: filler greens, follow-on cropping, inter-planting, and succession planting. Harvesting is covered, as well as crop rotation, irrigation and pest and disease management.
Growing Lettuce Year Round 90 mins 2024.pdfpamdawling
This presentation includes techniques to extend the lettuce season using rowcover, coldframes and hoophouses to provide lettuce harvests in every month of the year. The workshop includes a look at varieties for spring, summer, fall and winter. We include the pros and cons of head lettuce, leaf lettuce, baby lettuce mix and the newer multileaf types. Information will also be provided on scheduling for continuous harvests, growing conditions, including how to persuade lettuce to germinate when it's too hot, and the Asian greens used as lettuce in tropical climates.
Many crops, many plantings to maximize high tunnel production efficiency DawlingPam Dawling
High tunnels provide high-value space for growing various crops throughout the year, but maximizing production comes with challenges. In this presentation Pam covers how to effectively use high tunnels to maximize potential. Topics include diversified high tunnel production, and effective management throughout the year.
Storage vegetables for off season sales 2017 90min Pam DawlingPam Dawling
How to succeed with growing storage vegetables for sale in the off-season. Learn the cold-hardiness of various vegetable crops, how to predict the weather, methods to protect your crops from cold temperatures, various storage methods, and an introduction to hoophouse growing in winter.
Broad bean, Lima Bean, Jack bean, Ullucus.pptxjana861314
Production technology of Broad bean, Lima Bean, Jack bean, Ullucus from chromosomal level to the harvest and post harvest techniques for the under utilized vegetable crops. Helps to know the pest and disrases of the underutilized crops .this presentation also help to know the nutritional and antinutritional factors present in the underutilized bean and tubers.
This annual program is an important service to gardeners, as NGB's New Varieties program brings many of the best new varieties from NGB members all together in one easily-accessible location. Gardeners are sure to find many inspiring varieties for 2015 that will appeal to both new and experienced gardeners.
Sequential planting cool season crops in a hoophouse 2019 pam dawlingPam Dawling
Which factors should you consider when planning how to keep your hoophouse filled with productive food crops in the cool seasons? Suitable crops, cold-hardiness, deciding which crops to grow, deciding how much to harvest and how much to plant, crop rotation, mapping and scheduling, month by month planting, seasonal transitions, packing more in with succession planting, interplanting and follow-on cropping.
Unlock the secrets of how to grow basil in this presentation. Explore essential tips from soil selection to nurturing, ensuring a bountiful harvest of aromatic basil leaves. Elevate your gardening skills and cultivate your vibrant basil garden with confidence.
Year-Round Growing on the Farm and Garden.pdfPam Dawling
How to do garden crop planning for year-round vegetables, achieving good yields and a balance of crop types. How to start vegetable seedlings, care for plants, and know when to harvest. How to efficiently extend the seasons, including using crop protection such as rowcover, coldframes, hoophouses, shade cloth, insect netting, according to the conditions. How to overcome the challenges of hot , cold and variable weather in the garden or on the farm.
Fill your hoophouses (high tunnels, polytunnels) all year ’round with productive crops. In this course you’ll learn how to decide which crops to grow—with an emphasis on vegetables—how much to plant and how much to harvest by making maps, schedules and crop rotation plans. We’ll discuss which market crops are best at various times of year—cold-hardy, early warm-weather and high summer crops—and consider less common crops, such as seed crops and flowers, and cover crops for soil improvement. Learn how to maximize the use of space by clever seasonal transitions, succession planting and follow-on cropping. The course will also provide strategies for managing challenges such as extreme temperatures, nitrate accumulation in leafy greens, soil-borne diseases, pests and nematodes, salt buildup, and maintaining soil organic matter.
You can grow onions or some of their relatives in every month of the year in the mid-Atlantic. As well as bulb onions and garlic, this workshop includes leeks, perennial alliums, scallions, garlic scapes, elephant garlic, shallots, pickling onions, and many unusual alliums. This workshop covers planting, caring for the crop, harvesting, storage (when possible) and saving seed stock for replanting.
CAFF - Extend Your Growing Season into Colder Weather with High Tunnels.pdfPam Dawling
How to use a high tunnel to grpow crops in colder weather than you can outdoors. How to choose which crops to grow from among those suitable for the cool seasons, including comparing the cold-hardiness of various crops. How to grow varied and plentiful winter greens for cooking and salads; turnips, radishes and scallions. How to plan so that your hoophouse is filled with productive food crops in the cool seasons. How to calculate how much to harvest and how much to plant. How to make maps, schedules, and month by month planting lists. How to achieve a good crop rotation, and smooth seasonal transitions. How to get continuous harvests and maximize use of the valuable space, including transplanting indoors from outdoors in the fall. How to pack more in with succession planting and follow-on cropping. The workshop includes tips to help minimize unhealthy levels of nitrates in cold weather with short days. Late winter uses can include growing bare-root transplants for planting outdoors in spring.
Deciding which vegetable crops to grow, pam dawlingPam Dawling
Grow vegetable crops that fit your goals, whether for sale or for your household. Consider which crops are easy to grow, most profitable for the space or time, most suited to your conditions, high yielding, and undemanding. Use a DIY Crop Value Rating system to choose between options.
The seed garden 90 mins pam dawling 2020Pam Dawling
Combining growing some seed crops with growing lots of vegetables. Choosing suitable seed crops, calculating population size and isolation distances, selecting mother plants, harvesting, processing wet-seeded crops and dry-seeded crops. Using the hoophouse to grow seed crops. Seed storage and germination testing. Growing seeds for sale.
Growing sweet potatoes from start to finish 2020 Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Everything you need to know to be self-reliant in sweet potatoes or to grow them for sale. Includes starting your own slips, planting them, caring for the plants, harvest, saving seed stock for replanting next year, and curing and storing the sweet potatoes.
Hoophouse cool season crops pam dawlingPam Dawling
Using a hoophouse (high tunnel, polytunnel) to grow a wide variety of cool season vegetable crops. Dealing with crop rotations, and seasonal challenges like snow and high nitrate levels in leafy greens, while caring for the soil.
Year round hoophouse vegetables pam dawlingPam Dawling
How to make full use of a hoophouse (high tunnel, polytunnel) year round to grow mainly food crops, while caring for the soil and dealing with any pests and diseases
Winter vegetable production outdoors and in a hoophouse Pam DawlingPam Dawling
For market gardeners, homesteaders and small backyard growers. Growing cold-hardy vegetables out in the open and with varying degrees of protection from rowcovers, to hoophouses (high tunnels).
Close the planning circle to produce vegetable crops when you want them in the right quantities. Sell them where and when you need to to support yourself with a rewarding livelihood while replenishing the soil. This handout goes with the slide show of the same name
Sustainable farming practices Pam Dawling 90 mins 2019Pam Dawling
An introduction to year round vegetable production; crop planning and record-keeping; feeding the soil using crop rotations, cover crops, compost making and organic mulches; production tips on direct sowing and transplanting, crop spacing, succession crop scheduling to ensure continuous harvests, efficient production strategies, season extension, dealing with pests, diseases and weeds; determining crop maturity and harvest methods.
Hoophouse cool season crops 240 mins Pam DawlingPam Dawling
How to choose which crops to grow from among those suitable for the cool seasons, including comparing the cold-hardiness of various crops. How to grow varied and plentiful winter greens for cooking and salads; turnips, radishes and scallions. How to plan so that your hoophouse is filled with productive food crops in the cool seasons. How to calculate how much to harvest and how much to plant. How to make maps, schedules, and month by month planting lists. How to achieve a good crop rotation, and smooth seasonal transitions. How to get continuous harvests and maximize use of the valuable space, including transplanting indoors from outdoors in the fall. How to pack more in with succession planting, interplanting and follow-on cropping. The workshop includes tips to help minimize unhealthy levels of nitrates in cold weather with short days. Late winter uses can include growing bare-root transplants for planting outdoors in spring.
Crop Planning for Sustainable Vegetable Production 2019 Pam DawlingPam Dawling
Produce vegetable crops when you want them and in the right quantities; sell them where and when you need to and support yourself with a rewarding livelihood while replenishing the soil
How to grow and store crops which tolerate cold weather. How to protect crops from cold weather with rowcover, Quick Hoops, caterpillar tunnels and hoophouses (high tunnels). Dealing with Persephone days, nitrate accumulation in leafy greens, the effect of ethylene on stored vegetables
Winter-kill temperatures for vegetable crops,
Growing sweet potatoes from start to finish Pam Dawling 2016Pam Dawling
How to grow your own sweet potato slips, plant them, grow healthy crops and harvest good yields. How to select suitable roots for growing next year’s slips. How to cure and store roots for top quality and minimal losses
At Taste Of Middle East, we believe that food is not just about satisfying hunger, it's about experiencing different cultures and traditions. Our restaurant concept is based on selecting famous dishes from Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, and other Arabic countries to give our customers an authentic taste of the Middle East
Roti Bank Hyderabad: A Beacon of Hope and NourishmentRoti Bank
One of the top cities of India, Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana and home to some of the biggest companies. But the other aspect of the city is a huge chunk of population that is even deprived of the food and shelter. There are many people in Hyderabad that are not having access to
Ang Chong Yi Navigating Singaporean Flavors: A Journey from Cultural Heritage...Ang Chong Yi
In the heart of Singapore, where tradition meets modernity, He embarks on a culinary adventure that transcends borders. His mission? Ang Chong Yi Exploring the Cultural Heritage and Identity in Singaporean Cuisine. To explore the rich tapestry of flavours that define Singaporean cuisine while embracing innovative plant-based approaches. Join us as we follow his footsteps through bustling markets, hidden hawker stalls, and vibrant street corners.
2. Outline
1. Meet the Asian Greens
2. Crops I recommend for easy success
3. Crops to try later
4. Crop requirements
5. Pests and diseases
6. Growing in spring
7. Growing outdoors in fall
8. Growing in the winter hoophouse
9. Harvesting
10.Minimizing nitrate accumulation in winter
11.Seed saving
• Pak Choy. Credit Ethan Hirsh
3. 1. Meet the Asian Greens!
• Huge range of attractive varieties
• Quick-growing, bring fast returns
• Grow when you normally
grow cabbage or kale
• Short spring season, bolt
when it gets hot
• Long fall season, no bolting.
Success depends on getting
them germinated and planted in
June and July
• Grow all winter in hoophouses in
central Virginia
Blues Napa Chinese cabbage
shown here
Credit Ethan Hirsh
4. Advantages
A quick way to fill out your
market booth or CSA bags
A catch crop for spaces where
other crops have failed or
otherwise finished early. Keep
a flat of seedlings ready, pop
plugs into any empty spaces
Better able to germinate in
hot weather than lettuce
Faster growing than lettuce
Faster-growing types are
ready for transplanting 2
weeks after sowing (or you
can direct sow)
Trial many kinds, use
unwanted seed in baby salad
mix!
Our hoophouse in November
Photo Ethan Hirsh
5. Healthful Diversity!
Flavors vary from mild to
peppery - read catalog
descriptions before growing
lots
Colors cover the spectrum:
chartreuse, bright green, dark
green and purple
Nutritious as well as tasty
High in carotenoids, vitamins A
and C, calcium, iron,
magnesium and fiber
Help prevent high blood
pressure, heart disease, stroke
They contain antioxidants
which fight against cancer and
protect eyes from macular
degeneration
Photo Credit Ethan Hirsh
6. Who’s Who – 3 main groups
1) The turnip family, Brassica rapa,
of Asian origin
a. Some crops are Brassica rapa var.
pekinensis (napa cabbage,
michihli, celery cabbage);
b. Others are B. rapa var. chinensis
(bok choy),
c. B. rapa var. japonica (mizuna),
d. B. rapa var. narinosa (tatsoi),
e. B. rapa var. perviridis (komatsuna)
Different sources use different names
2) The cabbage family, B.
oleracea, of European origin
Kai-lan, Chinese kale
3) The Chinese Mustard family,
B. juncea
Ruby Streaks (shown here, Photo
Johnnys Seeds),
Golden Frill, Red Rain
If you plan to grow seed of more
than one Asian green, carefully
choose ones that won’t cross. Be
aware of the possibility of brassica
crops being wrongly classified
7. 2. Crops I recommend
1a. Brassica rapa var. pekinensis
Wong Bok types
• Napa cabbage is a Che-foo type
of wong bok,
• Cylindrical cabbages such as
Michihli (below) and Jade
Pagoda are Chihli types of wong
bok
• Photo Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Celery cabbage types
• Loose-leaf, non-heading, fast-
growing vegetables with light
green leaves and white petioles.
Maruba Santoh and Tokyo
Bekana (below)
• Photo Johnnys Seeds
8. 1a. Brassica rapa var. pekinensis.
Napa cabbage
Photo Kashruth Council of Canada
• A type of wong bok
• Very tender, light green leaves
• Excellent for stir-fries, pickling
• Hardy to about 25°F (–4°C)
• We like Blues (52 days from
seed to harvest) best
• Kasumi has the best bolt
tolerance and is larger: 5 lb (2.3
kg) compared to 4 lb (1.8 kg)
• Orange Queen is a colorful but
slower-growing variety (80 days)
• All are hardy to about 25°F
(–4°C)
• Stores better than michihli types
9. 1a. Brassica rapa var. pekinensis
Michihli (Cylindrical Wong Bok)
Chinese cabbage
• Produces 16" (40-cm) tall heads
6" (15 cm) across.
• Produces more in the same
space compared to Napa
cabbage
• Very tender, light green leaves
• Excellent for stir-fries and
pickling.
• More stress tolerant and
resistant to bolting and black
speck than Napa cabbage
• Cannot be stored as long.
• We like Jade Pagoda (72 days)
and the O-P Michihli (72 days)
• Photo Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
10. 1a Brassica rapa var. pekinensis
Celery cabbage (pe tsai)
Photo credit Johnnys Seeds
The second type of B. rapa:
• A fast-growing, looseleaf,
non-heading vegetable with
light green leaves and white
petioles.
• Mild flavor, tender texture:
can be substituted for
lettuce
• Can be ready for harvest in
3–4 weeks after sowing.
• More heat tolerant than
Napa. Cold tolerant to 25°F
(-4°C)
• Fairly bolt resistant
• Maruba Santoh, Tokyo
bekana – very similar
11. 1a Brassica rapa var. pekinensis
Maruba Santoh
• A fast-growing chartreuse
(yellow-green) tender-leafed
plant
• Can be harvested as baby leaves
• Or the leaves and wide white
stems of the mature plant
provide crunch for salads
• Or whole plants can be
chopped and lightly cooked
• Only 21 days to baby leaf, 35
days to maturity, and is fairly
bolt resistant
• Photo Ethan Hirsh
12. 1a or b Brassica rapa var. pekinensis or var. chinensis
Tokyo Bekana
• Fast-growing tender
chartreuse frilly, leafy
plant.
• 21 days to baby crop, 45
days to full maturity
• Can be used for salad
leaves during late-summer
lettuce shortages.
• Mild flavor - many people
don’t even notice they are
not eating lettuce!
Young Tokyo Bekana seedlings in our
November hoophouse.
Photo Ethan Hirsh
13. 1b. Brassica rapa var. chinensis
Pak choy, bok choi
• Previously known as
Chinese mustard cabbage
• Sturdy white leaf stems,
big green leaves. Usually
harvested as a head 12"–
15" (30–38 cm) tall
• 45–55 days to maturity
• All are hardy down to 32°F
(0°C), most varieties to
25°F (-4°C)
Photo Johnnys Seeds
14. Pak choy
Red Choi Photo Kitazawa Seeds.
http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_443
-77.html
• Can be picked as
individual leaves, for
bunches of mixed
braising greens or stir-
fry combinations
• We grow Prize Choy or
Joy Choi
• There is also red choi (a
45-day, red-veined baby
leaf or maroon-leaved
full-size version)
15. 1c. Brassica rapa var. japonica
Mizuna (kyona)
• Very easy to grow,
tolerates cold wet soil
• Use for baby salads
after only 21 days
• Or thin to 8"–12" (20–
30 cm) apart, to grow
to maturity in 40 days
• Fairly heat tolerant
(well, warm tolerant)
• Cold tolerant to 25°F
(-4°C)
Photo Ethan Hirsh
16. Mizuna
• Mild flavor
• Ferny leaves - add color
and loft in salad mixes
• Regrows vigorously after
cutting
• Available in green or
purple (but Ruby Streaks
mustard is much better
than Purple Mizuna!)
Mizuna
Ruby Streaks
Strap-leaved mibuna
Purple mizuna
Photo Ethan Hirsh
17. 1d. Brassica rapa var. narinosa
Tatsoi (tah tsoi)
• A small plant, a flat rosette
of shiny, dark green spoon-
shaped leaves and green-
white stems
• 21 days for baby salads; 45
days for cooking
• Mild flavor, an attractive
appearance
• Very cold tolerant, hardy to
10°F (–12°C)
• Easy to grow - here’s how -
Photo Ethan Hirsh
18. Tat soi
• Direct sow and then thin
into salad mixes, leaving
some to mature at 10" (25
cm) across for cooking
greens.
• Can transplant at 6" (15 cm)
• Kitazawa Seeds have a Red
Violet tatsoi/pak choy
hybrid, with an upright habit
Photo Wren Vile
Photo Kitazawa Seeds
http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_369-77.html
19. 1e. Brassica rapa var. perviridis or
Brassica rapa var. komatsuna
Komatsuna
• Also known as mustard spinach
(so is Pak Choy!), Summer Fest
• Green or red (purple)
• Baby salad size in 21 days, full
size in 35 days
• A large plant 18" (45 cm) tall
• Pick and bunch individual
leaves
• Or harvest the whole plant
• The flavor is mildly peppery
• Cold-tolerant to 15°F (-9.5°C),
perhaps 10°F (-12°C)
Photo credit Fothergill
Seeds
Photo Fothergill Seeds
20. 1. Brassica rapa or 3. juncea
Yukina Savoy
• like a bigger tatsoi,
• blistered dark green leaves
and stems
• delicious flavor
• about 12" (30 cm) tall
• Tolerant to heat and cold –
down to 10°F (-12°C)
• Transplant at 12" (30 cm)
• 21 days to reach baby size,
45 days to full size
Photo Ethan Hirsh
22. Hybrid of 1e. Brassica rapa var perviridis
& 2. Brassica oleracea
Senposai - Our star of Asian greens
• A cross between
komatsuna and regular
cabbage.
• A big plant producing large,
round, mid-green leaves
which are usually
harvested leaf by leaf.
• Cooks quickly (much
quicker than collards)
• Delicious sweet cabbagey
flavor, tender texture.
• Photo Kathryn Simmons
23. Senposai
• Transplant at 12"–18"
(30–45 cm) spacing; it
really will use all this
space
• Grows fast. Only 40 days
to mature.
• Very productive, usually
harvested leaf-by-leaf
• Heat and cold tolerant
(down to 12°F (-11°C)
A bed of senposai 15” apart
in the row, 3 rows in 48”
Photo Kathryn Simmons
24. Senposai in November
the young hoophouse crop is almost ready to
take over from the well-used outdoor crop.
Senposai. Photo Ethan Hirsh
25. 3. Brassica juncea
Red Splendor, Ruby Streaks,
Golden FrillJohnny’s Red Splendor Ruby Streaks
Photo Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Golden Frill
http://www.evergreenseeds.com
26. Asian-type brassica salad mixes
Wild Garden Pungent Mix,
Brassica juncea, (Wild Garden
Seeds, Fedco)
A cross of pungent Indian mustards
for those who like Big Flavor. 40
days to harvest.
Photos Wild Garden Seeds
Pink Petiole Mix, Brassica rapa
(Wild Garden Seeds, Fedco)
Fast-growing, cold tolerant, adds
a touch of color to the brassica
portion of winter salad mixes. A
varied mix of colors and shapes.
Ready in 40 days.
27. Pseudo-Asian Greens
Pink Lettucy Mustard,
Brassica rapa japonica,
Mild-flavored at all growth
stages
Photo Wild Garden Seeds
Ornamental and garnish kales
and cabbages add color and
texture. We like Nagoya Red and
White and Red Chidori
Photo http://www.extension.iastate.edu
28. 3. Crops to try later
Small and/or short-lived greens
Hon Tsai Tai, Brassica rapa, (like a purple broccoli raab).
Also known as Choy Sum. Mostly stem with small
clusters of buds. In climates cooler than Zone 7 this
might be productive in the fall. For spring it could be a
challenge most places. It matures in only 35–40 days.
Hardy to 23°F (–5°C).
Broccoli Raab, Brassica rapa ruvo. We had the same
trouble with this as with Hon Tsai Tai Photo Johnnys Seeds
Mei Qing Choi, A miniature 6" (15 cm) pak choy. We don’t do well with
miniature crops. These might suit your market, but we do better with
larger vegetables. It matures in less than 45 days, a definite plus
Vitamin Green/Bitamin-Na/Yokatta-Na, Brassica rapa var. Narinosa. A
slender, white-stemmed plant, about 12" (30 cm) tall. It can be planted 4"
(10 cm) apart, or direct sown and thinned. Tolerates heat and cold. Quick-
growing with good flavor, not pungent: 21 days for salad mix, 45 to full size
29. Crops to try later
Big and sturdy greens
Tyfon Holland Greens - a strong
plant, a hybrid of komatsuna
with a heading brassica. Could
be good in a survival situation, or
to grow for goats, or to make
green juices.
Hardy down to 20°F (-7°C).
Mizspoona, Brassica rapa, a
large sturdy plant, 40 days to
maturity. A sweet flavor with a
good balance of mild zinginess.
A gene pool (variable plants).
Mizuna crossed with Tatsoi.
Mizspoona photo Wild Garden Seeds
https://www.wildgardenseed.com
30. More Big Greens
Chinese Thick-Stem Mustard (SESE,
Fedco, Even' Star Organic Farm,
Maryland). Multiple cuttings of
balanced-flavor salad mix crop to fill
the CSA bags. Extremely cold tolerant.
Tenderleaf – a big, sturdy, OP plant.
Quick-cooking, mild-flavored, despite
appearances. Selected from a cross of
Tendergreen and tatsoi. Very disease-
resistant and cold tolerant down to
20°F (-7°C). Can be sown later in the
fall than other greens - could be the
solution if your original plan didn’t
work. Can be a useful salad mix crop at
the baby stage.
Chinese Thick-Stem
Mustard. Photo Southern
Exposure Seed Exchange
31. More Big Greens
Toraziroh
Brassica oleracea algoblabria, a robust producer of high
yields of large leaves with a good, not overpowering flavor.
Related to Chinese kale or Chinese broccoli.
Ready in 45 days.
Bolts sooner than senposai or yakattana
Photos: left http://www.truffulaseedproduce.com, right http://tanicreekfarm.com
32. Photo Kitazawa Seeds
http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_051-
68.html
• Transplants of Red Giant Mustard
Photo Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
• Mature Red Giant Mustard
Mustard greens
Mustards such as Red Giant, Osaka Purple, Brassica juncea, and
American Mustards (eg Southern Green Wave) proved too hot for
salads for us, even at 3" (8 cm) leaves. Best cooked. Hardy to light
frosts. Attractive colors. 21 days to baby leaves, 40–45 days full size
33. Chrysanthemum greens (shungiku)
• Chrysanthemum coronarium.
These have a very distinctive
aromatic flavor, which you
may or may not love.
• The flowers are very pretty, if
you give up harvesting the
leaves.
• 21 days for baby greens, 45
days to full size.
Photos
https://plantfreak.wordpress.com
34. 4. Crop requirements for Asian greens
Similar care requirements to other brassicas,
Shallow rooted - Pay extra attention to providing
enough water during hot weather to prevent
bitter flavors and excess pungency,
Do close monitoring of pests, which can build up
large populations during the summer.
Very fertile soils grow the best Asian greens,
Turn in leguminous cover crops
or compost to
provide adequate nutrition.
35. Sow or Transplant?
We almost always transplant brassicas because we
use our growing spaces very intensively.
Transplanting gives the previous crop extra time.
If we have 4 weeks between the end of one crop
and transplants going in, we sow buckwheat to add
organic matter and smother weeds.
We grow a lot of brassicas and our crop rotation is
always pushed and stretched by the amount of
brassicas we’d like to plant – transplanting allows
the soil extra weeks without brassicas.
36. Transplanting for fall crops
In summer, the faster growing types
(Napa cabbage, Tokyo Bekana and
Maruba Santoh) are ready to plant
out 2 weeks after sowing..
Most others transplant best at 3–4
weeks of age (less time than needed
in spring). We transplant outdoors
July 10 - July 31 for early fall crops.
Later is possible.
To minimize transplant shock, water
the plants well an hour before
transplanting, get them in the
ground as quickly as possible and
water again.
Shadecloth or rowcover will help
keep the breezes (if any!) and strong
sun off the plants.
Maruba Santoh transplant.
Photo Ethan Hirsh
37. Irrigation
Shallow-rooted, need plenty of
water to grow pleasant-tasting
leaves.
1” (2.5 cm) of water per week
2” (5 cm) during very hot weather
Drip irrigation saves water, reduces
disease and weed pressure
Overhead irrigation can be cheaper
and easier to set up for crops that
will be harvested before much time
has passed.
Overhead sprinklers can wash off
aphids - could be all the control
you need
Ruby Streaks mustard with drip
irrigation.
Photo Ethan Hirsh
38. 5. Pests and diseases
ProtekNet on hoops
ProtekNet Pest Control Netting is
made of clear high-density
polyethylene with UV resistance
and a lifespan of eight to ten
years. Its light transmission is 90
percent. It is available from Purple
Mountain Organics in Maryland.
The 1.35 × 1.35 mm 60 gm/m2
mesh is one-sixth the length of a
cucumber beetle. It also protects
crops against weather damage.
Mesh fabric with small holes is
better than rowcover in hot
weather - airflow is better and it
heats less.
Photo Dubois Agrinovation
39. Pests : flea beetles
o Garlic spray, Miller’s Hot Sauce,
kaolin and white sticky traps have
been suggested.
o You can also catch them with a
vacuum cleaner, or inside a bucket
coated with Tanglefoot paste (hold
the inverted bucket over the plant,
shake it and catch the jumping
beetles in the goo).
o Hb nematodes will also control them,
as will neem oil or the braconid wasp
Microtconus vittatoe Muesebeck.
ProtekNet – get a small mesh
Brassica flea beetles are a different species from the ones that plague
eggplant, and they can only fly a few hundred yards (meters).
o If we get flea beetles, we use Spinosad, an enzyme produced by a
soil organism.
40. o Harlequin bugs are our worst brassica pests. We usually
pppppppp pick and kill them.
o Aphids are worse in cooler weather (early spring), before their
predators have arrived in high enough numbers.
Insecticidal soaps can be used.
o Caterpillars can be kept off the plants with rowcover or ProtekNet. Bt
(Bacillus thuringiensis) will kill caterpillars if rowcovers fail. Bt
degrades rapidly in sunlight so is best applied early evening or early
morning, whichever seems likely to catch most caterpillars. The
beneficial fungus Beauvaria bassiana infects caterpillars, but can get
costly. Caterpillars have many natural enemies. In our garden the
paper wasps eat caterpillars, and we also have the parasite Cotesia
glomerata
More Pests
41. Even More Pests
o I used to think slugs were an endangered species in
Virginia. When we put up our hoophouse, I found we
were farming them! Slugs can best be caught at night
with a flashlight. (Well, actually with scissors, by
flashlight!)
o Grasshoppers - We are trying to determine when the
young hatch in July, so we know when to be most
attentive to keeping them off our plants.
o Vegetable weevil larvae have caused trouble In our
hoophouse in January. They come out of the soil at
night and make holes in the leaves. We have used
Spinosad against them with some success.
42. Most of these greens are fast-turnaround crops, so if some
get sick, pull them out and move on in life.
If it’s fall you can probably sow some spinach to
provide greens without antagonizing the brassica
disease gods.
Clubroot is perhaps the longest lasting disease, requiring
land to be taken out of brassica production for ten years.
Other diseases include various molds and wilts.
See ATTRA’s Cole Crops and Other Brassicas: Organic
Production
Diseases
43. 6. Growing in Spring
In spring we sow in flats in a
greenhouse, to get an early
start.
We transplant spring Asian
greens at 4–5 weeks of age,
about a month before our
last frost date, and use
rowcover for a few weeks.
Direct sowing has the
advantage that thinnings can
be used for salads.
Photo Kathryn Simmons
44. 7. In Summer (for Fall Outdoor Crops)
We prefer outdoor
seedbeds for summer
sowings, because it is easier
to keep the plants watered.
We make an outdoor
nursery bed, sow at about
three or four seeds per inch
(5–10 mm apart), and cover
with rowcover or ProtekNet.
The seedlings emerge in as
little as three days in
summer temperatures.
Bare-root transplants.
Photo credit Ethan Hirsh
45. For Fall Outdoor Crops
We start sowing our fall
Asian greens for outdoor
planting around June 26
and repeat a week later for
insurance (July 3), the
same dates we sow fall
broccoli and cabbage.
Last date for sowing these
crops is about 2 months
before the first fall frost
date. In our case that
means August 14–20.
Photo credit Kathryn Simmons
46. Season extension
Fast growing varieties can be
succession sowed for a continuous
supply.
Cold-hardy types can be harvested all
winter in climates milder than zone 7.
Or they could be kept alive to revive in
spring and provide earlier harvests
than spring-sown crops.
Wild Garden Seeds and Even’ Star Farm
specialize in producing seed for very
cold-tolerant varieties.
Rowcovers on hoops will help keep
these crops in marketable condition,
and improve the microclimate, for
better growth rate.
A well used bed of senposai in
November.
Credit Kathryn Simmons
47. Cold-Hardiness
32F (0C): Some Pak Choy
25F (-4C): Chinese Napa cabbage, Maruba
Santoh, Mizuna, Tokyo Bekana, most Pak Choy
20F (-7C): Tendergreen, Tyfon Holland Greens
15F (-9.5C): perhaps Komatsuna
12F (-11C): Senposai
10F (-12C): Tatsoi, Yukina Savoy, probably
Komatsuna
48. 8. Growing in the winter hoophouse
Hoophouses are the place to be in winter, if you are an Asian
green. Night-time protection of two layers of
plastic and an air gap – big difference!
September sowings thrive on sunny
days and grow surprisingly quickly.
When the daylight falls below ten
hours, growth slows down till spring.
For most of the winter, our hoophouse
plants are actively growing, not merely
being stored for harvest (as happens in
colder climate zones and outdoors), so
we can continue sowing new
hoophouse crops even in December.
Brassicas are the most productive
crops in these conditionsPhoto Wren Vile
49. Persephone days and
scheduling winter
hoophouse crops
When the daylight is shorter than 10 hours a day not much
growth happens. The dates depend on your latitude.
In Central Virginia, latitude 38° North, this period lasts two
months, from November 21 to January 21.
The dates are modified by the time it takes to cool the soil and
the air.
The effective dates for us are closer to December 15 -February
15.
To harvest in the darkest days of winter you’ll need to plan a
good supply of mature crops to take you through. What has
already grown before this period will provide most of your
harvests.
Be aware of the increase in days to maturity in winter.
50. Fall outdoor sowings to transplant inside
• Sept 15: pak choy, Chinese cabbage, Yukina Savoy,
Tokyo Bekana, Maruba Santoh,
• Sept 24: Senposai, more Yukina Savoy, mizuna We use
hoops and ProtekNet, and water frequently.
ProtekNet and hoops.
Photo Wren Vile
51. Fall Hoophouse Planting - September
Early September : We clear and
add compost to one of the beds
and sow tatsoi.
Sept 15 and Sept 24: We make
outdoor sowings of crops to
later transplant into the
hoophouse at 2- 4 weeks old.
At the end of September we
clear summer crops from one
more bed, add compost and
work it in. We transplant Tokyo
Bekana and Maruba Santoh at 2
weeks old, Chinese cabbage, pak
choy, Yukina Savoy at 3 weeks.
Photo November hoophouse beds.
Ethan Hirsh
52. Fall Hoophouse Planting - October
Late October we sow more
“filler” Asian greens
In the fourth week of October,
we clear and prepare more beds
and transplant the Senposai,
mizuna, Yukina Savoy at 4
weeks old.
Early October, we sow
some “filler” Asian greens, to
fill gaps later. We try hard to
keep all the space occupied,
mostly using Asian greens,
lettuce and spinach.
Mizuna Photo credit Ethan Hirsh
For more crops, see
my slideshow
Hoophouse in Fall and
Winter on
SlideShare.net
53. Hoophouse Planting –
November and December
Nov 10 we sow more mizuna
Nov 11-20 we sow tatsoi
From Nov 10 on we aim to keep
a fully planted hoophouse, and
as each crop harvest winds
down, we immediately replace
that crop with another.
During December we use the
“Filler” greens plants to replace
casualties and heads of Chinese
cabbage, Pak choy, Yukina
Savoy each day as soon as
we’ve harvested them.
Pak Choy replacing Yukina Savoy here.
Photo Ethan Hirsh
54. Hoophouse Planting –
December to February
We stop filling gaps with Asian greens
(and lettuces) on Jan 25, and fill all
gaps after that with spinach
transplants, until 2/20. After that we
only fill gaps on edges of beds, leave
centers free for tomatoes, etc.
After 2/20, we harvest the winter
crops from the center rows first, plant
the new early summer crops down the
center, then harvest the outer rows bit
by bit as the new crop needs the space
or the light. This overlap allows the
new crops to take over gradually.
Our winter and spring crops come to
an end in March or early April
“Filler” transplants. Photo Ethan Hirsh
55.
56.
57. 9. Winter Hoophouse Harvest
Schedule
Harvest of Asian greens starts
in November, with mizuna,
tatsoi and baby brassica mix.
From December we also have
Tokyo Bekana, Maruba
Santoh
The new year starts with
Yukina Savoy and the bigger
greens, including Senposai,
pak choy, Chinese cabbage
feed us till mid-March.
Michihli cabbage
Photo Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.
58.
59. Harvesting
Some of these greens are
harvested as whole heads;
others can be harvested by the
leaf and bunched or bagged.
The open rosette types, such as
tatsoi or the bigger Yukina
Savoy, are usually gathered
closed and banded with plant
ties or rubber bands.
Most can be grown for baby
salad mix. With mizuna we do a
“half buzz-cut,” snipping off
leaves on one half of the plant
an inch (25 mm) above the
ground each time we come by.
Tat soi shown here.
Photo Ethan Hirsh
60. After Harvest
After harvest, get the
crops into shade and a
cooler as soon as you
can.
Some of the heading
types can be stored in a
walk-in cooler for several
weeks, almost as long as
regular cabbage.
Pak Choy shown here
Photo Ethan Hirsh
61. 10. Minimizing nitrate
accumulation in winter
In winter, when light levels are low, beware of high levels of
nitrates in leafy greens.
A health hazard — nitrates can be converted in the body into
nitrites, which reduce the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen
and may be further converted into carcinogenic
nitrosamines.
62. Nitrate accumulation
• Plants make nitrates during the night, and convert them
into leaf material during the day. It takes about six hours
of sunlight to use up a night’s worth of nitrates. In winter,
a small handful of leafy vegetables can exceed the
acceptable daily intake level of nitrate for an adult, unless
special efforts have been made to reduce the levels.
• Spinach, mustard greens (Asian greens)and collards
contain about twice as much as lettuce; radishes, kale and
beets often have two and a half times as much. Turnip
greens are especially high, at 3 times lettuce levels.
63. To keep nitrate levels as low as possible
Grow varieties best suited for winter;
Avoid fertilizing with blood meal or feather meal; use organic
compost.
Ensure soil has sufficient P, K, Mg and Mo
Water enough but not excessively;
Provide fresh air as soon as temperatures reach 68°F (20°C), so
that carbon dioxide levels are high enough;
Harvest after at least four (preferably six) hours of bright sunlight
in winter;
Avoid harvesting on very overcast days;
Avoid over-mature crops and discard the outer leaves. Harvest
crops a little under-mature, rather than over-mature;
Use crops soon after harvest;
Refrigerate immediately after harvest, store harvested greens at
temperatures close to freezing;
Mix your salads; don’t just eat Asian greens!
64. 11. Seed saving
If you plan to grow seed of more than one Asian green, carefully choose
ones that won’t cross. Be aware that crops might be wrongly classified.
Also beware of brassica weeds.
For yourself: at least 600 ft (200 m) isolation from other flowering
brassicas.
To sell seed: ¼ mile (400 m) with barriers or ½ mile (800 m) without.
Grow at least 120-300 plants, pull out any atypical ones, let the rest bolt.
Why so many? Brassicas are outbreeding plants and if too few are grown,
they are in danger of inbreeding depression (not enough genetic
diversity)
Save seed from at least 60 to 75 plants, and preferably 125 to 150.
As the seedpods dry, pull up the plants, and hang them up to finish drying
under cover. If you have high humidity, use a fan. Hanging plants inside
paper sacks will reduce loss of seeds when the pods shatter.
Stomp on the bags to shatter the pods, and then winnow and screen the
seeds. See the Saving Our Seed Project guide (in the Resources section)
65. Resources
• Grow Your Own Chinese Vegetables, Geri Harrington, 1984, Garden Way
Publishing. Includes the names for these crops in different cultures.
• Growing Unusual Vegetables, Simon Hickmott, 2006, Eco-Logic books, UK.
• Oriental Vegetables: The Complete Guide for the Garden
and Kitchen, Joy Larkham, revised edition 2008, Kodansha, USA
• Kitazawa Seeds kitazawaseed.com/ & Evergreen Seeds have the most choices.
• Evergreen’s helpful clickable list. evergreenseeds.com/asveglis.html
• Fedco Seeds fedcoseeds.com/ and Johnny’s johnnyseeds.com/ have a good
range.
• Wild Garden Seed has many interesting home-bred varieties. Search under
Mustard. wildgardenseed.com
• Even’ Star Farm Ice-bred Seeds localharvest.org/even-star-organic-farm-M9994
• Good Earth Seed Company (Tsang and Ma International)
P.O. Box 5644, Redwood City, California 94063. No English website.
• ATTRA Cole Crops and Other Brassicas: Organic Production attra.ncat.org/attra-
pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=27
• Saving Our Seed Project carolinafarmstewards.org/wp-
content/uploads/2012/05/BrassicaSeedProductionver1_1.pdf an excellent 24-
page guide on organic brassica seed production
We find that people are very ready for some fresh greens as the summer begins cooling down. Most of the crops I’m talking about Asian in origin, some developed in the US.
Less frilly than Tokyo Bekana
— I suppose enough salad dressing masks all flavors!
Golden Frills, etc. New varieties
Hon Tsai Tai, Brassica rapa, Mostly stem with small clusters of buds (which in our case, turned to flowers while we blinked).
Mei Qing Choi, We don’t do well with miniature crops. I avoid varieties labeled “compact” in the catalogs.
Coming from the moist and verdant islands of
Britain,
Diseases are not much of a problem for us, though if they are for you, you may be justified in
feeling grumpy with me after reading that!
Combining the transplanting with the direct sowing, we’ll look at month by month plantings
For winter crops, there is no need to remove finished plants to the compost pile if
they are not diseased. We simply leave them on the surface to dry up and disintegrate, improving
the texture and nutrients in the surface layer of the soil. The higher temperatures and the lack of
rain ensure that crop residues will dry up rather than rot.
This appears towards the end of the handout
This is generally thought to be a health hazard (although recently this has been
questioned).
Boost CO2 by breathing.