Summer Greens

[digitS']

I might have titled this SUMMER greens! This weekend will be a real test for the greens I put in late. After saying in May that my garden has about the same March to September warmth as Devils Lake, North Dakota - we have had record-breaking warmth in June. This weekend may see more records fall as the thermometer rises above 100°f!

Anyway, seed for Escarole, Maruba Santoh and more bok choy was sown May 17th. Starts for Portuguese kale and South Seas Kailaan were also transplanted out. I had reasonable expectations since I've grown all of these at least once, bok choy many times ... although I would have the least hope for that one.

They are all still growing but the South Seas bolted immediately. That was kinda okay because kailaan is used like broccoli, for its flower buds. Still, the plants didn't make much growth. I'm hoping that this large kailaan type can continueto kick out buds over several weeks.

Here's one more, that was new to me. Thank you, Mary! It's been so long since I initially planted orach that I have forgotten the variety and when I sowed the seed. What I have done is to just allow 1 or 2 plants to self-sow each fall. This works great! Orach is my earliest spring green. This is new, a Red Orach sown in May.

The plants are a little larger now, the picture was taken a week ago. I should have enough to sample in the kitchen but I want to make sure to have saved seed for 2016. Sprouted in 2014, my orach volunteers are not red, they are a very dark purple and they have bolted. I'm hoping that they will not cross-pollinate with the new Red Orach. One reason, DW likes the color and doesn't like purple veggies.

I will post about each of these as we go through the next few days and let you know how they hold up. I could compare them with the spinach that had a harvest period of about 5 days and has been gone for 2 weeks now - about what I expected from it. So, here goes, the Summer Greens!

Steve

 

[digitS']

This is what's for dinner tonight:

I tried this Batavian Escarole for the first time last year. Thanks, NyBoy.

They held up well when planted late and inspired this 2015 experiment . You can see a couple of the smaller escarole plants in the first photo.

One thing about them, the Maruba Santoh and bok choy are also close by. They suffered from earwig damage but not the escarole. I think the others have come out of it well but no damage is better than damage recovery .

My dinner idea is a beef, barley and escarole soup!

Steve

 

[journey11]

My escarole bolted pretty quickly. I don't think I planted it early enough or otherwise should plan for fall instead. We did get to try a little first though.

I hear you are in for a heat wave this week. Sounds miserable. Hope the AC holds up!

 

[digitS']

I've never been to Tuscany but I have an idea from meteorologists that our growing season weather is similar. Perhaps that area near the Alps.

Summer came early. After 5 weeks, the Escarole is quite small. Maybe a little stunted from heat and dryness.

Good soup .

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

I miss my mothers bean and escarole soup !!!

 

[digitS']

Probably the last thing my mother gave me. I keep it on the dresser and set my glasses on it, sometimes. She was a fan of Bill Keane's Family Circus.

Steve

 

[digitS']

I'm neglecting to mention these:

The image is a little confusing because of the leaf texture of the Scotch kale. It plays out just a little through the season. I want to point out the younger plants between the larger ones but they are a little hard to see.

My mother grew and bought kale. I wonder how different a diet from the neighbors', I had as a kid . Anyway, it took quite awhile for me to make a kale commitment in my own garden. I've had it for several years once I became determined to use it right through the summer. Young leaves! Notice how the plants show that the harvest has been on-going. The plants won't be very large by fall but I save very few kale plants - clearing nearly all of the gardens.

I'm sure I do this in June, every year. There are just a few square feet for seed of Asian greens. Now, in July ... ... I'll get more serious sowing for the fall and winter!

Steve

 

[digitS']

@journey11 has a poll on the effects of the growing season weather. Here's one.

When I arrived to spray weeds in the dahlia garden yesterday, I found my Maruba Santoh greens flat on the ground, next door in the little veggie garden!

It was over 100° and there is no shade for that bed in late afternoon. I pulled the plants today and tossed them in the compost.

If you would like a leafy Asian green for salads, you should try Maruba Santoh. It isn't crisp like Napa cabbage. It's more like leaf lettuce and with a very mild flavor. Kitazawa and Fedco sell the seed.

I have a little trouble growing it. It's really a spring green. The seeds will germinate fine most anytime but it won't make any growth in late summer and shuts down with the fall frosts.

Steve

 

[digitS']

Bok choy sown in May needs to be pulled.

Asian greens (bok choy, choy sum & Asian mustard) sown in June emerged poorly. As you can see in the above picture, there is lots of bare ground. The plants are growing slowly.

I've got beets! It almost seemed that they wouldn't even make it to baby size in all the heat. I don't know when the seed went in the ground. They, also, had to wait for the tractor guy. Still, with a 2nd fertilizing and frequent water, they shot right past baby-size!

I also have "perpetual spinach." Very few plants because there were only a few seeds left of what some seed outfits call "leaf beets." It's really a chard ... without the heavy stalk. Biennial. Seems to taste more like beets than chard. Territorial, Baker Creek, Fedco, etc. sell the seed. I really, really need to grow more of it, every year! No telling when a SUMMER like this will come along.

Steve

 

[digitS']

I should mention this: I'm not very familiar with escarole. It has been holding up but ... the plants seem to be changing the last few days. No doubt, they will be bolting soon ... but, not just yet!

East meets West & I have had escarole and kimchi ramen soup 3 times, now. I'm convinced, it's a good pairing !

I see some recipes for sauteed escarole with garlic and red pepper. They compliment the escarole. There is also the addition of spicy Italian sausage to the escarole and bean soup.

Steve