Most of us grow lettuce for the leaves, but celtuce is a variety of lettuce that is more often grown for its stem. Also known as asparagus lettuce, celery lettuce, Chinese lettuce, stem lettuce, or wosun, celtuce tastes like a cross between, you guessed it, asparagus, broccoli, and celery. Popular in Chinese food, celtuce was probably developed along with other lettuces during Roman times and then found its way to China during the Tang Dynasty. Celtuce (Lactuca sativa var. augustana, angustata, or asparagina) is a cool-weather crop that needs consistent moisture to prevent it from turning bitter. Celtuce description These plants look like a giant, open Romaine, with upright lance-shaped leaves. They can grow as large as a cabbage plant. Like other lettuces, celtuce is day length-sensitive, which means it tends to bolt when the days are long. Bolting refers to premature flowering and stem elongation, which makes your celtuce taste bitter. But if it does bolt, let it go. Celtuce can grow 4 or 5 feet tall, providing nectar, pollen, habitat, and landing platforms for many beneficial insects (and you get free seeds!).
How to grow celtuce Plant seeds no more than ¼-inch deep. They germinate best in temperatures from 35°F to 60°F and should be planted 14- to 24-inches apart. These plants will reach maturity in about 60 days. They will be 12-18-inches long. Early leaves can be harvested 4 or 5 weeks after planting, starting at the bottom of the plant. This cut-and-come-again characteristic means you can get a surprising amount of food from a single plant. Mature leaves are edible but tend to be too bitter due to their milky sap. One way to avoid the limitations of a hot summer is to grow your celtuce indoors, where temperatures tend to be more stable. Lettuce and celtuce root systems are shallow, so containers do not need to be especially large. These plants need nutrient-rich soil, so use high-quality potting soil in your containers. Problems with celtuce Aphids, slugs, snails, and whiteflies are attracted to your celtuce. And I’m going to assume that most lettuce problems apply to celtuce. Celtuce stems tend to split after heavy rain, providing entry for pests and diseases. How about sharing a pack of celtuce seeds with your friends and neighbors to see what you think about this delicious crunchy green? Imagine a tuber with the texture of water chestnut and the flavor of a starchy apple. This cousin of wood sorrel is called oca. Oca (Oxalis tuberosa) is a perennial edible that overwinters as underground stems similar to sweet potatoes. Oca has been a dietary staple of the Andes region for centuries, and you can grow it at home and enjoy it raw, cooked, or pickled. Highly nutritious, oca is a very flexible plant. The tubers, leaves, and stems are all edible. Oca description The tubers are small and nubby. To me, they almost look like turmeric rhizomes. They can be orange, pink, or yellow, but most commonly are red. The leaves look a lot like Bermuda buttercup. Flowers appear after 3 or 4 months. Oca starts producing tubers when temperatures drop into the low 50s (°F) and the days get shorter. How to grow oca
These plants grow best in cool, wet weather. When shopping for oca tubers, opt for sweet oca over sour oca. Both are edible, but the names pretty much say it all. Plant seed tubers two to three inches deep and 24-36” apart. Like yacón, another Andean native, these plants grow well in poor soil and harsh climates, but need a long growing season. Each oca plant can produce up to three pounds of tubers yearly, though one pound is more likely. Oca pests and diseases Nematodes and weevils can damage your oca crop. Some viral diseases may also appear, but you can reduce most problems with a three-year crop rotation. If you have a plant that looks sick, the first thing you should do is to rule out insect feeding. Insect feeding usually creates holes and ragged edges on leaves, gnawed areas on fruits, or damaged roots. You might see eggs or insects on the underside of leaves, telltale slime trails, or ant brigades. Next, ask yourself where the problem is happening. Is it the leaves, fruit, stems, or the whole plant? If you know the type of plant, you may be able to narrow things down to a family-specific condition. This chart should help you figure out what's happening to your plant: And here's a way to download your won version:
I’ve written about so many foods we can grow at home that it is a pleasant surprise to discover yet another option: shiso. Shiso (Perilla frutescens) is a member of the mint family. This herb from Southeast Asia is called beefsteak plant, rattlesnake weed, and Chinese basil in the US. You can eat the leaves fresh in a salad, stirred into a casserole, or dried and used as a seasoning. They make a tasty garnish, too. And the seed pods can be salted and eaten as a snack. Shiso description Shiso is a substantial plant that can grow 3 feet tall. In Zones 11-12, it can be grown as a perennial. You can also grow it indoors year-round as an edible houseplant or treat it as an annual. The broad leaves have pointed ends and are serrated. There are several varieties of shiso:
When the stalks dry, they make the sound of a rattlesnake’s rattle when brushed. How to grow shiso
Shiso can be grown from seeds. They should germinate in 14 to 20 days. These plants grow well in partial shade and can handle full sun in mild regions. Treat these plants like basil, pinching the growing tips regularly to encourage bushy growth. Add this new taste to your kitchen garden or windowsill today. |
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