How to grow Greens, Specialty?
- Ease of Growing: Moderate
- Growing Type: Annual
The most popular specialty greens produce an abundance of delicate tender greens and their flavors range from bitter to bland to tart. They are often little changed from wild plants and so grow quickly, without needing much attention.
Greens, Specialty History
Green leaves have always been an important part of the human diet and many of the varieties we eat today have their origins in wild plants that were foraged by European and Asian peasants.
Mixed greens were a favorite of the Romans and were even dressed with the familiar combination of olive oil and vinegar. In recent years, Americans have come to a new appreciation of green leaves, as restaurant specializing in locally grown greens began to feature them prominently. They are not only tasty of course, they are also some of the healthiest foods you can eat.
Soil Preference
- PH (min/max): 6.0 - 7.0
- PH Ideal (min/max): 6.3 - 6.5
The soil is called upon to produce a lot of foliage in a short time, so it should be fertile, moisture retentive and well drained.
How to care for Greens, Specialty?
Specialty greens need to grow quickly for best quality. This can only be done by giving the plants everything they need.
Water
These fast-growing plants must have all of the water they need for rapid growth. It is important that the soil is kept moist at all times.
Fertilizer
These greens grow quickly and for best growth and flavor they should have all of the nutrients readily available, which means the soil needs to be fairly fertile. Their main requirement is for nitrogen, but they also need moderate amounts of potassium and phosphorus.
Seeds
Seed Viability: 2 - 5 Years
Germination Percentage: 80.0
Most of these are fairly easy to save seed from, you just have to leave them in the ground long enough to flower and produce seed.
Light
Part shade
If you want to grow them in warm weather, they will often benefit from some shade.
Conditions:Warm
Season:Short Season, Long Season
Sun: min. 6 hours daily
In cool weather the plants will need full sun for most rapid growth.
Conditions:Cool
Season:Short Season, Long Season
Storage
Specialty greens are so tender and delicate they do not keep very well. You can keep them in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days. Don't wash them until you are going to use them.
Storage Req: Refrigerator
Storage Temp: 35-40°F
Storage Length: 1-5 days
Problems
Bitterness
This is a characteristic sign of imminent [bolting], but it may also be caused by water stress or unusually warm weather. Once it happens there isn't much you can do about it.
Greens, Specialty Types
- Cress
- Good King Henry
- Purslane
- Mix
- Beetberry (Strawberry Spinach)
- Corn Salad / Mache
This curious plant produces greens that are picked and cooked like spinach. It also produces attractive, red berries that look like a raspberry and strawberry hybrid fruit and make a great dye. Unfortunately they don't taste much like raspberry or strawberry.
Corn Salad gets its name because it was a wild salad plant that grew as a weed among the corn (corn is an old English word for all cereal crops). It is frequently sold in markets under its French name Mache.
Corn Salad is renowned for being one of the hardiest of winter greens. It produces a low rosette of attractive mineral-rich greens when not much else is available. The low growing spatulate leaves have a delicate nutty flavor.
Pests
- Deer
- Gophers
- Groundhog
- Leafhoppers
- Slugs and snails
- Birds
- Rabbits
Diseases
- Damping Off
Related Plants
Greens, Juicing
Sprouts
Seacale
Kohlrabi
Collards
Anise
Caraway
Cumin
Cauliflower
Culantro