Gai Lan and Corn Salad

As mentioned in the previous post, I went on a bit of a sowing spree last week and so I need to catch up with some of the kinds of vegetables that I planted.

Gai Lan

The literal translation of Gai Lan is "mustard orchid" due to the subtle mustard flavour of the leaves. It is a member of the brassica family, also known as Chinese Broccoli and is a leaf vegetable featuring thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems and a small number of tiny, almost vestigial flower heads similar to those of broccoli.

Starting

These can be sown around mid-March for me, or around 3-4 weeks before the last frost date, or transplant seedlings when they are 3-4 weeks old. The seeds should no more than 1cm deep, and can be grown around 8" apart.

Growing

Gai Lan does not need as much fertilizer as its brassica brethren, broccoli, and it is important to water well in dry periods. For cool season harvest gai lan should be sown in the Summer or early Fall.

Harvesting

Stalks can be harvested with leaves and flower buds intact by cutting them at the ground level. For peak flavour, the plants should be harvested before the tiny flower buds open.

Corn Salad

I sowed this on the advice of one of my friends. Corn Salad is a salad green that comes under a mixture of names, for example Lamb's Lettuce or Mâche.

Starting

Seeds sprout best in cool, moist soil, which sounds exactly like the West Coast in mid-March, though it has been pretty warm here of late. These plants can be thinned to 2" so they are pretty good in terms of the amount of vegetables for the space allotted.

Growing

Corn salad grows in a low rosette with spatulate leaves up to 15.2 cm long.[3] It is a hardy plant that grows to zone 5, and in mild climates it is grown as a winter green. In warm conditions it tends to bolt to seed.

Harvesting

Like all salad greens, you can use scissors to cut everything that is about 1-2" from the ground when the plant is about 4" tall, or you can harvest leaves individually.

Radish

Last week I went on a bit of a sowing spree and sowed a couple of different types of vegetables, which maybe turned out well as this week is getting better and better in terms of the weather. On the other hand, the nights have been chilly with a slight frost making an appearance. Therefore everything that was sown are able to handle a little frost and can be planted a couple of weeks before the last frost date.
Radishes are very ubiquitous when it comes to vegetable gardens as they are very easy to grow and are quick to harvest, making them a very accessible plant to grow. I went with a variety called White Icicle.

Starting

Radishes sprout in about 5-10 days depending upon the outdoors temperature. I sowed the seeds 3" apart, giving me 16 seeds in a square foot area. For a continual harvest it is best to sow every fortnight or so even through the Summer, but please note some problems that may occur below.

Growing

Radishes are fast growing and do not have many issues since they spend suc a short time in the ground, but they may need to be shaded, mulched, or watered carefully in order to avoid the radishes getting dried out, which will lead to splitting or bolting.

Harvesting

Pull up the entire plant and trim the tops when they get marble-sized or so.

Spinach

The second sowing that I have started this year, aside from a couple of flowers, is spinach. I sowed the seeds back on March 3rd and they have started to appear.

Spinach

Starting

Spinach can be continually sown for a couple of months at the beginning of the year, about 4-5 weeks before the final frost date. For me, in Victoria, BC this is about March time with my final frost date being around April 19th.

Spinach takes around 1-2 weeks to germinate, and do not like to be transplanted, and so they should be started directly outside. Spinach seeds should be sown around 3" apart, although if you want larger leaves, then spacing should be around 8".

Growing

Spinach is fast-growing, productive and can grow in small spaces, making it a very attractive vegetable to plant. It is a heavy feeder, and benefits from monthly applications of a fertilizer high in nitrogen, for example fish emulsion.

Spinach is not a fan of hot weather, however, and will bolt to seed, causing the leaves to taste bitter. Regular watering (at least twice weekly in warm weather) )is essential to create steady growth in the plant and minimize bolting. One plant that is not actually a spinach but is very close in taste is New Zealand spinach. This plant does not mind the Summer heat and will not bolt.

Harvesting

Cut outer leaves when they are around 1-2" above ground level. If it looks like the plant is about to bolt then harvest the entire plant for a little extra harvest before the leaves turn bitter.