Topic: Mixed Oriental Leaves

[wardy]

Anyone else growing these?  They are dead easy to grow and are really tasty.  I grow them as cut and come again leaves and they're great used like lettuce on a salad or stir fried.  I thought they might be too soft but they're not - lovely and crunchy.  The packet was free on the front of a magazine even better  :)  I've just eaten my last lot so I will be sowing another batch today.  Not got quite the hang of this successional sowing yet  :)

[terrace max]

Love oriental leaves of all descriptions. Rosette pak choi is my latest 'discovery' - a really lovely looking plant. Anyway, they're all worth growing, severally as well as jointly, especially at this time of year.

Joy Larkcom wrote a very good book on the subject...

[jennym]

Actually, (bearing in mind previous post on carrots) these again are ones that seem to go really well through the winter for me.  :)
I usually sow about now, and when the weather gets really horrible, I put up a contraption made of chicken wire and fleece to form a sort of fleece cloche over them just to stop the leaves getting tatty. My favourite is the Red Mustard leaf, very tangy.

[wardy]

Mine too JennyM  :)  Apparently they don't mind cold but your idea about the cloche is a good one.  Where's me chicken wire, it's round here somehwere  ;D

TM  pak choi is fab innit.  I was given some plants and I filled a grow bag with three rows of the stuff but it bolted.  Still ate it though and it was lovely so now I'm growing it and eating it all the time  :)

[terrace max]

I think a lot of the orientals cope with our winters temperature-wise. They're not so keen on the damp and hungry birds and slugs...

There's a picture of rosette pak choi (aka tatsoi) here:

http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_062-78.html

It grows as wide as a large dinner plate...unusual and tasty...

[wardy]

You let it get to full size then?  I'd be too impatient and nicking the leaves off  :)

[terrace max]

I let the snails have the outer leaves!                       

[Rose.mary]

WOW!!
Can you please tell me how you train your snails to eat just the outer leaves :P
Rosemary

[KT]

Hi,Wardy

You let it get to full size then?  I'd be too impatient and nicking the leaves off  :)

With Tatsoi and many other leafy orientals ,you can pick off individual leaves as they grow,no need to wait until they get to full size.Smaller leaves can be eaten in salad but larger ones are best cooked.Lovely in soupy noodle dishes! ;D

[Derekthefox]

Being of a dozy nature (or is that dopey?) it never occured to me to try growing these through the winter. Of course, they are very welcome during the dark days. I will have to get a packet of something suitable ...

Derekthefox :D

[Rosyred]

What compost did you use Wardy to grow them in?

[kentishchloe]

I planted a few rows of Oriental Leaves 'Niche Mixed' from T & M in a plastic window-box full of peat-free multipurpose on the patio at the weekend, just been to check and some seeds have germinated already. I'm very impressed! Interesting salads in the winter :o - yes please :P :P

[Rosyred]

I've got that packet fro 69p thats why I was wondering what compost to use as I want to start growing it. Got to do something as bursting to start growing veg. (allotment not ready yet)

[Doris_Pinks]

I grow mine in regular tub type compost, or grow bags laying down, with  a rectangle cut out.

[wardy]

Mine are in a box with some salad onions. I've used soil with a bit of grobag stirred in as my undug soil is a bit rough  :)  I was going to sow some more but I was so generous that I gave my bro my last packet.  I thought I had another one but it was empty.  Must remember to get some more  :)

[amphibian]

I am grwowing some Mizuna, and  I have a pack of mixed oriental leaf that I am about to sow, I like my oriental leaf a lot.