Topic: Oriental Vegetables

[Ophi]

Has anyone any advice for growing Pe Tsai (Chinese Cabage), Green in Snow Mustard,  and Miike?  I thought I might have a go at these as my family liked Chinese Hot Pot in the winter and it would be good to have your own ingredients ready.

Almost forgot to say I am in the East Midlands, UK.

[goodlife]

I've grown chinese cabbage but not as winter crop..usually either as a spring crop from early sowing in GH or sown now to be eaten in autumn. They do need quite a lot water to get lush crunchy growth through. Usually I have odd one growing in summer too but this year its been far too dry for it and I've got enough watering to do as it is.
Chinese cabbage is very easy to grow though...
.. in East Midlands too  ;)...

[Bugloss2009]

well i was going to say i've never successfully grown chinese cabbage. Worth trying though. The thing with the oriental leaves is that they are nearly all brassicas and suffer from all the usual brassica problems

[1066]

i've tried chinese cabbage a few times, and it's the slugs/snails that cause the most problems for me !
What's Miike?

 :)

[Ophi]

Miike is hot Mustard Greens.

[1066]

Ah, thanks  :)

[Jeannine]

Hi, I grow and eat a lot of Oriental veggies. With most greens I start early, February indoors and transplant outtill the end of May..then stop, I start again with transplants 1 st week in July to the end of September but towards the end I cloche them.

If you had cold frames you could extend them further depending on what they are.

These are some of what I grow if you want to ask more specifics, I also grew them in Yorkshire for several years.

I will give you variety names but not sure if you can get them all in the UK you may have to have seeds sent from over the pond.

Gai Lan..I like Green Pearl but it is a hybrid or Minuet.

Sui Choi..I prefer Wa Wa Sai as it is a smaller size..China Express is bigger but takes longer.

Shungiku, I grow this one sometimes and prefer Garland

Mustards.most are winter hardy..I plant these very few weeks as I pick them as baby greens.I like Tendergree  as it is fairly mild or Osaka Purple for a red one. I also grow red and green Komasuta pretty much all round, they are slower to bolt in heat than most yet very winter hardy, very easy and quick to grow as baby greens.Tah Tsai is a spinach mustard that I like particularly

Pac Choi, I tend to grow the smaller ones  like Toy Choi or Chiang Chang for a bigger one there are several but I don;t grow them.

Choi Sum, I like Yu Tsai Sum  but ut bolts easy in the summer

Snow peas I grow Dwarf Grey Sugar

Daikon I like Minowase for summer

Soya beans I grow several types

During the winter I usually grow mini greens for stir fries in a tub I mix up all the above that bare appropriate and seed them together, I grow mon the balcony for as long as I can and move indoors if the weather is iffy, usually i can keep a tub or two through out the year going if I keep sowing every three weeks or so.

I don;t know if any of the above is helpful.

Basically they are mostly cool weather veggies, so grow in the Spring but not in the heat of summer, then again in the cooler days of the autumn, with protection you can take them further into the winter and a coupelk will stand real cold.

Good luck, if I can help with other info or specifics get back to me



XX Jeannine

[Ophi]

That is encouraging and I think I will give them a go and use fleece later in the year.  Thank you.

[1066]

During the winter I usually grow mini greens for stir fries in a tub I mix up all the above that bare appropriate and seed them together, I grow mon the balcony for as long as I can and move indoors if the weather is iffy, usually i can keep a tub or two through out the year going if I keep sowing every three weeks or so.

I don;t know if any of the above is helpful.

Jeannine, yes that is truly helpful, and what a great idea to make your own mix and use them small for stirfrys. I love it. I have some of those blue plastic mushroom boxes, which I'm going to line with an old compost bag, punch some holes in, add some crocks, then some compost (spent and other) and get sowing. Think I may try this at home and up at the plot to see which works best. My overwintered oriental veg, in the main did very well last year, but think I'll try and do a couple of different sowings to see what works and what doesn't  :)

I'm off to check out the varieties you mention, but as I have loads of oriental seeds I need to be a good girl and not but any more......

10  :D

[Jeannine]

I grow now in the bottom of fridges. you know the thing you put your veggies in.Fridges are quite wide here and many are just one piece so they are perfect, about 8 inches deep x 30 inches x 14 inches. I was lucky as our apartment blocks come with fridges and they have been replacing them this last year. They put the old ones in a part of the underground garage awaiting disposal so guess who gets all the fridge bottoms. Perfect for mini greens and stuff over winter under lights.

I loove recycling

XX Jeannine