Early fall, with its often foggy mornings and cool temperatures, signals that change is in the air. Many of the summer staples are running low and growth across the garden is noticeably slowing. But if you're thinking it's time to put down the hoe for winter, think again - because now is the time for Asian greens to come into their own. Read on to learn how to plant Asian lettuces.
What types of Asian salads are there?
You can usually grow Asian lettuce up to twice a year. The first time in spring (from April), the second time – in July or August. Asian greens mix offer a fascinating variety of leaf shapes, textures and flavors. Enjoy the soft and creamy leaves of rosette-shaped bok choy (also known as pak choy) or the crunchy Chinese cabbage (Brasicca). Other popular varieties include Mizuna, leaf mustard “Red Giant” and “Wasabina”,namenia, Komatsuna.
Planting Asian lettuces in late summer is best
Oriental lettuce leaves thrive best in the second half of the year. Cool-season Asian lettuce is best sown in the last weeks of summer for growth through fall and beyond.Plant Asian lettucedirectly into the prepared soil or start sowing in trays to plant out a few weeks later. Most of them are quite hardy and will still produce some leaves to cut in the winter, especially if protected in a greenhouse or arbor.
Where to plant Asian lettuces:Asian vegetables grow best in well-drained soil. They don't need full sun to thrive. Fast-ripening vegetables like mizuna can thrive with just 2 to 3 hours of direct sun per day. Longer-ripening vegetables like bok choy need more light. Plant in raised beds or pots. Asian vegetables also grow well in troughs and trays, as single plants or as a mix of different species and/or varieties for a delicious burst of flavor in one convenient container.
Planting Asian lettuces – this is how it works: Mark drill holes at a depth of about 1 cm. Maintain a distance of 15 to 25 cm between rows. Sow the seeds thinly along the length of the holes and then cover them again. Water well when dry. Once the seeds have germinated, gradually thin the seedlings to their final spacing. For most plants, this is a distance of 15 to 30 cm, depending on what you are growing.
Sowing in spring (from April)
If you plant Asian lettuce earlier in the year, you will need to pick the leaves regularly to slow down blooming as the plants push up the flower stalks and leaf production stops. Plants grown in partially shaded locations often bolt more slowly. Sowing every few weeks should ensure a steady supply of usable leaves during this delicate time of year. Prepare the soil for planting by spreading an all-purpose organic fertilizer over it and then raking it to create a fine, friable surface.
How to protect plants in winter
Pull weeds between plants to keep them free of competitors - especially important during the colder, darker months of the year. Slugs can be a nuisance as they like to rasp holes in the delicate leaves. Trap them at dusk or set snail traps filled with beer and remove the caught snails. Protect plants planted earlier in the year from flea beetles by enclosing newly sown beds with row covers or insect screens. You can make it more difficult for flea beetles to overwinter by tilling up the soil surface and clearing surrounding areas of leaf litter in early winter. Nets or trellises also keep pigeons from picking apart the plants.
In cooler regions, setting up a greenhouse or cloche improves growth rates as winter approaches, while a greenhouse almost guarantees harvest in all but the coldest weeks of winter.
Harvest Asian lettuce
Harvest Chinese cabbage and bok choy whole by cutting off the base of the plant. Loose, open plants, such as mizuna, should be harvested little and often, tearing off a few leaves from each. Pinch the leaves between your finger and thumb or use scissors. After each cut, there should be enough leaves left for the plant to recover. Overwintered plants grow vigorously when the weather warms up again in spring and produce a bountiful harvest before they wilt.
Tipp: Asian vegetables are rich in iron, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and vitamins A and C. Cooking with these vegetables is a unique way to get healthy nutrients.Here you will findsome great recipes!
