Nothing tastes as good as the vegies that you grow yourself. Even if you don’t have much time to spend in the garden, you can still enjoy growing and eating quick-cropping Asian vegetables. Attached to the cover of the October edition of the Burke’s Backyard magazine is the Burke’s Backyard Mixed Asian Greens seed mix. The packet contains a combination of seeds of Chinese cabbage, kailan (Chinese broccoli), pak choi white (Chinese white cabbage), pak choi green (bok choy) and tatsoi (Chinese flat cabbage). The leaves and stems of these vegetables can be used in stir-frys, soups and salads. Kailan is also grown for its florets (flower buds), which are eaten like broccoli.
Growing Asian vegies is simple and it’s fun; even the kids will want to be involved! The seeds germinate quickly and can be sown in the garden or in a large pot. Don’t sow all the seeds at once, instead, sow a selection every two to three weeks so you’ll have a continuous supply of greens over the months ahead. To get started, just follow these easy steps:
Snails and slugs love Asian greens and they’ll eat them at any stage. Protect young seedlings and growing plants with snail bait or a snail trap and check plants regularly, especially at night and after rain. (Warning: take care when using snail baits, as they are very toxic to pets – especially dogs – and native animals.) In hot weather plants may bolt to seed and the leaves will become bitter. If this occurs, wait until the weather cools before replanting.
A packet of the Burke’s Backyard Mixed Asian Greens seed mix is attached to the cover of the October edition of the Burke’s Backyard magazine. The magazine is available at newsagents for $4.80.