Green Leafy Vegetables Green Leafy Vegetables Easy to Grow
How to grow your own greens
By: Garden Gate staff
The colorful foliage of leafy greens looks great in a flower bed or in a vegetable row. And they're not always green in color, which gives you lots of options for creative designs! Here are 6 different types of leafy greens. Learn which ones will grow best in your garden and how to grow lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, spinach, malabar spinach and mustard here.
Check out this clever way to grow greens
Tips for growing greens
Most greens prefer cool weather (50 to 75 degrees F), so plan ahead for the best months to grow them in your area. In some climates that's winter. In others, it's early spring or fall.
Plant all greens in full sun. Soil that's consistently moist, but not soggy, yields the best greens. Sow spinach, kale and mustard six weeks before the average last frost in spring, three weeks later for lettuce and swiss chard. Set out malabar spinach plants after the threat of frost has passed. As seeds sprout, thin seedlings to 6 inches apart by cutting, not pulling.
When plants bolt (or send up flower stalks), pull them up — the flavor will start to diminish after this.
Different types of greens to grow
Lettuce
Spinach
Sow spinach seeds a bit more thickly for a fall crop than you would in spring. If the soil is still very warm, it may reduce germination. And keep the soil moist, either by extra watering or spreading an organic mulch as soon as the seeds are up and growing. Pinch off a few leaves to eat when they're just an inch or two long. Or wait and cut the whole rosette later, at 25 to 35 days after harvest. Another benefit of mulch is that it keeps the leaves cleaner.
Malabar spinach
This is the perfect choice if hot weather prevents you from having good luck with other greens. This will thrive! It's a vine with glossy, thick leaves and purple-red stems and a mild Swiss chard taste. Start harvesting leaves 45 days after sowing.
Kale
Swiss chard
Colorful stems and wavy, dark green leaves make this plant stand out in the garden or in a pot. It's easy to grow all season long; just harvest outer leaves when you need them, starting 58 days after sowing.
Mustard greens
Large purple-tinged leaves have a mildly spicy mustard flavor. Like many other greens, it bolts, or sends up a flower stalk, when temps heat up. Begin harvesting 20 days after sowing for baby greens and 40 days for full heads.
Lettuce
Kale
Spinach
Sow spinach seeds a bit more thickly for a fall crop than you would in spring. If the soil is still very warm, it may reduce germination. And keep the soil moist, either by extra watering or spreading an organic mulch as soon as the seeds are up and growing. Pinch off a few leaves to eat when they're just an inch or two long. Or wait and cut the whole rosette later, at 25 to 35 days after harvest. Another benefit of mulch is that it keeps the leaves cleaner.
Swiss chard
Colorful stems and wavy, dark green leaves make this plant stand out in the garden or in a pot. It's easy to grow all season long; just harvest outer leaves when you need them, starting 58 days after sowing.
Malabar spinach
This is the perfect choice if hot weather prevents you from having good luck with other greens. This will thrive! It's a vine with glossy, thick leaves and purple-red stems and a mild Swiss chard taste. Start harvesting leaves 45 days after sowing.
Mustard greens
Large purple-tinged leaves have a mildly spicy mustard flavor. Like many other greens, it bolts, or sends up a flower stalk, when temps heat up. Begin harvesting 20 days after sowing for baby greens and 40 days for full heads.
Product Recommendations
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work in the garden. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
Source: https://www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/vegetables/edible-plant-guide/how-to-grow-your-own-greens/
0 Response to "Green Leafy Vegetables Green Leafy Vegetables Easy to Grow"
Post a Comment