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Many of the seeds on this page all make interesting additions
to a green salad. Others are best cooked. Europeans have enjoyed these flavors for centuries.
Some of
these plants are also useful as soup additives, seasonings or have medicinal
properties.
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Corn Salad
Corn Salad is used extensively in Europe both raw as salad vegetable and cooked as a pot herb.
Sow seeds thickly, 1/4" to 1/2" deep, in rows spaced one foot apart. Seeds should emerge in 10 to 20 days. When the plants have three to four leaves, thin the plants to four inches apart.
In colder climates, you can sow seeds indoors, four to six weeks prior to transplanting or directly outdoors as early in the spring as the ground can be worked. This will yield an early summer harvest. You can also plant in the late summer for fall harvest or late fall for spring harvest.
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Corn Salad - Valerianella
60 days — This is an old garden green. It is a mild flavored green that contrasts nicely with stronger flavored greens in salads. It can also be cooked like spinach or used in dishes.
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Cress
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Upland
Cress - Barbarea verna
50 days — A
dwarf plant with notched, small oval shaped leaves that are two
inches long. Used in salads and as a cooked green.
Mild flavor. Sow in spring or fall.
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Spinach
(Spinacia oleracea)
(Approximately 80 seeds
per gram) In fertile soil, enriched with
organic matter high in nitrogen, plant as early as ground can be
worked. Spinach likes cool weather. Plant again in late August for
a fall crop. Sow thinly, about ½ inch deep. Thin seedlings
to one to three inches apart.
Harvest leaves as soon as they are
big enough to eat. When the plant is starting to look old, cut
whole plant back to one to two inches high to stimulate growth. If
they begin to bolt, harvest and freeze the whole crop.
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 Bloomsdale Long Standing
45 days — Early, dark green, crumpled leaves can be sown in
spring or fall. Stands well in hot weather.
Bloomsdale spinach was originally released by
D. Landreth & Company in
the 19th century. "Bloomsdale" was the name of
their farm in Bristol, Pennsylvania which they moved to in 1847.
'Long
Standing Bloomsdale' was developed and introduced in 1925 by Zwaan
and Van der Molen, Voorburg, Netherlands.
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Giant
Nobel Spinach
50 days — The plants are very large and spreading in
habit. Plant in late spring (it is slow to bolt) for heavy
yields of giant, thick, dark green leaves. Excellent variety
for canning.
Developed by inbreeding a monoecious plant found in the 'Gaudry'
variety and released by Zwaan and Van der Molen, Voorburg,
Netherlands in 1926. An "All-American Selection®"
winner in 1933.
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 New
Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia)
60 days — 'New Zealand
Spinach' can be grown as a perennial in warmer climates but is
typically grown as an annual. It is not related to true
spinach but the leaves taste similar to, and some think better
than, spinach. It does not bolt in hot weather nor does it
typically turn bitter and it is valued because of its high vitamin
C content.
'New Zealand' spinach by its nature tends to have a low
germination rate as well a bit difficult to get going. Soaking
seeds in warm water for two to eight hours prior to sowing may
help soften the seed coat and improve germination results. Additionally, it can take a couple of weeks for germination to
occur (depending on weather). Keep soil moist until germination
occurs. Flavor and texture do benefit from ample
composting, mulching and watering.
'New Zealand Spinach is a very old heirloom introduced into England in 1772 by Sir
Joseph Banks. It was reportedly discovered during the South
Seas expedition of Captain Cook. Approximately 15 seeds per gram.
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Endive & Chicory
(Cicorium endiva & Cicorium intybus)
Although considered a salad essential in Europe,
America is only recently adopting these garden herbs. The leaves are used as an
addition to a green salad, their slightly bitter taste adding an interesting flavor
dimension.
The forcing varieties are grown through the summer season and then trimmed
to about one inch from the root crown about three weeks before the first frost. The
re-growth during this cooler weather is what is harvested. In areas with colder
winter climates or with the slower maturing varieties (like Witloof), indoor forcing will
be required. The extra effort yields a wonderful fresh winter salad green.
Endive and Chicory will readily cross-pollinate so you
will need to keep at least 500 yards distance between plantings if you intend to save
seed.
Tie outer leaves if you want to blanche the centers.
(Approximately 900 seeds
per gram)
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Chicory
(Cicorium intybus)
The roots of this plant are dried and roasted to be used as a coffee amendment or
substitute. A native of the British Isles, chicory has been naturalized all over the
world. It flowers at two to three feet tall.
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 Full Heart
Batavian
Endive (Escarole)
90 days — Large thick dark green leaves, ten to twelve inch diameter, compact heads, that are easy
blanching.
An "All-American Selection®"
winner in 1934. |
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 Green
Curled Ruffec
75 to 100 days — An old variety that is hardy and resistant to
cold, wet weather. Can be sown in summer or autumn.
The deeply
cut, dark green leaves blanch easily. |
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 'Salad
King' Endive
90 days — Introduced in 1957, this variety is well
adapted for the Western United States. It is giant, grows
vigorously, resists bolting, tip burn and frost. The outer
leave are tied to blanch a heart up to two feet in height. |
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Witloof Chicory /
Belgian or White Endive
60 to 160 days — Traditionally it is used as a forcing variety but the
inner leaves and heart can be harvested and used in salads before digging up the roots. The roots are
then placed in wet sand in a dark, warm place and allowed to grow until four to six inches
tall. Originated in Belgium in the mid-1800s. Witloof is
Flemish for "white leaf".
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