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Asian Greens

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-1513 -- More Projects »
How do you bring the flavors of the Far East to the kitchens of the West? Start in the garden. Some of the more exotic tastes in Asian cuisines actually come from plants that are quite easy to grow.
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Figure A
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Figure B
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Figure C
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Figure D
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Figure E
"Greens are a huge part of the diet of many Asian cultures," says Colby Eierman, who oversees the gardens at the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa, California. "Especially in China, you find folks eating about a pound of greens every day. About half of those greens are in the mustard family."

  • Joy choi. Planted directly from seed, this plant (figure A) is great harvested as baby greens. One way to reap a continual crop is to seed the choy densely, then harvest every other head as needed, allowing the remaining choy room to grow.

  • Tatsoi. The seeds of this plant — often called "spoon mustard" because of the shape of the leaves (figure B) — are readily available online. Like many mustards, tatsoi prefers fertile, moist soil that dries out between waterings. Tatsoi also tolerates full sun to partial shade.

  • Wasabi is the real deal, not the green glob of horseradish and Chinese mustard that's often passed off as wasabi. Fresh wasabi (figure C) is very expensive because it takes two years to mature, it's best fresh and it's not that easy to grow. It thrives best beside the cool mountain streams of Japan.

    "When the root is freshly grated, it'll knock your socks off," Colby says.

  • Lemon grass is a great addition to the vegetable garden even if only for its ornamental value (figure D). "And then you've got this great product that is so good when it's fresh," Colby says.

    If you can't find lemon grass in the nursery, look in the grocery store. Stalks in the produce section often have roots. Start a section in water on the window sill and replant it when the root ball has developed.

  • Ginger. Fresh ginger (figure E) tastes a little different than the dried ginger you find in the store. It's brighter and a little hotter.

  • Galanga (or galangal) is also in the ginger family and is an indispensable ingredient in Thai cooking. Both make tasty perimeter plants in a nice, sunny spot (figure F).

  • Snow peas.These staples of Asian cooking need air circulation to keep mildew and fungal diseases at bay (figure G). One way to provide that is with a trellis, which also adds a nice visual element to a garden.
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    Figure F
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    Figure G
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    Figure H
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    Figure I
    Protecting the greens

    "Asian greens are a cool-season crop, but if it gets too cool, they're not going to be very happy. Sometimes that can shut them down," Colby says.

    One way to protect greens against the cold is to use floating row covers at night (figure H).

    Floating row covers don't have to be elaborate. Colby uses 10-gauge wire cut from a big roll so it already has a rounded shape. They're spaced every two feet or so down the length of the bed.

    Next, sturdy nylon twine is wrapped around each wire to give the tunnel structure (figure I).

    The cover itself is spun polyester fabric that lets most light and water through. Use u-shaped pins to anchor the cover to the ground. The structure provides several degrees of frost protection as well as keeps the crops safe from birds and other hungry pests.

    10-gauge wire - any hardware store
    u-shaped pins - Gardens Alive
    nylon twine - Aubuchon Hardware
    floating row cover - Planet Natural

    Resources
    gardening supplies
    Gardens Alive!
    Website: www.gardensalive.com

    gardening supplies
    Aubuchon Hardware
    Website: www.hardwarestore.com

    gardening supplies
    Planet Natural
    Website: www.planetnatural.com
    Guests
    Colby Eierman
    Director of Gardens
    Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts
    Website: www.copia.org/
    Also in this Episode
    Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-1513
    •Decorating Projects
    •Pruning: He Says, She Says
    •Asian Greens
    •Ideal Soil and Compost Temperatures
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