The Remnant Online
Health => Gardening => Topic started by: Mimi on June 05, 2014, 07:46:26 AM
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Goatman gave me 8 "kale" plants. Seven are thriving. We are not sure of the variety. If anyone familiar with the kale family can tell me, I'd appreciate knowing. Google didn't provide anything close to matching the leaves. They are growing well but there is something utterly fascinating - they are coming up with a bud stem in the center and one is near flowering this week. The buds are showing pink. That is odd to me, or, is that typical of this variety?
(http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss316/TROPhotobucket/Kale2014002_zps15e22021.jpg) (http://s587.photobucket.com/user/TROPhotobucket/media/Kale2014002_zps15e22021.jpg.html)
(http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss316/TROPhotobucket/Kale2014001_zps67462a8d.jpg) (http://s587.photobucket.com/user/TROPhotobucket/media/Kale2014001_zps67462a8d.jpg.html)
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I can't answer your questions but on another note since you have a bud appearing maybe you'll be able to gather seeds for next year? It's my understanding that kale does nicely in cooler climates.
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Yes, it does and I hope to harvest some seeds. :)
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It is interesting that it has bolted so soon. It doesn't look like any kale I have ever seen, however, varieties abound. It looks very much like mustard. Does it have a spicy taste ? When it blooms it may reveal more. I think if you wander around on the web and look at mustard plants you will see a striking similarity.
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That does not appear to be good that it is already flowering. Never seen a kale like it. How does it taste?
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Does it have a spicy taste ?
No. Tastes like kale, but the Russian kale is sweeter.
The veins on the bottom stems are purple. Hummm ... and each new leaf on the center stem is presenting with a cluster of buds. This thing is not kale. LOL Whatever it is, I have seven. Such a perfect number! ;) Will keep you posted on what it becomes.
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It appears to be a form of Japanese radish. LOL Even considered "wild radish" in some circles. Goatman did order radishes this year. :D
(http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss316/TROPhotobucket/wild_radish_leaves_zpsfa694929.jpg)
The flowers are identical. (I opened one to see its shape.)
http://www.smmtc.org/plantofthemonth/plant_of_the_month_201001_Wild_Radish.htm
Puzzle solved. Now, to tell goatman ... :P
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Great investigative gardening, Mimi!!!
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Thank you! Needed to know what we would be eating. And it is nice that it is another garden green for our salads! It is interesting that this particular plant is specifically for greens rather than the radish. God is good to give us such variety!
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How's the flavor?
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It's a rich, earthy green taste. Very good, actually. Not bitter and not sweet. I bought mixed greens last week (to tide me over until mine matures a bit more) and examined them yesterday and saw this plant leaf was included in the package.
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Thank you! Needed to know what we would be eating. And it is nice that it is another garden green for our salads! It is interesting that this particular plant is specifically for greens rather than the radish. God is good to give us such variety!
The information "specifically for greens rather than the radish" is apparently not true. Why? I have sizable radishes peeking their little heads out of the soil causing the plants to lean.
I just hate getting wrong info on plants and on these, wrong answers have abounded!
One last thing: I do not even like radishes. LOL Best thing to do in this case is to continue using them for greens.
This gardening thing is interesting. What a learning experience! :)
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God has given you radishes to share with your neighbors who like them. :) cut the greens off first!! :) Unless you can talk them into eating all of the plant!! :)
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We will see what becomes of them. I already share my garden with many families who have a love of kale and chard. If I recall, it seems there are 8 on our list. Our agreement is that they come and go at will, taking what they need for that day so the plants can keep growing and producing as long as possible. It's a great way to thin the garden while helping others round out their meals with really good food. And in turn, they share what they are growing. It's a nice arrangement.
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Very nice!
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Never thought I would say this even after becoming SDA but I really like cooked greens like Kale and Spinach. I've never been a fussy eater and about the only two foods I could never stomach were liver and canned spinach. I grew up in a country home where we ate a lot of veggies but never cooked green leafy veggies. My mother hated/hates them and she was the cook.
It has taken many years for me to develop a liking for cooked greens. Is not that I could not stand them (accept for canned spinach) its just that to me they all tasted the same and reminded me of eating grass. They still mostly taste similar to me but they taste good lightly steamed and then a little sea salt and flaxseed oil when served. Nutritionally there is not much that comes close accept for these greens eaten raw. I have not smelled an open can of canned spinach for years and wonder if it would still turn my stomach. I just had fresh steamed spinach for lunch but there was something diabolical about the wang that canned spinach emits that made me nauseous.
I remember in school at the lunch room when the teacher made me try a bite. They had to clean up the mess and she never asked me to do that again. :P Other than that I could eat about anything accept perhaps a few things like oysters (rocky mountain and otherwise) snails. Never tried them. Never will. ;)
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There are some things for different people that seem not to go down so well. As a kid I HATED peas but today they are one of my favorites. However, nothings sets off my gag reflexes like beets or cooked carrots. Anyway this topic is about green leafy veggies. I never had cooked greens until I was past young adulthood and depending on how they are prepared I really like them.
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Ok - RE: the kale/radish refugee from Japan, what does the root look like, and has rogue dug one or two up yet ?
Is that the raised bed in the front yard ?
BTW do you have wood chips mixed in the soil ? If you do, they rob nitrogen as they rot, might need to mow grass, rake it up and use the green grass as mulch.
How's the greenhouse / hoophouse plans going ?
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How many kinds of kale are there? I don't know, but I have three kinds growing. Dino (Lacinato) or Tuscan, Blue Curly, and Portuguese. The Portuguese is tender. Am looking forward to see how well they do this winter. So far the sweet deer have decimated this summer's kale.
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So far the sweet deer have decimated this summer's kale.
Electric fence. Not that expensive. Mine is operated by 6 volt tractor battery. Otherwise we'd have no garden, period.
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I use a solar powered electric fence and then bait the wire with peanut butter. The idea is that they touch their wet nose on the wire and leave town. All is needed is one or two wires.
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That's called "entrapment". I like it!
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That's called "entrapment". I like it!
Yes, and it is much better than the deer dying from lead poisoning. They soon learn that this is not the Olive Garden but a place to circle around and leave alone. Cut cheap aluminum pie tins from the dollar store into 4" sections and glob on a lump of the cheapest peanut but you can find and twist the foil onto the wire leaving one or both ends open. One about every 10-15 feet is enough as the deer will seek out the peanut butter. Re do the baits about once a month as it may get moldly with rain and humidity. It is the cheapest way I have found and has worked for me. Otherwise it is a trick to get enough wires and in the right places so they do not jump the wire. It helps too if the deer have not already made it a habit of entering your garden although since the bait draws them to the wire I suspect that they learn quickly. One wire about 30 inches high is enough but I put a second wire below it help steer the coons up higher. The solar powered fencer is about twice as expensive but soon pays for itself with no need of a battery or electricity and it is very portable and convenient. Probably the better the zap the more effective so I purchased a pretty stout fencer for about $290. It is supposed to be effective for several miles and I only have a circumference of about 320 feet.
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We have had several frosts now and the temperatures are close to 32 degrees at night. Our gardens are finished all except the kale and parsley. They are more hardy and beautiful than all summer and have taken on a sweet flavour from the frost. The interesting thing is that the deer that chewed it down in the spring are not at all interested in it now. We also have a jack rabbit that visits every day and we thought finished off our kale in the spring but it bounced back and the rabbit is leaving it alone. We are enjoying kale in salads, stir fries and smoothies.
We finally installed an 8 ft. fence around our main garden and the deer just look longingly through it. On the outside gardens we hang Irish Spring bars of soap that we collect from the dollar store all year long. The deer do not like that and walk on by. We are planting another garden in another area for the rabbits and deer of kale, beans, beets and lettuces. Maybe next year we and God's creatures will all be happy. We'll see. I'm looking forward to a winter rest from the garden. It was a very good year for us and we are truly thankful to God for the bounty we were able to freeze, dry and can.
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A deer garden! :) Will you have to expand it every year? I have found that the grapes I left ungarded has attracted more deer this year. I think the few from last year told their extended family and friends to come and see how good they are. :) After eating the grapes they destroyed my newly planted fruit trees. The neighbor took his fence and gate down. I had the all fenced except between me and my neighbor. We had a four foot fence between us, and it was just a little hop for the deer. Not sure my neighbor is going to like a deer fence in his front yard (his house faces my orchard). :(
Yes, Dorine, the kale is much happier now that there is less heat.
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Richard I do hope your thoughts do not come true. I had not thought of that but it is very possible that we could attract even more wild life. :(
It sounds like you have a much bigger garden area than we do. We are on a swamp with all clay soil so we have to build raised beds. It works well and the vegetables seem to love it. Our fenced in garden is only 32ft. X 32ft. We have several smaller raised beds scattered around the property. We do not have an orchard as much as we would love to. No doubt the deer would love it to.
I'm sure your neighbour will appreciate your consideration of his view. Have you ever thought about installing a few lines of electrical wires along the side that doesn't have a fence? We thought about it here but my son-in-law decided to go with the high fence.
Do you grow Kale year around?
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Yes Kale will survive our moderate winters. They need to be well established so the roots can produce leaves. But, the number of leaves is very much reduced in winter.
I have purchased an electrical fence, but have not been able to use it. With all of the fires, I dare not use it, a spark could start a fire. My plan is to wait until all is very wet, then p
ut up a short line. I am hoping that peanut butter on the line will entice that big buck that scraped the cambium off my trees to have a big lick......and never come back for seconds. :)
No, my garden is about the size of yours. It is fenced by itself in side of the orchard. We had very hot weather and my tomatoes did not do very well. I have clay soil also. The other orchard area has been covered with chips for about five years, so the trees are doing well if the deer have not injured them. I want to plant a garden there but have not fenced in an area that will protect against the deer.
Winter is coming tomorrow. We have not had any rain yet, so we look forward to getting some. May have a soft freeze. Have a blessed Sabbath all!