unusual greens -- any experience with these?

[habitat_gardener]

I've been reading catalogs. These are at the top of the most-tempting list.

greens
Agretti (Salsola soda)
Minutina (Plantago coronopus)
Molokhia (Corchonus sp.)
Stem Lettuce or Celtuce

pods
Radish Madras (you eat the crunchy "pealike" pods, not the roots)

Has anyone grown these?

[instar8]

I used to grow something called "rat-tail" radish for the pods, which were crunchy and peppery in a stir fry. They were an interesting-looking everlasting also.

[roamwhereiwant2]

I don't have too much experience with these, but I know that Agretti has a really low germination rate - about 30% and it gets worse as the season progresses.
I've not grown Madras radish; is that like rat-tail radishes? I let Purple Plum radishes bolt one year and had nearly the same effect. The pods were crunchy and not too spicy. Molokhia is on my grow list for this year and I hope it tastes good.

[Wi-sunflower]

I haven't grown the radish you mention, but we do sometimes plant Winter Radish in the early spring and don't really expect to get any roots at that time. For roots we plant in mid to late July.

The winter radishes don't like our roller coaster temps in spring and will bolt to seed pods right away. Watch the pods as they fill out and be sure to pick them when they are plumped but still nice and green. As soon as they get too large and start to turn a bit yellow they will be too tough to eat.

But at the right time they are like eating snap peas but with a radishy taste. Usually not too strong / hot tho. An interesting addition to a salad or stir fry.

Carol

[kath]

In an attempt to overwinter greens one year I tried arugula, mizuna, minutina, corn salad, mache, upland and crinkled cress, claytonia. I don't cook greens and they were all too strong, bitter, etc. for me. Since then, I have just focused on trying to find better ways to make my beloved spinach, lettuce and celery produce longer for me!
kath

[stormymater]

We used to collect a "weed" called pigweed along edges of woods - it cooked up like a real nice spinach. I think it was an amaranth. Thought of it this winter & so ordered several varieties of amaranth to try out. Will let you know b/c we sure enjoyed the "pigweed" leaves back in the day.

[sfmathews]

Amaranth loves the heat. Mine does wonderful here in Dallas in the 100 degree heat.

Originally Posted by stormymater

We used to collect a "weed" called pigweed along edges of woods - it cooked up like a real nice spinach. I think it was an amaranth. Thought of it this winter & so ordered several varieties of amaranth to try out. Will let you know b/c we sure enjoyed the "pigweed" leaves back in the day.

[Wi-sunflower]

Oh God, you can come to my farm and have all you want of the Pigweed and Lambsquarter too. The place seems overrun with the stuff some years. Oh and stinging nettle too.

I wouldn't plant it. Too high of a chance it would becone a nasty weed in the future.

I know there are people that eat all of those, but I'm just not much of a "greens" person at all, let alone the weeds.

Carol

[stormymater]

Wi - have you ever rubbed a crushed leaf of plantain across a nettle whip line? It makes the sting go away - I learned that after a few ill planned disembarkations into vicious stands of stinging nettles along the Cherwell River in Oxford as a teenager. Supposed to be nutritious too - but I give them a wide berth since getting slapped on tender parts (when those parts were still tender).

[Wi-sunflower]

I never heard of the Plantain. I'll try to remember that next year. I know we have plantain around too.

But years ago a worker told me to rub mud on the stinging area and that works too to take away the sting. Except when we have a dry spell, mud is usually easy to find.

Carol

[habitat_gardener]

Originally Posted by roamwhereiwant2

I don't have too much experience with these, but I know that Agretti has a really low germination rate - about 30% and it gets worse as the season progresses.
I've not grown Madras radish; is that like rat-tail radishes? I let Purple Plum radishes bolt one year and had nearly the same effect. The pods were crunchy and not too spicy. Molokhia is on my grow list for this year and I hope it tastes good.

Madras radish is described as having much less of a radishy bite than Rattail radishes.

I've been reconsidering Molokhia because it sounds like it needs warmer summers than we have here.

Originally Posted by kath

In an attempt to overwinter greens one year I tried arugula, mizuna, minutina, corn salad, mache, upland and crinkled cress, claytonia. I don't cook greens and they were all too strong, bitter, etc. for me. Since then, I have just focused on trying to find better ways to make my beloved spinach, lettuce and celery produce longer for me!

I planted mache (same thing as corn salad, Valerianella) one year and it's been coming back every winter since then! To me its taste is very mild and green.

I also love claytonia (miner's lettuce), which comes up on its own and is nice and crunchy.

I'd also like to try cress.

I do like celery -- last year I cut mine to the ground and let some go to seed, and it's been regrowing and coming up on its own. I also have some Chinese celery, which is meant to be picked a few stems at a time, rather than as a bunch. I've found I pick both types of celery this way (if I can get to them before the slugs do).

On the other hand, I hardly ever eat lettuce, and there's something about Chenopodiaceae greens (beets, spinach) that doesn't taste good to me.

I've also been wondering about New Zealand spinach and Malabar spinach.

[Marko]

I've also been wondering about New Zealand spinach and Malabar spinach.

I've grown Malabar spinach last season. It loves heat, tolerates drought, but grows best in hot wet weather. Only young shoots are edible, but in my experience they are almost tasteless. Needs support like a pole bean.

[instar8]

Is Molokhia the stuff you can dry to thicken soups? I grew that once though i think it was spelled differently. Fresh it tasted alot like amaranth, and kinda looked like a big ol pigweed with smaller leaves, it turned a pretty red in fall. Never did get around to drying it, used some in end-of-summer soup. Super easy to grow.