Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The Easiest


A quick post today, just to tell you, that if you don't grow it (and eat it) already, you should.

Tatsoi.

It's hard to kill. I've never seen a pest attack it.

It grows in the cold, even sprouting under snow sometimes.

It grows quickly, to salad size in a month and stir fry size in two.

It tastes good: mild, green, and crunchy.


As it matures, each plant creates a flat green rose against the garden soil. I've never captured a good photograph of just how pretty it is, but imagine a perfectly symmetrical, highly petalled English rose in British racing green. Magnify that image by eight or so. That is what the plant looks like when given enough space to spread.

There ain't nothin' easier in my garden.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Other hardy items: Beets (who knew), garlic, fava beans, lettuce. Regular victims to my slapdash hand: Long beans, melons.

Wendy said...

Noted. Thank you. :)

Christina said...

Altadenahiker: I second your list of hardy items, and add to it chard, sugar snaps, and rutabagas. Sorry to hear about the melon and long bean deaths. I hope they do better for you this summer.

Wendy: You're welcome!

Anonymous said...

Do you know if it will grow in cooler climates/short growing seasons?

Christina said...

Claire: It is a short season vegetable indeed. Here, in Southern California, I can only grow it in the winter, because as soon as the nights get warmer, this flat little green plant turns into a giant tower of yellow blossoms. It grows best in the cold. I know folks grow it in Maine and New Hampshire.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the comment Christina. I am with you on the Tatsoi Christina a rosette variety of pak choi (or do you call in Bok Choy in the US) but possibly even better. Green winter spring green. I did manage a photo of it in its rosette splendor on a post I did on oriental brassicas Selecting Oriental Brassicas. Another tough and delicous cookie is rocket I am constantly surprised by what it will stand, a covering of snow here for 3 days and when it melted the rocket was good as new.

The Allotment Blogger said...

I've never grown Tatsoi - we have problems here on the southern coast of the UK with Pak Choi, which bolts, so this year we're growing Choy Sum because it has the added benefit of being able to eat the flowers if it gets away from you - they are wonderful in stir fries.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sending me these seeds in Canada. The tasty tatsoi grew very nicely!

Anonymous said...

Wooohoo! I'm so excited to grow the tatsoi you sent me! God, you don't know the torture it is to wait for spring while reading about your fantastic gardening adventures. This weekend the glacier on the driveway started breaking up and the roof finally became death-defying icicle free. I'm so jealous, and yet the anticipation is delicious!