Gardeners get so caught up in growing the usual herbs and vegies that they forget about Asian vegetables. And yet, many of them are incredibly easy to grow and give very fast results.
The leafy greens such as bok choi, senposai or Oriental cabbage are very fast growing. They need to be planted into nice rich soil and given water every day and they will be ready to harvest in weeks. It’s not necessary with these to harvest the whole plant at once and can just have their outer leaves picked off as they are required.
Misome would be my favourite because it can be used in salads as well as stir fries and has a crisp, tasty leaf. It’s a bit like a tatsoi with small, round leaves.
Another Asian green that I think is underrated is mizuna with its jagged long leaves and mild flavour. I love it in salads and sandwiches but also use it as a bed for steaks. The best thing about mizuna is that it will grow for many months and if it starts to look a bit tough, I just cut the stalks off about 10cm from the ground, give it a liquid fertilise and keep the water up to it and new leaves start to shoot back very soon. It looks like a delicate plant but it’s really quite robust.
If you just want to dabble, start with the greens. They can easily be included in the vegie or herb garden or will grow really well in large containers.
Happy gardening!
Kathy