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KALE (Brassica oleracea
acephala)
DAYS TO MATURITY: 47-75
PLANTING TIME:
In mild climates, sow seed from mid to late spring. Wait until midsummer in cooler climates.
SOIL:
Use rich soil that was manured for a previous crop.
NUTRIENTS: Feed every three
to four weeks with fish emulsion or use 1 tablespoon of blood meal mixed with 1 gallon of water.
WATER:
Water kale well in dry weather.
LIGHT: Full sun to partial shade.
SPACING:
Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep; thin seedlings until they're 1 1/2 feet apart.
HARVEST: The
inside leaves are generally tastier than the outer leaves. You can harvest the outer leaves or cut the entire plant.
STORAGE: Use fresh.
Kale Growing Tip
More Kale
To make the leaf and spear varieties produce a bounty of kale, harvest the loose crowns in the spring. Then
remove the leaves from the top down. Without crowns or leaves, side shoots will develop; pick these just as you would
broccoli.
KALE
Blue Ridge: 60 days. Dark blue-green ruffled leaves. Slow to
bolt. Steam, stir-fry or use in salads. GUR
Dwarf Blue Curled Vates:
55 days. Low, short-stemmed, with finely curled tasty blue-green leaves. BURP SHU
Redbor:
65 days. 2-3' tall. Vigorous, with red-purple leaves that deepen in color and become curlier with
onset of cool weather. Cut back when 12" high for shorter more spreading plant. Plant outdoors March-August.
Cold hardy. NIC PAR TER VER
Red Chidori: 50 days. Frilly leaves have dark outer
leaves and extra deep red central foliage. Plants stay compact for denser plantings. TER
Red URSA: 65 days. A magenta, frilly kale, Red Ursa is great raw. ABU
Siberian: 65 days. 12-18" tall. Leafy and sprawling with large, light green leaves
with frilly edges. Can withstand frost, which actually improves the flavor. Widely used as cooked greens.
SHU
Westland Winter: 50 days. A large spreading plant with curled
blue-green leaves. Winter hardy. ABU
Wild Garden Mix: 50-60
days. A mix of Siberian kales with colors from light green to dark purple and leaves ranging from delicate waves to
tight frilly curls. Cold tolerant. ABU
Winterbor: 65 days.
Blue-green foliage reaches 3' high, 2' wide. PAR TER
KOHLRABI (Brassica
oleracea)
DAYS TO MATURITY: 44-70.
PLANTING
TIME: In areas where frost is expected during the winter, sow seeds in early spring as soon as the soil can
be worked. Where winter temperatures rarely fall below 30 degrees F, sow seeds at two-week intervals beginning in late
summer.
SOIL: Fertile and loamy; pH 6.0-7.5.
NUTRIENTS: Feed every three weeks with fish emulsion or use 1 tablespoon of blood meal to
1 gallon of water.
WATER: Keep well watered.
LIGHT: Full
light.
SPACING: Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep, 6 inches apart.
HARVEST:
Cut the stems at soil level when they are about the size of an apple (2-2 1/2 inches in diameter).
STORAGE:
Use fresh.
Kahlrabi Growing Tips
Prime Eating Size
Kohlrabi connoisseurs say that a kohlrabi is just right when it's about 2 1/2 inches wide. After that it matures
into a tough, elongated root. To salvage an overdeveloped kohlrabi, peel off the tough skin and discard it. Slice
the center thinly, then steam or saute.
KOHLRABI
Azur Star: 80 days. Blue-leafed variety. Slightly flattened bulbs
of lilac-purple beneath blue foliage on slender stems. ABU PAR
Early White Vienna:
55 days. Creamy-white flesh is cabbage-flavored and mild. GUR HEN
Express Forcer Hybrid: 42 days. Smooth 4-inch bulbs. Compact plants hold up well
even in heat. PAR
Grand Duke: 52 days. AAS 1979. Light
green bulbs have exceptionally fine texture. Easy to grow. NIC
Kolibri: 60 days.
Purple-skinned with a cream interior. Flattish-round, 4-6" globe. TER
Kongo:
65 days. Showy, creamy white, squat 4" globe. Sweet and tender. TER
Kossak Hybrid: 85 days. Huge round flattened 8-10" bulbs taste better than their smaller
counterparts. Crisp white flesh and skin. No woody texture. PAR SHU VER
Sweet
Vienna: 45 days. Green globes are 3" across. Sweet flavor. BURP
Winner: 60-65 days. Strong upright, deep green foliage is attractive in the late growing season. Heavy pale-green
bulbs are sweet and crisp. Use raw in salads and slaw, or cooked lightly. HAR VER
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LEEKS (Allium
ampeloprasum porrum)
DAYS TO MATURITY: 70-150.
PLANTING
TIME: Plant leeks outside about four weeks before the last frost. In frost-free regions, plant directly
into the garden in late summer.
SOIL: Light, sandy to loam, and well-manured; pH 6.0-8.0.
NUTRIENTS: Feed every four weeks with fish emulsion or other organic fertilzer.
WATER:
These plants need steady watering.
LIGHT: Full sun.
SPACING:
Sow groups of 3-4 seeds togther, 1/8" deep. Space the groups 6 inches apart in trenches which should be
15-18 inches apart.
HARVEST: Be sure to blanch the vegetables first by pushing soil up around
the stems. Blanching will keep the leeks white and tender. Leeks are edible from the baby stage through full maturity.
Lift leeks with a spading fork.
STORAGE: Use fresh.
Leak Growing
Tip
Blanching Leeks
To blanch leeks easily, tie black plastic around the individual
plants, then hoe some soil up between the rows. An alternate method is to place a 6-inch paper collar around each plant
shortly after putting them into your garden bed.
LEEKS
Blue Solaise: Holds very well in the garden and even overwinter. PAR
Electra: 150 days. Upright, blue-green foliage and long, white 7-8" shanks. Good cold
tolerance. HAR
Lancelot: 90 days. 12-14" leeks have thick
white shafts. Mild onion flavor and good in soups and salads. SHU VER
Lincoln: 80 days. Harvest young at 50 days or let it mature to its giant size.
Long white shaft and very sweet flavor. PAR
Roxton: 85 days. Tidy, upright plants
hold the deep green leaves cleanly off the ground and produce stalks of midly flavored leeks. TER
Shelton: 110 days. Immaculate, straight, white roots and deep green foliage. TER
LETTUCE (Lactuca
sativa)
DAYS TO MATURITY: 45-100.
PLANTING TIME:
Lettuce can be planted four to six weeks before the average frost-free date in your area. Where summers are
hot, plant in early spring and again in the late summer for a fall crop. To get a jump on the season, plant lettuce
in simple protective devices such as cloches or cold frames.
SOIL: Moist but well-drained,
mixed with well-rotted manure; pH 6.0-7.0.
NUTRIENTS: Because lettuce grows so fast, it's
best for the nutrients to be in the soil at planting time. Otherwise, nourish with fish emulsion every three weeks.
WATER: Keep moist.
LIGHT: Full sun.
SPACING:
Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep, 6-12 inches apart (for head lettuce). For Mesclun and leaf lettuce that you will cut
as it grows, simply spread across the bed and when thinning, save and toss into a salad.
HARVEST:
Lettuce leaves are edible at all stages of growth. To harvest the whole head, cut just above the lower leaves.
For cut-and-come-again (blends and leaf lettuce) harvest at any stage.
STORAGE: Use
fresh.
Lettuce Growing Tips
Summer Lettuce
In the summertime, try planting lettuce in shaded ground beneath a bean or cucumber A-frame tepee.
As soon as the sprouts poke through the warm soil, tuck mulch around them to keep the roots cool. Keep the growing plants
well watered.
Bigger Heads
As your head lettuce starts to grow, pick the outer leaves
a few at a time just as you would leaf lettuce. This doesn't affect the heading, since the heads grow from the center
out. What it does is make the plant smaller in comparison to the root structure, which gives the roots time to gain
the strength to produce larger tops.
Season Extension
When the weather turns hot and
sunny, many cool season leaf vegetables, such as lettuce and chard, flower and set seed (referred to as bolting). To
extend your harvest by about a month, place a light lattice over the garden supported by 4-foot-high, 1-2-inch-square cedar
or redwood stakes. This slows the bolting process.
Hanging Salad
You can grow
a big, leafy salad bar in a standard size, moss-lined, hanging wire basket. Soak the moss in water, then line the basket
with it, starting at the bottom and packing it tightly between the wires. Make planting holes by pushing your ingers
through the basket's sides. Plant about 15 lettuce seedlings in these openings, starting at the bottome. Fill
the basket with potting soil and plant four or five seedlings on top. (The basket will look especially nice displaying
various colors of lettuce.) Finally, bend a wire hanger around the basket top and hang it in partial sun.
Pot
Lettuce
Apartment dwellers can easily grow leaf lettuce in a pot on a windowsill or outdoors on a patio.
Keep the plant watered and protected from direct sunlight.
Baby Lettuce
Everyone loves
baby lettuce, just the right size for one salad. At maturity, its heads are only 5-6 inches in diameter. The bite-size
leaves are more tender than standard varieties.
LETTUCE (Looseleaf)
Bon Vivant Blend: 45-75 days. Gourmet blend of exotic shapes, textures
and colors. HEN
Danyelle: 50 days. Deeply-lobed, oak-like leaves
form a full rosette and stay tender without turning bitter. Good heat tolerance. HAR
Fire and Ice Blend: Striking blend of specialty lettuces, Red Deer Tongue, dark red frilled leaf
types, dark red, blistered, broadleaf types, dar red with tightly frilled leaves. HAR
Gourmet
Blend: 45-50 days. Colorful blend of five looseleaf lettuce varieties in shades from green to red and textures
from oakleaf to tightly ruffled. BURP
Green Ice: 45 days. Ruffled leaves and
delicate flavor. BURP GUR SHU TOT PAR
Green
Salad Bowl: 48 days. Each plant makes a decorative rosettte of wavy, notched leaves. Holds its
flavor and fine texture despite summer heat. HAR
Harris'
Lettuce Blend: Varieties include Cimmaron, Red Salad Bowl, Tqango, Slobolt, Green Salad Bowl, and Royal Oakleaf.
Havest when they reach about 6" in height. HAR
Heatwave
Blend: 50-60 days. Includes fresh green, purple-red, crispy types. Deep to bright green romaines,
oak leafed, crisped frilled, broad, soft looseleaf and bronze-purple, fern-leafed lettuces. BURP
Lettuce Cutting Mix: 40-50 days. Ten bronze, green, and yellow, crinkly
and smooth leaf lettuces. PLA
Looseleaf Blend: 45-50
days. Five classic lettuce textures, smooth, ruffled, tightly curled and oak leaf types. Colors from green to
deep reds. BURP
Majesty: 50 days. The darkest red lollo rossa type. Crisp
texture. PAR
Multigreen 3 Hybrid: 50 days. New multileaf type
variety. Very uniform with crisp texture. Highly resistant to tip burn. PAR
Prizehead: 45 days. Bright green leaves with a reddish-brown edge and green
interior. Plants are large with broad, crumpled, well-frilled leaves. SHU
Prizeleaf: 48 days. Highly ruffled, bright green leaves blushed with maroon at the tips.
Heat tolerant and slow to bolt. BURP
Red Fire: 45 days. Retains its deep red
color on super frilly leaf. Compact, dense plant. Slow bolting and tolerant to heat and cold. HAR
Red Salad Bowl: 50 days. The maroon colored complement to Salad
Bowl. BURP
Royal Oak Leaf: 50 days. Produces
large rosettes of tender, oak-like, dark green leaves. BURP
Royal Red:
50 days. Mildly ruffled, puckered, deep burgundy leaves on large framed plants. Bolt resistant.
ABU
Salad Bowl Blend: 50 days. Light and dark green as well as red-leafed
varieties that can be harvested all season. PAR
Summer Glory
Blend: Seven varieties of looseleaf, butterhead, crisphead and Romaine. Slow to bolt.
Most heat tolerant varieties. PAR
LETTUCE (Butterhead-Bibb)
Bibb Blend: 60-75 days. A blend of red-blushed and green Bibb
lettuces. BURP
Burpee Bibb: 75 days. Small heading variety. Each head
makes one salad serving. BURP
Buttercrunch: 64 days. The leaves are delicious
and the heart is loosely folded thick leaves and tender ribs. HAR
Harmony: 68
days. Uniform butterhead, has excellent internal quality, tender texture. Large rich deep
green heads with smooth glossy leaves. HAR
Kweik: 50-60 days.
Hearty, dark-green midsummer maturing with smaller heads. ABU
King: 70
days. From Switzerland. King holds its wavy green leaves well off the ground. 10" head. ABU
Little Gem: 50 days. Space-saver, midget 5" heads are served whole. Ideal
for containers or limited-space gardens. PAR
May Queen: 45 days. Leaves have
smooth edges. 8-9" across. ABU
FRENCH CRISP
Nevada:
48 days. Thick, silky, bright chartreuse leaves have a crisp texture and nutty taste. Uniform plants
form loose, open heads. ABU
LETTUCE (Crisphead-Iceberg)
Calmar: 75 days. Heat tolerant. Large, tightly-packed heads
of fresh green fill quickly. PAR
Igloo: 70 days. Holds well
in garden. Heat resistance. Fresh green color. BURP
Ithaca: 72 days.
Well-wrapped firm heads. Leaves are frilly green color. Grows well in the cool weather of fspring and fall.
Slow to bolt. GUR HAR HEN
LETTUCE (Mesculun)
Bon Vivant Mesculun Blend: 34-45 days. Gourmet mix of leaf lettuces
containing the best of flavors, textures, shapes and colors. Includes deep-red and bronze tones, and greens ranging
from light-green to the darkest emerald. TOT VER
Classic Mix:
35 days. Tangy and sweet gourmet lettuces, arugla, endive, chervil, mache and radicchio. BURP
Favorite Lettuce Blend: 35 days. Consists of 4 all-time favorites; Red Sails, Buttercrunch, Black
Seeded Simpson and Paris White. VER
Green Party Mix: 35 days.
Gourmet blend of endive, chicory, arugula, radicchio and several lettuces. BURP
Harris'
Mesclun Salad Mix: Mix includes lettuce, New Red Fire, Black Seeded Simpson and Oakleaf. Giant mustard,
Green boy and Red. Early Mizuna oriental greens, Red Russian kale and spinach. Plant in Blocks and harvest when
young. HAR
Mild Mesclun Mix: 30 days. Contains delicate greens
designed for warmer climates. Mix contains chervil, mache, mizuna mustard, purslane and red orach. PAR
Salad Fresh Cutting Mix: 35 days. Includes arugula, endive and radicchio, red and bright
green lettuces and spicy mustard. BURP
Savory Gourmet Mix: 35 days.
Leaf lettuces are combined with exotic salad greens like Mizuna, red-stem beet greens and finely cut endive. BURP
Spicy Mesclun Mix: 35 days. Custom blend of sharp Arugula, zesty Red Giant Mustard,
tangy Upland Cress and a mild base of sweet Mizuna. VER
Sweet Salad Mix: 35
days. Blend for early spring salads. Red lettuce and beet greens, bright green lettuce, spinach and mustard.
Cut starting when leaves are 3" long. BURP
LETTUCE (Romaine-Cos)
Baby Star: 65 days. Dark green leaves with a crisp texture. 4-5"
high and wide. Mini romaine. HEN PAR TOT
Braveheart:
70 days. Extra-large heads form solid, full hearts that are green to the core. BURP
EZ Serve: 65 days. One snap at the base of the head and these indivdual salad-size leaves
fall apart and into line, ready for a quick rinse. BURP
Eiffel Tower: 65
days. Green romaine with moderately compact habit. Unusually tall and cylindrical shape. Black seeded.
ABU
Green Towers: 60 days. PVP. Mild flavor. 8-12"
heads are deep grayish-green and semi-savoyed texture. HAR PAR
Little Caesar: 70 days. Smaller heads are ideal for small space gardens. BURP
Marshall: 50 days. Deep red leaves mottled with burgundy. Use as baby green or mature full
head size. PAR
Paris White Cos: 70 days. Highly recommended for use in Caesar
Salads. Light green leaves surround the creamy yellow center leaves. Crisp and flavorful with a juicy mid-rib.
VER
Romaine Lettuce: 70 days. 10" tall, cylindrical and erect.
GUR HEN PLA
Vivian: 70 days.
Enormous heads are 16" long and 6" across with broad, dark green, crisp leaves. BURP
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