Green is Good!
Turnips, celery and lettuce.
Green leaved veggies are wonderfully health giving when added to Winter soups, stews and stir fries. My favourites are Silverbeet & Rainbow Chard, Spinach, Tuscan Kale, Broccoli, Celery and Italian Parsley. These plants are all very nutritious being rich in Vitamins and essential minerals and they will strengthen your immune system. Shredding green leaves and mixing with a Vegan or meat based Bolognese sauce is a great way to get kids to eat their greens. There are some brilliant recipes on line just using simple ingredients like pasta, broccoli, garlic, parsley, olive oil and parmesan.
Silverbeet and Tuscan Kale for example, are good sources of vitamins A, C, B6 and K (important for helping your blood to clot). They also contain riboflavin & folate and minerals such as potassium (which helps to regulate blood pressure) and manganese (involved in the regulation of brain and nerve function).
Rainbow chard and Silverbeet
Tuscan Kale or Cavolo Nero and Parsley
And guess what? It is not too late to plant out seedlings of this group of plants now as they will all thrive in Gippsland’s comparatively mild winter climate. The ground is still warm and the current rain we’re getting is lovely. These greens all prefer a rich soil so add some organic based fertilizer or animal manure ….or in big pots top up with an organic slow release fertiliser. At least half a day of sun is needed. You’ll notice that devilish little white cabbage moth flitting around everywhere and it certainly is a problem right now for young Kale and Broccoli seedlings and all other members of the cabbage family. For pest control I like to drape fine netting over the plants until they’re established, click here for a link to some other useful suggestions.
Did you know that the green tops of many root crops which were grown over the summer period can also readily be eaten? These include Turnip, Radish, Carrot (yes carrot!) and Beetroot leaves. Check some recipes out here.
I’m sure that you’ve noticed that the price of many common veggies have recently increased in the shops due to a range of not easily understood reasons. So it makes economic sense to grow your own. With veggies like celery ….$5/$7 a bunch? … when you often just need a few stalks rather than a whole big bunch just nicking out and picking your own wonderfully fresh and organically grown veg is very rewarding. Celery is slow to establish, no need to blanch lower stems and is well worth the effort.
And right now (during May) is the time to plant Broad bean seeds; not seedlings. Adding lime or preferably dolomite lime is important, just a handful per sq m. No additional fertiliser is necessary as this legume fixes it’s own atmospheric nitrogen.
Cheers, Fred.