Easy Cabbage Breeding Harvest Monday*

The Offspring


Cross between Savoy San Michele and Red Rock Mammoth, F1 weighing in at a respectable 4 lbs.

I'm going to admit it right now. I'm pretty chuffed about my cabbage babies. Okay, so they aren't really my babies but the children of a couple randy Brassica oleracea var. capitata and I can't even claim any fancy scientific sounding techniques to produce the cross. Perhaps it is most accurate to say that I was the match maker. The bees were enablers. However as the cabbage and bees have little to say on the matter, I'm going claim ownership such as one can (I'll happily explain how you can make the same cross below).


Clockwise: San Michele, Red Rock Mammoth and their spawn, with the eloquent name RRMxSM F1 at the bottom.

I hadn't realized that I should be all atwitter about this cross as I hadn't harvested any until Saturday. In fact, until Saturday, I wasn't entirely sure if I had succeeded on creating a cross. Sure, they looked intermediary between the two parents - a hard headed, delicious, pest resistant heritage red called Red Rock Mammoth and a beautiful blush savoy called San Michele. From the onset, the babies had lovely violet/green leaves which got progressively brighter and more purple as cold weather set in. They did appear to be slightly more savoyed than the Red Rock but it wasn't until I sliced off the heads that I saw the remarkable difference in the texture and colour of the leaves.


RRMxSM F1: violet splashed leaves.

It looks more like a savoy in cross section to my eye but instead of merely having a slight pink/purple blush in the centre of the head like the San Michele, it is mottled right through with violet splashed leaves. Even the taste is right between the two parents being sweeter and nuttier than the savoy but still a bit more 'green' than the red.

The F1s (first generation of a cross between two varieties) seem quite uniform so far from the reports back I've heard from the seed I sent out. Assuming these babies survive the winter - I'm testing them for winter hardiness** with nothing but leaf mulch and snow - then I'll let the bees do their business and we'll if there is more variation in the F2s. I suspect so and hope for the opportunity to find out!


Overachieving cabbage with multiple, sizeable secondary heads below main head.

Most of my cabbage plenty is still in the garden waiting for a later, big harvest before the real cold and snow sets in. It leaves me with a question for a future post: How to preserve all that cabbage? Here are a few suggestions but I am open to more:

* Store in cold cellar with intact roots.
* Cut in wedges and freeze for cooked dishes.
* Freeze whole for use as a wrappers for cabbage rolls OR make cabbage rolls and freeze them.
* Freezer slaw
* Dry - interesting
* Saurekraut
* Kimchi - Extreme Gardener (link at end) has a lovely looking jar with apples
* Otherwise pickle


Rainbow cabbage in a pot.


Easy Cabbage Breeding

You may have noticed that I'm the kind of gardener that likes techniques that create maximum success for minimum effort. As a rule of thumb, this involves working with nature.


Baby cabbage cross in spring.

Case in point: last spring, a row of undersized Red Rock Mammoths and one beautiful San Michele cabbage breezed through the winter. As Brassica oleracea is an outbreeder and most varieties are reputed to be self incompatible - rejects its own pollen - I figured the pods on the single San Michele might well be crossed. At the end of the season and some close calls with people snapping off flowerheads... I got a small amount of cabbage seeds from the San Michele and a good amount of seed from the Red Rocks. I gave away a bunch of the seed around and started some myself.


The parents as plants: Greener one is San Michele, more purple is Red Rock Mammoth. If you are curious, those flowerheads draping over them are from a kind of chinese cabbage.

Turns out the bees and the cabbage cooperated. So if you have a hankering to try it yourself, you know the parents. I'd love to hear from someone who tries it!

***

* Yes, I wrote this Sunday night. Monday morning I'm going to the tree nursery day for fall sales!!
** A note on winter hardiness and cabbages. I find that heads of cabbages tend to turn to mush in the spring but often small heads, roots and stems make it through sprouting new leaves and flower heads. I've started to cut off big heads but leave the rest in the ground in hopes of getting seed. I might try to take some cuttings of the cross to overwinter in the cellar. Not sure yet because my interest really is in producing cabbages that you can save seed from in our northern location. For those of you that hadn't contemplated it before, cabbage is biennial so the easiest way to save seed would be to have plants that survive in the ground during the cold months. As an outbreeder, you should be saving seed from as large a population as is reasonable. Cabbage seed stores for a while so if you are restricted for space, then just save for one generation. The two cabbages mentioned in the post are both large needing at least 3 feet square but 4 feet would be better to form, in my experience, 2-4lb heads though much larger have been reported.

***

How do I grow Cabbage and other family members?

Saving Cabbage Family Seed


Extreme Gardener (excellent blog) also writes about this cross in Blushing Cabbages

In praise of the Litchi Tomato

The important bits: flowers, fruit and spiny leaves. Not my ungloved, unscathed hands. Not a fast procedure harvesting to avoid punctures but possible.

It sure doesn't look like any tomato you've ever grown before because it isn't though it is related. Litchi Tomato, aka Morelle De Balbis, known in proper gardenize as Solanum sisymbriifolium bears reams of tasty, juicy and somewhat seedy red fruit guarded by pretty and poky yellow spines. The whole plant is covered with them in fact with the exception of the large bluish white flowers.

To get your taste of these fruits, you will have to get ahold of some seeds (I probably have a few to share), start at the same time as tomatoes and plant out after last frost. It'll begin small and innocent enough but after a few months, it will be between the size of a tall kid or a giant adult depending. Mine have all been around 4 feet though I've heard at least one report of 8 feet. Harvesting the fruit is a delicate matter of avoiding the spines but they are a wonderful addition to the solanacaea fruit collection such as ground cherries and tomatillos. I made a sauce with tomatillos, litchi tomato and apples with a squeeze of orange juice that was reminiscent of cranberries.


If you look in the background, you'll note hoar frost on the ground. In the foreground, an unphased Litchi Tomato plant.

It's taste is often described as being similar to cherries, or at least a cherry crossed with a tomato, with a pleasantly (in my mind) seedy raspberry overtone. It will continue to pump out the bee friendly flowers and tasty fruit until AFTER first frost. That's right, if you live in a mild climate, you may be more weary of planting this thorn machine because it will survive several degrees below zero celcius.

It's thorniess could be seen as an advantage if placed at the edge of the garden to discourage larger, thinner skinned visitors like other people or perhaps a thorn weary racoon... Anyone who happens to grow a slightly less prickly variation wcould be pretty popular as this plant could benefit from a little refinement to make it less painful to pick with easier detachment from the husk, earlier and more prolific. I've heard different stories on its taste too that could be related to growing conditions or genetic variation - probably both.

When I used to garden in a city community plot, I noted the Colorado potato beetle liked them - you could see this as a trap crop or as a problem - but I haven't seen the same issue on my rural property. They would potentially be subjected to the same pests and diseases as other tomato relatives though I haven't noticed any foliar diseases but they may harbour them.


A close up of the leaves after light ground frost showing no damage but certainly possible damage to you if you were to fall into it.

I grow it as a tasty 'trail' treat as I walk through my garden or an ingredient in salads and other dishes that could benefit their fruity flavour, and as a pretty addition to the productive beds. Then again, I have a thing for thistles and their prickly friends.

***

My source was La Societe des Plantes

There are a few other Canadian sources listed on Seeds of Diversity

Odd Veg. Trials - Cuke and Melon

I'll let you know a little secret: I've discovered that I am a collector. Not of stamps or teddy bears or vintage uniforms but of edible plants. Surprise! Okay so you aren't that surprised. Perhaps you too have been tempted by goblin egg gourds or mouse melons too. For your interest, here are my experiences in upper Ottawa valley growing some weird vining stuf:

Burr Gherkin



Impressively productive compared to my cursed cucumbers and for something with a leaf like a watermelon. Actually, Cucumis anguria, had some competition from the citron for pumping out the fruit this summer. I would grow it again if I could figure out what I can do with this bounty of little fruit. Perhaps... gherkins?

My source: Seed trade from down south in the U.S. I hope to have some available this year.

Achocha



Stories of Cyclanthera species impressive productivity in mild climes such as the UK did not come true in the sand trap of the old garden or during our mini drought, interspersed as it was by storms. I can confirm that it is a very impressive climer however.

My source: Seed trade from a mild part of Europe.

Citron



Want to surprise your friends with your prowess at growing watermelons? Try the perserving melon: citron, Citrullus lanatus. You can't split this baby open and dig out juicy goodness unfortunately but you can prepare all manner of canned yummies. Mostly they are for a lemon preserve but I have heard of them being used in place of cucumber and apple. Currently on my research list as you can see I have a few dozen. Anyone want to try one?

My source: Perth Seedy Saturday

Gourds - exotic up here



They aren't ripe yet but they're trying. I'll have to update you further on how they are doing. Langenaria siceraria is pretty enough to grow as a decorative especially as its large white flowers open later in the day.

My source: An italian squash and gourd mix

Mouse Melon

I didn't get a chance to grow Melothria scabra year but I they get tops for cuteness and have a nice flavour the one time I did try. They were grown in shade so descriptions of vines dripping with little melons was inaccurate for me. I'll try them again before throwing in the towel.

I'd love to hear other people's experience with the cuke pretenders and other unusual edible gourds and melons.

Plants on Trial - The grasses

Instead of one measly defendent, I decided a whole catagory of plants would face The Elimination Round. I, the ring leader, will decide whether these plants will stay or be tossed by the roots into the compost (or a black plastic bag in the sun for the real offenders).

The Accused

Varigated Ribbon Grass (Phalaris arundinacea)
Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra')
Pathetic grass - golden something?
Switch Grass 'Heavy Metal' (Panicum virgatum)
Varigated Maiden Hair 'Morning Light' (Miscanthus Sinesis)
Blue Oats (Helictotrichon sempervirens)
Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
Miscanthus 'Porcupine Grass' (Miscanthus sinesis 'Strictus')
Miscanthus 'Huron Sunrise' (Miscanthus sinesis)
Bottle Brush (Hystrix patula)
Blue Fescue 'Select' (Festuca glauca)
The Lawn



Huron Sunrise seedheads after flower colour has faded

The Game Show Court Proceedings

(The grasses sway together nervously looking like shaggy multi-hued green heads in various states of disarray.)

Ring Leader (me): Varigated Ribbon Grass. You came to my garden as a gift from another gardener but I should have known by the number of small pots of the stuff that you are rhizomous! Tell me do you plan on sending runners throughout the perennial bed?

Varigated Ribbon Grass: Me? Don't you think I'm pretty? Listen to my leaves rustle in the wind and in the spring, my shoots are an adorable pink. Love me.

Ring Leader: Yes, I do think you're pretty which is why ou have lasted 2 seasons but frankily you are outgrowing your spot. I've seen it happen in other gardens too. One season a foot square, the next 4, the next 12. It's just wrong!

Varigated Ribbon Grass: But... but...

Ring Leader: Are you edible? Are you native?

Varigated Ribbon Grass: Well, I.. No. Not really.

Ring Leader: It has also been said that you are a threat to native wetlands. You are out of here!

Varigated Ribbon Grass: Nooooo!

Ring Leader: And you Japanese Blood Grass also have runners, do you deny it?

Japanese Blood Grass: How could I deny it. Just remember that I am only borderline hardy. One poor snow cover year and I'm history. You can let me live on a little longer. Come on just one more year, you'll see how gorgeous I am.

Ring Leader: You are also an invader and rhizomous but it must be said that your runners run a little more slowly.

Japanese Blood Grass: Exactly. And you did buy me as a gift for your husband.


Miscanthus 'Porcupine Grass'

Ring Leader: I hate to admit that it is true. Fine, you can stay but I am transplanting you into a pot and I better find a good future spot or you're out of here too. And how about you Pathetic Grass whose name I have forgotten. What have you done but look dead? I know you are supposed to seem like a golden haze (perhaps that was your name) but I can barely see you in that spot and frankily I don't know why I've kept you so long. You're out of here too!

Unnamed Pathetic Golden Haze Grass: Sigh.

Ring Leader: Switch Grass 'Heavy Metal'. You're gorgeous.

Heavy Metal: I know.

Ring Leader: And clumping and native!

Heavy Metal: I know, I know.

Ring Leader: You grow so well and give structure to the garden. I love you. You can stay.

Heavy Metal: I know.

Varigated Maiden Hair: What about me?

Ring Leader: Well you do look nice with Heavy Metal and your growth is rather weak for a miscanthus. Fine, you can stay too.

Varigated Maiden Hair: Yes!

Ring Leader: Blue Oats. You are a cool season grass that comes up early in the spring making it look less dead unlike your warm season cousins. I like you. However, you aren't actually native.

Blue Oats: Shall I just pull up my roots now?

Ring Leader: Oh don't be dramatic - except of course for the affect of your foliage. You and the blue fescues lining the path can stay. Good little well behaved grasses that you are. Whose next... Oh Northern Sea Oats quit quivering... actually don't, it's quite pretty.

Northern Sea Oats: Thanks, I think.


Northern Sea Oats

Ring Leader: How could I get rid of you. You're seed heads are amoungst the most interesting of the ornamental grasses despite the fact that I note several babies at your base. You may be even be a native but I cannot find definitive evidence and your fall colour is pleasing. You can stay but keep that reproduction in check, deal.

Nothern Sea Oats: Suuurrre...

Ring Leader: This brings us to uh yes the other Miscanthus. I do believe that 'Huron Sunrise' and 'Porcupine Grass' are represented. I'm sure you know that you are also non-natives though both of you have your decorative uses, I'm afraid one of you will have to go. Who will it be.

Huron Sunrise hides beneath fluffy top.

Porcupine Grass tries to blend in with the sunflowers.

Ring Leader: Eeny meeny - sorry Huron, Porcupine is by far more interesting and I don't think I really like your fluffy seedheads. It's the curb for you.

Huron Sunrise: Noooo!

Ring Leader: Bottle Brush grass where are you?

Bottle Brush: Here! Here!

Ring Leader: Would you grow already? I heard that you can be a pest but I have barely seen anything of you for two seasons.

Bottle Brush: Well you grew morning glories all over me.

Ring Leader: True... that will be corrected for next year my beautiful native. You too can stay. And now for our final grass - The Lawn.

The Lawn: You can't get rid of me. I'm everywhere. Everyone loves me. What can compare with my durable, long season nature. All I ask is for my huge share of water and nitrogen. Oh and space. I like large amounts of space.

Ring Leader: You are difficult to get rid of but be forewarned. I have already disposed of 2/3 of you and more will be going.

The Lawn: This is an outrage. You can never entirely get rid of me. Never! You'll see. What about the children's soccer games? What about that lovely green swatch to show off your garden and what about my durability.

Ring Leader yawns: My work may not be done but it has begun.

***


Switch Grass heavy metal with varigated maiden hair miscanthus in front

Ratings:

You'll notice that keepers are all 3s and above except for Japanese Blood Grass that I am hanging on to mostly for sentimental reasons though it will be potted.

Varigated Ribbon Grass - 2
Japanese Blood Grass - 2
Pathetic grass - golden something? - 1
Switch Grass 'Heavy Metal' - 5
Varigated Maiden Hair (miscanthus)- 3
Blue Oats - 3
Northern Sea Oats - 4
Miscanthus 'Porcupine Grass' - 3
Miscanthus 'Huron Sunrise' - 2
Bottle Brush - 4
Blue Fescue - 3
The Lawn - 1


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Links

Other native grasses for this area, based on a list from the Wildlife Fletcher Garden and Acornus Restoration Nursery:

Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
Side Oats Gamma (Bouteloua curtipendula)
Canadian Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis)
Sand Dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus)

More on Ontario Grasses, Sedges and Rushes

Ornamental Native Grasses

Plants on Trial - Hardy Chrysanthemum

Crimson mums in the foreground and fire orange in the background keep the garden glowing this time of year.

I choose these lovelies next because they scream for my attention this time of year and I have heard that some people eat the flowers. It has me wondering, how useful are they? Would I cook them for guests? Do the bugs make use of them as a late nectar source or do the typical double-zillion flower forms make it difficult for bugs to get their dinner?

These brilliant yellows I rescued from a box stores dumpster. It was a six pack of mums and they have been moved and divided again and again. I forget the name or it might not have had a tag but I imagine it was something like 'sunset colours.'

To answer the first question - are they palatable - I decided that I'd try some. Okay, I am gingerly picking some raw pink petals and popping them into my mouth. Taste? Kind of floral - chyrsanthumy and ever so slightly bitter. I wonder what they'd be like after a frost. Not altogether unpleasant and probably quite nice sugared but these flowers have a tradition in asian cooking so I am not going to stop there.

They seem commonly added to hot water concoctions like 'tea' and 'hot pots' or 'soups' so I will dry a pile of them and when the moment strikes, throw some into my dish. I'll report back on the effects.

Addendum: Apparently, some people develop a skin reaction when handling garden mums. I never have but maybe you will.

Note: I am not going to eat the French Marigolds but they were added into my overwintering pots of peppers as a 'spell?' against aphids. At any rate, I thought it couldn't hurt. Other flowers are calendula, nasturtiums and mint. I've also cut some sweet cicely and lemon balm for tea, along with oregano and sage for winter use.

So do double chrysanthemums provide a late season nectar source? Generally, sources will tell you to buy single flowering varities whenever possible because the nectar and pollen are more freely available. In fact, according to The Vegan News Summer 2003, double mums would contain almost no pollen which is good news for those with allergies and may also be good news when you wish to consume the flowers. It is oft' quoted that 'one should avoid the pollen in the centre least you be allergic' even if the flower is edible. Not only that, but there are a lot more edible petals on the double varieties.


Last year, I got bowled over by the pink hues of mums and this year the oranges captivate me more.

So I'm guessing that these 'formal' double mums are less than thrilling treats to the wild critters but that the following pink mum with these lovely yellow eye sends them into the happy hungries.


Speaking of pink mums, I especially like these simple flowered ones which are hard to come by. Here are some growing amoungst the blueberries.

Of course Chrysanthemum coronarium, which comes in various leaf shapes, is used for edible greens. (I have no idea if other mums greens are edible but at least one source suggests not.)

Unlike many other mums, this is an annual. I have heard of it self seeding sometimes such as in The Organic Salad Garden by Larkcom but I've yet to grow it myself. It is definitely on my curious enough to try it list.

In the meantime, check out the list link for mum recipes to try yourself.

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Plants on Trial Score: 5
Will I keep it in my garden: yup (I might get more)

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Vital Stats:

It's not so easy to discuss the care of these diverse plants so I am going to focus on hardy, fall flowering chrysanthemums not florist mums.

life cycle: Hardiness varies with cultivar, easily divided and transplanted.
Use: Flowers edible and possibly palatable greens (Garland mum is grown specifically for edible greens).
Design Use: Up to around 3 feet high, the vast array of flower colour and form give great fall colour in any garden setting. It is generally recommended that they be pinched back earlier in the season to make a bushier form.
Growing Preferences: Full sun but will take some shade, average water. There are sooo many varieties that I can't be sure of what all of them prefer but in my garden they are grown in well drained soil in part shade in my generally dry front yard.

Links

Chrysanthemum fire pot

Chrysanthemum Wine

Chrysanthemum Tea

Chrysanthemum Hot Pot

General info about garland chrysanthemum greens

Purple Podded Peas blog on 'Chop suey Greens' or edible, annual mums, looking for recipes. So am I.

Plants on Trial - garlic chives

All the plants in my yard are on trial in order to decide who is worthy of occupying the precious little space on my urban plot. The questions:

(+1 for the following questions)
1. Are they beneficial to me or my wild friends?
2. Are they edible?
3. Is it perennial or self sustaining?
4. Suitable to the climate / easy to care for?
5. Are they native?
6. Are they gorgeous?

(-1 for the following questions)
7. Are they invasive?
8. Are they just pathetic.

Depending on how these questions are answered - they will be voted 'in' or 'out.'



First defendent on the stand: Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)


Thanks to DelosJ for this creative commons photo. I looked but could find no pictures of my own anywhere!

Let me tell you about this plant. I can't remember where I got it. Perhaps it was at a plantcycle event, perhaps I purchased or maybe I even bought seeds eons ago when I was a gardening novice and didn't understand things like 'some plants all your neighbours have too many of.' It greens up early in the spring and produces attractive white flowers in the summer. If you don't remove those flowerheads, it then makes about a million babies. These babies must be removed young because this is one herb that performs well as cut and come again so there is no careless yank. It will grow back if you don't dig up its rhizomous root structure.

Initially, I thought the taste unexceptional until a plantcycle lady of chinese background got really excited about it. I looked up some recipes and found out that its flowerheads are considered a delicacy. Good because despite the fact that they are pretty, they can also produce the aforementioned million babies. The leaves can also be blanched and the golden growth used as a potherb. Since leek moth descended on my garden, they have also become the only allium more or less unaffected by this scurge, bumping up their usefulness a couple notches.

There is an attractive pink flowered cultivar if you are feeling brave enough to let it flower or don't have a taste for its flower buds.

Rating: 4
Keep it in the garden: yes (but I don't consider it entirely innocent)

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Vital Stats:

life cycle: Hardy perennial, self seeding,rhizomes and bulbs
Use: Edible leaves, bulbs, flowerheads, apparently even the seeds, oil can be produced from seeds, leaves can be dried. The flowerheads and seedheads are used in flower arranging. I can definitely see this about the seedheads as they dry into rigid straw coloured stems topped with a globe part filled with black seeds.
Design Use: 10-12 inches tall, grass like clumps, good edging plant or ground cover
Growing Preferences: full sun to light shade, normal watering. Will tolerate some drought.

***


Links

Wikipedia on garlic chives
Floridata article on Garlic Chives
One of many garlic chive dumpling recipes
Cheat Eat blog talks about using blanched or yellow garlic chives