Asian Greens

These leafy vegetables are easy to grow in cool weather—spring or fall—in Sonoma County. Plants in an array of colors enliven the garden in the off-season, often indicating spiciness and aroma in the kitchen.

Asian greens are known by alternate plant names in different cultures. Some of the easiest to grow are bok choy, mizuna, and tatsoi.

Types of Asian Greens

Bok Choy (or choi), a non-heading Chinese cabbage with several thick white leafstalks; also called pak choy (or choi), pei tsai or chongee.
Chinese kale, similar to broccoli but with smaller stems and flowers, sweeter and more tender; also called gailon, gai lan, or Chinese broccoli.
Chinese parsley, also called cilantro.
Chrysanthemum greens, spicy, sweet, aromatic taste; not the same as ornamental chrysanthemums; also called chop suey greens, tong ho or garland chrysanthemum.
Garlic chives live for years in clumps from bulbs; also called Chinese chives.
Komatsuna, a Japanese green with a mild flavor between spinach and Asian mustard; also called spinach mustard. Some varieties may tolerate colder temperatures.
Misome grows upright, a hybrid cross between komatsuna and tatsoi.
Mizuna, a mild mustard green with upright growth to 1 ft. tall, heat and cold tolerant (to 40ºF) also called kyona and shui cai.
Mustard greens, a spicy, Dijon mustard flavor, the most pungent of the Asian greens; also called kai (or gai) choy or takana. Some frost tolerance.
Napa cabbage a broad-leafed, compact-heading Chinese cabbage; also called wong bok, pai-tsai or hakusai. Milder than common cabbage.
Tatsoi, with a mild, sweet cabbage-like flavor, forms a flat rosette about 8 inches across; also called rosette bok choy or spoon cabbage. One of the most cold-tolerant (to 20ºF).

Culture

Sow seeds ¼-½ in. deep. Sprouts emerge shortly after sowing.
Purchase transplants if you want to plant as late as November for bok choy and others with small heads that require longer growing periods.
Little or no irrigation needed when winter rains are plentiful.
Thin as you harvest; thick sowing provides more greens and fewer weeds.
For “cut-and-come-again” crops, cut leaves about one inch above ground; cut outer leaves of cabbage types.

Sources

Not all Asian greens are sold on retail seed racks. A wide variety of types are available, however, by many mail-order suppliers for common as well as specialty types.

Additional Information

Sonoma County Master Gardener Vegetable Planting Summary.
https://sonomamg.ucanr.edu/Food_Gardening_with_Less_Water/

February 2022