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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Cabbage ‘Red Choi’ harvest week

Last week was komatsuna harvest week and we finished harvesting them. So this week is cabbage ‘Red Choi’ harvest week. Red choi is an F1 hybrid which seeds I bought from Green Harvest this year. I usually don’t buy hybrid seeds because it is not suitable for seed saving. But I was curious when I read this line ~deep green leaves with maroon veins develop into striking maroon leaves with light green undersides. Here are some information from the seed packet:

Plant type: Annual cool season crop, frost tolerant (planning to try in autumn next year)

Plant height: 30cm

Sow when: Germination best at 15-24 degree Celcius (good germination in Adelaide spring almost 100%)

Germination: 7days (I agree)

Harvest: 45 days, begin harvest when plants are 20cm tall

Red choi seedlings a few days old. We can differentiate them with other similar pak choi family with the leaves tinge with maroon.

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The first true leaves.

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More leaves development and its time to transplant them.Red choi cabbage (6) We transplanted the ‘red choi’ seedlings onto the cineraria border patch, inter-planting with other plants as quick crop. This patch is part shade~shade area depending on whether it is sunny or cloudy day. On a sunny day, it will received some sunlight maximum 2 hours in spring. So yes you can grow ‘red choi’ in part shade area for anyone who does not have much sunny area to grow vegetables.

cineraria patch (1) A close up look of ‘red choi’ about 5cm tall.

Red choi cabbage (7)

More growth.

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Its time to harvest ‘red choi’ this week as you can see the leaves has less maroonish colour on it as it matures and caterpillars has munched them. So I have better harvest them quick:). I have already see signed some of them will be producing flower soon.

DSC09884 Subsistance pattern blog have many interesting type of harvested cabbage and on how to store them.

Propagation:

(1) Bush bean ~ Redland pioneer (Eden seeds)

(2) Salad greens kang kong (Eden seeds)

(3) Turkish Leopard Melon (Alice spring seedsavers)

Transplanting:

(1) Okra burgundy

(2) Rockmelon

16 comments:

  1. Very healthy veggies and natural. Here if want to get the healthy veggies like this in the market, they used lots of pesticide.

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  2. Your red choi has such vibrant colors and is no doubt quite a nutritious and delicious variety, I like that they can be grown in partial shade. I bet they are quite good in a stir fry dish too.:)

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  3. It looks very yummy! I like the colors they have. I wanted to try something else for next season, I think this might be it thanks

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  4. What a beautiful harvest of veggie. The seedlings have very cute leaves!

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  5. Wah! You have lots of flowers blooming amongst your veggie. Very beautiful.

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  6. The second photo looked like a succulent to me. Shows what I know. I have to find a way to get more veggie room and try some of these wonderful plants.

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  7. Looking at the holes on the leaves, yours must be truly organic.

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  8. That is Lobak Hijau isnt it? Not familiar with the Chinese name since I havent tried growing green leafy vegetables yet..

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  9. Orchid de dangau, rainfield61~ Organically grown. Nothing touch it except pest,water and my hand to search for pest.

    Mr. H. ~ We are having stir fry almost everyday.

    Fer~ It will suit you this vegetable don't take up much space.

    Kitchen flavour~ That was the attraction growing this vege:).

    One~ I think the cineraria flower season is almost at the end here. I have to prune them always to continue flowering.

    Paul~ Compacted like that it does look like succelent I guess. I hope you give it a try. it does not take up much space and can grow in partial shade as well. Not fussy veggie.

    P3chandan ~ Lobak hijau tu apa? This vegetable is adik-beradik with Bok choy (or Pak choi).

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  10. パクチーの仲間ですか?初めて聞きました。確かに葉が赤っぽいですね。和名はないのかな?

    I've never heard of "red choi", which can let me assume it could be a kind of "Pak choi".

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  11. Wow you really have many green vegetables growing in your garden!
    The flowers look pretty!

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  12. Was the red choi spicy? It looks a little like the purple mustard that is so spicy. Have you tried "row cover" for insect prevention. It is soft and will let plats grow up and water go in. "Insect barrier" is another name for it. May help with cabbge moths and caterpillars.

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  13. pretty greens (and maroons!). Do they taste like boy choy? I love that seedling photo.

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  14. Takaeko~雑種のパクチーの仲間なので、適当に"red choi"を名付けましたかなあ。

    Malar~ Many holes leafy green vegetables growing in my garden at the moment:)

    Wendy~ They taste similar like bok choy but the taste are much stronger.

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  15. Sara~ It does not taste spicy but stronger taste than bok choy more flavour. "Row cover" is in my wishing list but it is not in this year budget cost. Hopefully next year. We need a new layout if we put on"row cover".

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  16. You are really growing and growing and .....
    You are just like the rabbit who is reaching the finishing line while I am a slow tortoise when it comes to vege gardening!

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