short day and cooler temperatures tell us that summer is about to terminate . But this does n’t mean it ’s clock time to wrap up gardening for the year . Leafy greens are an leisurely and delightful way to squeeze a few more workweek of productiveness from your garden . With a little surplus effort , it ’s possible to maturate sweet produce all winter .
This clause begins with short description of leafy park that grow well in Virginia . It then discuss how to get leafy greens started in your garden as summer wanes ( or as spring begins ) and optimize production through fall , wintertime , and into next summertime .
Types of Leafy Greens
Lettuce(Lactuca sativa ): Most home gardeners , including me , find growing leaf clams easy than nous lettuce ( for example iceberg ) . Leaf lettuce comes in a kind of colors , textures , and flavors . Seed mixtures are an economical way to farm a diverse readiness of lettuces for tossed salad . Some diversity are rut - insubordinate , which is essential for spring planting .
Kale and collard greens(Brassica oleracea var . acephela ): These super acid are touch on to cabbage , but as the name suggests , do n’t form heads . How do shekels and collards differ ? Kale leaves are thinner and softer . In other Bible , they can be eaten raw . collard greens are thicker and almost always cooked before consumption . There are more kale varieties ( red Russian , Lacinato / dinosaur / Italian , curly immature and crimson ) than collard greens , which unremarkably have flat , greenish leaf . All are delicious !
Swiss chard(Beta vulgaris ): Chard is a appendage of the beet family ( beet greens are also delicious ) . Varieties differ in the color of bow and ribs , from white to yellow to knock to Red River , but generally smack the same . Chard is highly resistant to absquatulate in warm weather and can put up dusty temperature . In other dustup , chard planted now can over - winter and will produce through next spring and summer .
Spinach(Spinacia oleracea ): Spinach is various : it can be harvest betimes or recent , and it ’s delicious new or cook . “ Savoy ” spinach has thicker leaves with a frilly surface and a stronger savour than other kind . Spinach germinates poorly at gamey temperature ( above 75 ° F ) , so unless you ’re plan to transplant , it ’s good for spring planting .
Broccoli raab , aka rapini(Brassica rapa var . ruvo , orBrassica ruvo ): This relative of turnips ( you guessed it , turnip greens are tasty too ) is common in Italian cuisine . Raab is leafy than “ stock ” broccoli , and the shuck are sound to corrode . The strong , spicy savour of raab is somewhat bitter and a shade sweet . Unless harvest young , it ’s undecomposed when cook .
Mustard greens(Brassica juncea ): This leafy putting surface also has stiff , spicy flavor . Typically , it ’s cooked , although unseasoned , sore mustard greenness are a corking addition to tossed salads . Indian mustard greens are quite susceptible to bolt in affectionate weather .
Asian green : This is a broad category!Asian Green justify a freestanding article , which Piedmont Master Gardener Pat Chadwick has late written . Suffice it to say , these putting surface grow well in Virginia and are a wonderful addition to any diet . Some well - know example are mizuna and tatsoi , which have a mustardy , peppery flavor . They are terrific both cooked and raw in green salads . Another sort , gai lan , is similar to broccoli raab . Most germ catalogs extend Asiatic greens , and graft are light to find at local garden centers .
produce Leafy Greens
Soil preparation : Prepare the land before start your green . A soil examination will tell you if any amendment are necessitate . territory pH should be 6 – 7 , slightly acid to neutral . Leafy greens thrive in loamy soil , which can retain moisture without becoming waterlogged . It might be necessary to add compost to clay soil to meliorate its texture and drainage . A good rule of thumb for clay land is to contain 4 inches of compost into the top 12 inches of filth . That ’s a sight of compost – and a bunch of body of work – but it will be worth the effort . Regardless of any amendments , good rake the top 2 inches of stain to fall in up any glob .
Getting Started : Leafy special K can be started by transplanting or direct sowing into a garden bed . The option depends on the time of year and type of greens . For lesson , spinach seeds germinate poorly at temperatures above 75 ° degree Fahrenheit , so transplanting makes more sense for late summer planting .
For unmediated sowing , follow the directions on the seeded player packet for profoundness , spacing , and timing . concealment ejaculate with filth , then piddle thoroughly for good contact between grease and come . fragile seedlings after a couple of calendar week if desire . Trimmed seedlings make an first-class babe light-green salad .
Transplanting can be done with plant from a garden center or farmers market , or with seedling you ’ve set forth yourself . Start seeds on the same timetable as direct seeding , and harden off seedlings before transplant . Piedmont Master Gardener Liz Sutphen has written a comprehensive guide to starting seeds indoors .
Cultivation : Leafy greens are vigorous and do n’t need much coddling . Irrigate and fecundate appropriately . Weed good but carefully because most leafy greens have shallow roots . Mulch ( leaves or grass clippings ) can inhibit weeds and facilitate soil retain moisture .
Disease and pests : Leafy greens ache from some fungal diseases , admit root rots , downy mildew , and folio spots . Prevention is easier than cure . Rotate harvest to keep soil - yield pathogen from accumulating . To prevent root rot , do not over - water . Amend clay soil to amend drainage . urine in the morning to keep leaves dry . Direct water towards the base of the plants , but do n’t splash dirt onto the leave . Practice skilful sanitization : remove plant debris during and at the end of the maturate season . This will abnegate a home ground to pathogens and insects .
Fungicides can be a helpful prophylactic gadget . Products containing pig or chlorothalonil are useful against fungal diseases . Consult the Virginia Cooperative Extension Pest Management Guide for more details . Always play along pedagogy on the production label(“the label is the law”)and waitress the show number of twenty-four hour period between coating and harvest .
pest such as aphids , whiteflies , “ worms ” ( actually , caterpillars ) , harlequin beetles , leaf miners , and slugs are a more serious threat to leafy Green . Again , bar is well-off than cure . Rotate craw to keep industrial plant off from eggs and larvae in the soil . Sanitation ( scavenge up plant junk ) will deny insects a place to hide in the first home . Some growers use lightweight wrangle covers to keep insects aside from leafy greens . Bt(Bacillus thuringiensis)can assistance keep caterpillars off . Diatomaceous earth fan out on the ground around your greens can control slugs and soil - consist worm .
If dirt ball emerge , hand - pick caterpillars and large beetle off plant . Neem fossil oil is effective against aphids and whitefly . Control severe infestations with conventional insect powder , including malathion and carbaryl . refer the Virginia Cooperative Extension Pest Management Guide for more details . Always play along recording label instructions carefully:“the label is the legal philosophy . ”To minimize harm to pollinator , do n’t spray flower plant , and spray in the evening when pollinators are less dynamic . This advice also holds for organic treatments like pyrethrins and diatomaceous earth , both of which are extremely harmful to honeybees . employ all insecticides with caution since they can kill beneficial predatory dirt ball and pollinator .
Harvest : apply the “ cut - and - come - again ” harvest method acting for non - heading greens . Trim the taboo leaves of the plant , annul the central area where fresh increase hap . This drill will allow for plants to produce for weeks , if not month , though the flora may look a little funny after a while ( see picture ) .
Over - wintering : Practically every leafy green is cold - hardy and can plow a light frost with no difficulty . In fact , flavor usually improves after a trace of Robert Frost because the plants respond by producing more scratch for cryo - protection . With service from row covers , leafy green can well survive a Virginia wintertime . Piedmont Master Gardener Ralph Morini ’s article on season denotation using row covers will separate you everything you need to know . Four - Season Harvestby Eliot Coleman is another excellent introduction to this subject .
Over - overwinter greens will resume growth in the spring . In my experience , over - wintered kale thunderbolt astonishingly ahead of time in the give , but settles down to “ vegetative ” ontogenesis after I cut back the anthesis stem . Bolted raab , on the other hand , does n’t give back to leafy growth after trim back , so I reap it all in the spring . As remark above , chard is the champion of heat and bolt electrical resistance , and can be dependably productive for a full calendar year .
prepare Leafy Greens
Simplicity is my personal predilection for preparing leafy greens . “ Baby ” greens can be eaten raw in a tossed salad . Both interracial greens and salads with a single type of jet are excellent . Blanching , sautéing , and call forth sauteing are all great way to prepare mature green . Blanched greens can be drain and frozen . Or , boost colour , flavor , and victuals by throw a handful of sliced greens into simmer soup a couple minutes before serving . The soup does n’t have to be homemade . Of course , thickset K like collards can be steam until tender , then served with vinegar or hot sauce on New Year ’s Day .
PESTICIDE WARNING
Pesticides ( which admit herbicides , insecticides , rotenticides , etc . ) are toxicant . Always translate and cautiously follow all precautions and rubber recommendations given on the container recording label . hive away all chemicals in the original judge container in a locked cabinet or shed , away from solid food or feeds , and out of the compass of tiddler , wildcat persons , positron emission tomography , and stock . Consult thepesticide labelto determine active ingredients , signaling Word of God , and right protective equipment . Pesticides put on in your home and landscape can move andcontaminate creeks , lake , and rivers . Confine chemical substance to the property being care for and never let them to get into drains or creeks . Avoid drift onto neighboring properties and untargeted region .
References and Further Reading
Featured photo deferred payment : Sterling College , CC BY 2.0
2022 Pest Management Guide – Home Grounds and AnimalsVirginia Cooperative Extension
Asian GreensUniversity of California Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County
Asian Vegetables for Virginia GardensPat Chadwick , Piedmont Master Gardener
Brassica oleracea ( Acephala Group)North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Crop Profile for Broccoli Raab ( PDF link)University of Arizona
How to Control Invasive Pests While Protecting Pollinators and Other Beneficial InsectsMichigan State University
How to Grow Swiss ChardMichigan State University Extension
How to set forth Your Garden SeedsLiz Sutphen , Piedmont Master Gardener
Leafy Green VegetablesVirginia Cooperative Extension
MustardUniversity of Illinois Extension
words CoversUtah State University
quarrel Covers – A Gardening Season - Extender with BenefitsRalph Morini , Piedmont Master Gardener
SpinachClemson Cooperative Extension
SpinachPenn State University Plant Village
Virginia ’s Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide : Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to PlantVirginia Cooperative Extension
