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| National Garden Bureau |
Get creative using the greens! Most greens can be served raw, wilted, blanched, sautéed, or grilled.
Basic Types and Variety Names...
The Asteraceae family is the source of some of the best-known salad greens:
• Lettuces: mild-flavored leafy annuals that are available in many types, textures, colors, and shapes
• Dandelion: the greens offer surprisingly diverse culinary additions with unique flavor and health benefits
The Amaranthaceae family includes another popular green:
• Spinach: can be harvested at many stages, from baby leaf to full-size leaves
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| Space Spinach from Bejo Seeds |
The Brassicaceae family has superior flavor and cold hardiness:
• Arugula: a peppery and spicy-flavored leafy annual, also called ‘rocket’
• Kale: a green, leafy, cruciferous vegetable that is rich in nutrients.
• Mustard Greens: peppery leafy greens of the mustard plant
Create different flavors and visual appeal with these suggestions:
• Asian Greens: broccoli, and bok-choy are two and offer a wide array of shoots and leaves that bring a unique look and flavor to salads
• Chard: better known as Swiss Chard and is a green leafy vegetable with large leaf stalks or consider micro greens
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| Swiss Chard Rainbow Microgreens |
• Herbs: lots to choices – from chives, dill, mint, parsley, basil to cilantro and watercress that can make your salads tasty and interesting
With so many greens to choose from, consider how they grow and follow the planting instructions on the seed packages. Lots of the leafy greens will grow well in containers, in addition to the garden.
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| Greens from Pan American Seeds |
After germination, you can thin the seedlings: if you want baby leaves, keep the spacing dense but if you want a whole head ensure adequate spacing. Reseed every few weeks for a continuous harvest.
To read the entire article from National Garden Bureau (NGB) for growing great salads: https://ngb.org/year-of-the-salad-greens/
“Inspire. Connect. Grow.” National Garden Bureau (NGB) is a non-profit organization that exists to educate, inspire, and motivate people to increase the use of plants in homes, gardens, and workplaces by being the marketing arm of the gardening industry. Our members are experts in the field of horticulture and our information comes directly from these sources.
All photos courtesy of National Garden Bureau