greens out of control...uh oh...

I planted mustard greens, swiss chard and spinach and they looked beautiful! Then, I had to go out of town for an emergency for several weeks and nobody cared for them while I was gone. I've returned and they are HUGE! I think too big. That's my question. Are they still good? They have very tall thick stem things sticking up out of the middle of the plants with seeds in them. The swiss chard leaves are enormous! I can hardly see the mustard green leaves through all the flowery-seedy looking bushy stuff on top. The spinach leaves look very big and old. Is the plant ruined? If I use the leaves now, do they still contain all the same nutrients? Can I just cut the seed stems off? Cut the whole plant down? Will new leaves grow? ????

Thank you for your help! :)

Ellianor

Ellianor,
I grew mustards and collards for the 1st time last fall, from seedlings planted outside in my EBs during Thanksgvng break. Huge, Beautiful greens cut down to a few baby leaves for Christmas dinner, then New Years dinner, and twice more until I finally cut them down when the temps got into the 70s. Then they started to bolt (start to make seeds, which is what your's are doing now.) What're your average daytime temps now?

If you still have more relatively cool weather (50-60-70 degrees) ahead of you, I'd cut them back to just a few baby leaves (your kitchen scissors will work wonderfully well for this). If it was just a hot snap for a short period that made them bolt, they should start to grow back again, and you'll be on track

The Bugs come and bolting starts when it gets too warm. Here's my EB mustards and collards from Fall '08. Don't be discouraged. Greens are EASY to grow and will keep coming back as long as the weather is cool/cold enough for 'em to be content.

P.S. I slow cook 'em overnight in my crock pot with onions, bell pepper and ham hocks, so cooking leaves that average 18-22" long (my DH measured 'em!) serves me well.

"Lilly Mae's Greens" recipe is in the tags

Lemme know how you make out!

Linda

This message was edited Jun 16, 2009 1:09 PM

This message was edited Jun 16, 2009 1:14 PM

Hi, Ellianor...

Unfortunately it appears that your greens have bolted (gone to seed) :^(

If they have produced seeds, they are past the edible stage. Chard is pretty hardy. If the leaves are just big and no seeds, you can try cooking them. They may take longer to cook if they are older leaves. As long as it hasn't gone to seed and your temps are not too hot, you can cut the chard leaves back and they will regrow.

Look on the bright side - if your varieties are heirlooms, you can try saving the seed for next planting. If they are hybrids you can't as they won't come true from seed.

Hope this helps...

Kelly

Hey, Kelly!

Great minds, thinking alike, again! Girl, my Swiss Chard from the same time period above is STILL going strong, and has not bolted. I may just have to cut it back to harvest some tender, young leaves.

I'd not ever eaten it before, and when I was given a recipe to try, I used BIG leaves (I'm thinking about my mustards and collards, right?).

Anyway, I've since learned it's better to eat the YOUNG, itsy bitsy leaves, 'cause the big 'uns are BITTER -- which is probably why I didn't like em.

Well, I'll cut em back and start over, with Ellianor!

Linda

Hi, Linda!!

Too funny posting over each other with pretty much the same advice - lol!!

The young leaves are better, but you can use the older ones. You just have to cook them a while, which probably doesn't help retain the nutritional value too much. If mine get too big I just cut 'em back and wait for more little ones... I just pulled my chard last weekend. Heat got too much for it, but I sure enjoyed it while it lasted!!

Kelly

P.S. Now I'm waiting for fall to plant those mustard seeds...

Girl,
I spent yesterday sorting and purging accumulated planters/containers/garden gear for my Fall plantout! I hauled three 45-gallon bags of excess pots to the dumpster, and only kept what I intend to use for my Fall veggies, plus a few sorted extras for garden plants and Sago Palm puppies.

Lookie. The white planter is where my Osaka Purple is going to grow!

Wow, Linda!! That's a mighty large collection of pots you got there - lol.

The Osaka will look spectacular in the white planter!! Pictures will be expected...

Kelly

Thanks, Kel!
Actually the eBuckets are 2-for-one. I'm replacing some of the totally unnecessary space hog containers in the yard with FOOD containers! Although the DH doesn't quite know this yet. But, it's HIS fault, since he'll only let me plant AROUND his precious St. Aug grass!

I live in the desert and I choose not to have grass - hee hee hee...

Maybe you can convince him grass is bad for the environment? Or that you can't eat it?