THE CHINESE HERB GARDEN - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 141

Appearance
Mitsuba adds interest to the garden as a foliage plant. It looks a bit like flat-leaved Itali-
an parsley, but the toothed leaflets are larger. They grow in groups of three and create a
nice texture. Its flowers are small, white, and umbrella- shaped (typical of this family of
plants). Garden topics tell you that the flowers appear at the top of the plant, but don't
be surprised if flowers appear an inch or two above the soil surface when the seeds are
ripening at the top. This is a second flowering.
The seedpods are always described as long and ribbed, but “long” is relative.
They're about ¼ inch long at most.
How to Grow
Getting started. Mitsuba is reasonably hardy and can be planted as early as the ground
can be worked. If you grow it in a pot indoors over the winter, harden it off before you
move the pot outside or transplant it.
Outdoors, it's best to plant mitsuba as an annual. You may find that it self-sows from
year to year. It's not particularly fussy about soil. It will thrive in a moist, shady place,
so save your sunny areas for plants that won't settle for less.
Planting. Sow seeds ½ inch deep and 2 inches apart; thin to 4 inches (eat the thinnings).
Unlike the true parsley, mitsuba is not difficult to germinate and quickly shows a bit of
green if you keep its planting site moist.
Growing needs. For the best crop, plant successively every three to four weeks and har-
vest the entire plant when you want to use it. Leave a few plants to go to seed for next
season's crop. If possible, grow in partial to moderate shade. If you grow mitsuba in full
sun, the leaves may turn yellow and look unhealthy. If this should happen, remove the
discolored leaves and use only the new green.
Mature plants need steady moisture; don't let the soil dry out. When plants are about
1½ feet tall, side-dress with a small amount of balanced fertilizer or diluted liquid fertil-
izer. Avoid making the soil too rich. At the halfway mark, water is more important than
fertilizer, so concentrate on the watering.
How to Harvest
For leaves. If you have a number of plants, you can gather leaves without disturbing
the growth of the parent plant; seed production will continue undisturbed. Or pull the
entire plant after about four weeks. If you wait until maturity (60 to 90 days) you can
harvest the seeds and the roots. I generally take some of the plant at each stage; it's like
having three different plants in the garden.