Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chinese Radish, page 105
Raphanus sativus
From the moment the first true leaves appear, Asian varieties look different from other
radishes. Daikon, for one, offers beautiful gray-green, oddly cut leaves instead of the
familiar coarse radish foliage. Other Chinese radishes come in all colors and sizes.
Chinese radishes can be grown outdoors, indoors, and under lights, all with equal
facility. It's the easiest vegetable to grow and one of the quickest. Most varieties are
sown in midsummer for fall and winter use. There are Chinese radishes for spring and
summer too, just read your seed catalogs carefully. Spring varieties are handy for in-
tercropping with slower-growing vegetables; they're picked and gone long before your
Chinese broccoli or eggplants need the space.
Sow smaller varieties 1 inch deep and 1 inch apart; larger varieties must be spaced
proportionately. Thin out as they get crowded. Even tiny radishes make good eating,
and the leaves of young radishes are as delicious as the roots. Fertilize lightly but often.
Water regularly so that growth isn't checked by a dry spell.
Sesame, page 139
Sesamum indicum
Here's another Chinese herb that's so easy to grow and yet so ornamental that I can't
imagine why more gardeners don't give it room as a houseplant. When someone ex-
pecting the usual collection of flowering house plants asks what this one is, the usual
reaction to your answer is, “It's a what ?”
Sow the seeds ½ inch deep in 3-inch pots. Transplant to moderately large containers
with other herbs and vegetables, or to 6-inch pots for individual display. You won't
know ahead of time what color flowers any given plant will produce, so it's fun to have
several growing.
Sesame will take as much sun as you can give it. In containers, unlike in the open
garden, it needs regular watering because there isn't anywhere else it can go for a drink.
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