Bed 17
Romaine Lettuce
Romaine Lettuce has a tight, dark green rosette of tall, upright leaves and a white heart. It grows best in full sun. It is crisp and sweet, and it is very nutritious! Because it is rich in fiber, vitamin C, beta-carotene, folate, potassium, and lutein, romaine is especially good for heart health and eye health. How to Harvest: Romaine lettuce can be harvested as soon as leaves are large enough to eat. Pick baby leaves for salads, cut leaves as needed, or cut the entire plant at the base, leaving a short stub to resprout. Alternatively, regrow lettuce in water by placing the stub in a jar of water. |
O-S Cross School Cabbage
O-S Cross School Cabbage plants were donated to SERES through the Bonnie's 3rd Grade Cabbage Program. In just 80 days, this variety cabbage can grow to weigh 30 to 50 pounds. This plant thrives when planted in full sun and given at least 3 feet of growing space. How to Harvest: To harvest the cabbage, cut each cabbage head at its base with a sharp knife. Remove any yellow leaves (retain loose green leaves; they provide protection in storage) and immediately bring the head indoors or place it in shade. To get two crops, cut the cabbage head out of the plant, leaving the outer leaves and root in the garden. The plant will send up new heads; pinch off the new heads until only four or so smaller heads remain. Harvest when tennis ball-size (perfect for salads!). |
Nasturtium
Nasturtium is an annual plant whose leaves and flowers are edible. Both the leaves and the flowers have a peppery, spicy flavor and add a bite to green salads. They prefer full sun and well-drained soil. To prolong blooming, cut off the faded and dead flowers. How to Harvest: Pluck off the flowers and leaves as needed throughout the growing season. Flowers can be eaten as buds or when in full bloom, but the leaves have the best flavor when young and tender, so pick off newer growth for culinary uses. The flavor of the plant will actually get spicier as the day wears on, so pick early for milder tastes and later in the day for more kick. |
Easter Egg Radish
Easter Egg Radishes a mix red, white, rose pink, purple, and bi-color (red top, white base) radishes. They are a hardy, very easy-to-grow root vegetable that can be planted in as soon as three weeks after planting, multiple times in a growing season. How to Harvest: For most varieties of radishes, harvest when the roots are approximately 1 inch in diameter at the soil surface. Pull one out and test it before harvesting the rest! Do not leave radishes in the ground long after their mature stage; their condition will deteriorate quickly. |
Bed 18
O-S Cross School Cabbage
O-S Cross School Cabbage plants were donated to SERES through the Bonnie's 3rd Grade Cabbage Program. In just 80 days, this variety cabbage can grow to weigh 30 to 50 pounds. This plant thrives when planted in full sun and given at least 3 feet of growing space. How to Harvest: To harvest the cabbage, cut each cabbage head at its base with a sharp knife. Remove any yellow leaves (retain loose green leaves; they provide protection in storage) and immediately bring the head indoors or place it in shade. To get two crops, cut the cabbage head out of the plant, leaving the outer leaves and root in the garden. The plant will send up new heads; pinch off the new heads until only four or so smaller heads remain. Harvest when tennis ball-size (perfect for salads!). |
Leek
Leeks are the cool-season, milder cousins of onions. Unlike onions, leeks don’t produce bulbs; they are harvested for their juicy stems. They prefer full sun and moist soil. How to Harvest: You can start pulling leeks from the ground just about anytime. Typically, you’d let them get least 1 inch or larger in diameter for the big white stems, but you can dig young ones to eat like scallions. |
Celery
Celery has a long-growing season (130 to 140 days). Celery requires about 125 days of a long, relatively cool growing season. It thrives in full sun and requires a lot of water. Celery can’t tolerate high heat. How to Harvest: The parts of celery that are harvested are mainly the stalks, which will be above ground. Harvest stalks from the outside in. You may begin harvesting when stalks are about 8 inches tall. |