A Fast-Growing Alternative To Lettuce Begging To Be In Your Garden
There's a lot to love about growing lettuce. After all, who doesn't enjoy harvesting their own salad? But if you're looking for a unique flavor, more cold hardiness, and in some cases faster growth and maturity, consider branching out a bit. Tatsoi (Brassica rosularius) is a perfect addition to cool-season gardens, and its versatility in the kitchen ensures you'll find plenty of uses for this easy-to-grow green.
Perfect for everything from salads to stir-fries, tatsoi has long been a popular crop in China and Japan, and it can grow well in much of North America too. One of the best things about tatsoi (besides its flavor) is that it is one of the fastest-growing vegetables around. The plant is mature and ready to harvest in only about 40 or 50 days. It's also more cold-tolerant than lettuce. This makes it ideal for spring or fall gardens in many areas, and even a good winter crop in more southern parts of the United States. In those areas, it could make a good addition to kale or other bitter greens, if you're tired of looking at an empty winter garden.
Caring for tatsoi in the garden
Tatsoi can be easily grown from seeds, and while the seeds may not be quite as widely available as those for lettuce, they can be found from many online seed sellers. You can either direct sow tatsoi seeds, or start them inside and then transplant them to your garden. Just make sure you grow your tatsoi plants in a sunny spot, and keep them watered if you haven't received any rain in a while. Either harvest the whole tatsoi plant at once, or treat it as a cut-and-come-again plant by just taking outer leaves.
Tatsoi can be prone to bolting when temperatures are high and days are long, making it best to plant during spring months or as part of a thriving fall garden. It grows well alongside other leafy Asian greens like bok choy and mustard greens, as they all flourish in similar conditions. However, tatsoi is more cold-tolerant than many of its relatives — it can survive temperatures down to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit.