Price range: £1.85 through £112.00
Broad round leaved rosette greens, with a wide central stem which is crisp and juicy.
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Pak Choi, Tatsoi
Latin name Brassica rapa
Approximately 450 seeds per g
Oriental vegetables have revolutionised winter salad production. As their name suggests they come from China and Japan. Being brassica, or cabbage family, the plants are very cold tolerant making them ideal for our autumn and winter months. It also means that some of the varieties have that hot, mustard kick to them. The variation in leaf, colour, shape and texture make them perfect for mixed salad and they are very quick growing too. Most varieties are cut and come again salads while some can also be stir fried.
Tatsoi, is a small rosette forming Pak Choi. The leaves are dark green and spoon shaped, while the stem is long and white in colour. It is very tender and flavoursome making it suitable for salad as well as stir frying.
How to grow:
Sow the seed in well prepared ground from March until September. Sprinkle seed thinly in drills 15 cm apart and thin as necessary to leave up to 10 cm between the plants. You can use the thinnings as salad or garnish.
Tatsoi is fast growing and can be cut 3 to 4 weeks after planting. Succession planting with give you a longer season, although Tatsoi stands well and gives a long harvest period. It is also quite bolt resistant.
Harvest by picking individual leaves or by cutting the whole plant at the base with a sharp knife. Plants are very cold tolerant but Tatsoi will not survive a heavy frost.
Pests and diseases:
Protect the plants from slugs with an environmentally friendly method. Flea beetle may also be a problem. You can protect the plants from flea beetle using fine mesh but it is not such a problem during the later growing period.
How to cook:
Use the leaves in salads where the leaf shape adds interest to the mix. Tatsoi can also be used in stir fry.