Posts Tagged ‘vegetable garden’
A garden dedicated to growing vegetables for a stir-fry is not as difficult as one may think. Many of the vegetables used in oriental cooking are what is considered cool-season and some are considered Cole crops. If the garden is planned accordingly, a three-season garden can be designed in certain areas.
Early Spring and/or Fall Stir-Fry Garden
The easiest plants to start with in the spring garden are the greens. These include pak choi, pei tsai, won bok, Chinese mustard, Chinese cabbage, tatsoi, bok choy, kale, and chihli (celery cabbage). All of these plants have very similar growth requirements and can be planted the same way.
The first step to creating the spring stir-fry garden is to do a soil test and follow the recommendations. If a soil test is not done, apply 3 pounds of 5-10-10 per 100 square feet of garden space. Mix the fertilizer completely into the soil to prevent root burn. Once this is done, sow the seeds directly into the garden soil spacing the rows 12 to 15 inches apart.
Water the spring stir-fry garden in the morning before the sun comes up. This will allow the leaves to dry completely prior to nightfall. Never give greens a spurt of water. This creates a shallow root system, but instead water the garden to a 6-inch depth. To conserve soil moisture, mulch the garden area.
Other vegetables that can be planted in the spring and/or fall stir-fry garden include snow peas, Chinese broccoli, and Chinese radish.