When does Tatsoi bolt and when to terminate?

[pfunnyjoy]

I'm getting a little concerned about my first Tatsoi garden. It was started early October, so we are nearly at the 4 month point.

The plants seem healthy and productive, and I'm certainly enjoying eating them, and I don't at all mind letting them go until they bolt, BUT those very thick STALKS! I don't want them to crack the grow deck, or become exceedingly difficult to remove from the grow deck....

Thoughts, anyone?

[scarfguy]

I would terminate it.  I had a full-size eggplant last year with a thick stem. It was very difficult to get out of the deck.  I thought sure it would crack the deck but it didn't.

Is that stalk hard and woody?   If it's softer and watery like a tomato plant, you should have no problem.

[pfunnyjoy]

Jan 20, 2024 6:57:06 GMT -5 scarfguy said:

I would terminate it.  I had a full-size eggplant last year with a thick stem. It was very difficult to get out of the deck.  I thought sure it would crack the deck but it didn't.

Is that stalk hard and woody?   If it's softer and watery like a tomato plant, you should have no problem.

The stalk feels quite hard to me. I'll probably make a green juice later today, use the leaves and terminate.

Because yeah, I'm concerned about those stems! And I've got the downstairs Tatsoi garden still going, so I'm not going to be short on Tatsoi. 

Thanks for the input!

[pfunnyjoy]

The downstairs garden is probably not far off this point, having taken a look.

I'll see how difficult things are with this one, before deciding on the downstairs garden. I think it's a month behind this one, so if this one is difficult, I won't give the downstairs one much more time.

[pfunnyjoy]

Removing the one Tatsoi plant from the grow deck was not difficult, so I might could've kept the garden going for just a little longer. However, I still have the downstairs garden which is about a month behind this one, so it's just as well to terminate upstairs, get it sanitized and replanted.

I am sacrificing the grow basket. I couldn't budge the plant out of it.

[lynnee]

pfunnyjoy, when you terminated the Tatsoi, was the thick stem wider both above and below the hole in the deck?

My AG plants usually do that, rather than crack the deck. I think that the plastic pod baskets keep the stems contained. But like you, I'd rather be safe than sorry--especially since you have plenty of tatsoi.

Plant roots can crack concrete, but I don't know whether they can crack plastic like that in the AG baskets.

[pfunnyjoy]

Jan 21, 2024 23:10:53 GMT -5 lynnee said:

pfunnyjoy , when you terminated the Tatsoi, was the thick stem wider both above and below the hole in the deck?

My AG plants usually do that, rather than crack the deck. I think that the plastic pod baskets keep the stems contained. But like you, I'd rather be safe than sorry--especially since you have plenty of tatsoi.

Plant roots can crack concrete, but I don't know whether they can crack plastic like that in the AG baskets.

Mostly wider above the deck. And as you say, plenty of Tatsoi! 

Man, oh, man it was crammed into that pod basket though! I couldn't budge it! 

[Clovis Sangrail]

I am not familiar with tatsoi, but the pictures I have seen here make it look good.

What do you do with it?

Cook it? Or make it into a salad?
.
Is is like lettuce? Or spinach? Or cabbage?

And how is the yield compared to lettuce?

(I did look it up on wiki, but I really want to know how real people use it.)

Thanks.

[slw]

Jan 22, 2024 1:45:49 GMT -5 Clovis Sangrail said:

I am not familiar with tatsoi, but the pictures I have seen here make it look good.

What do you do with it?

Cook it? Or make it into a salad?
.
Is is like lettuce? Or spinach? Or cabbage?

And how is the yield compared to lettuce?

(I did look it up on wiki, but I really want to know how real people use it.)

Thanks.

I always keep a Harvest Slim with tatsoi and one with bok choy.  We love stir fry and both of them are great when stir fried in oil with garlic.   I never eat them raw but they are mild with slightly crunchy stems so I suppose they'd be fine in a salad.

IMO they are kind of like a cross between cabbage and spinach.  I always have an excellent yield with both tatsoi and bok choy, and I have never had either of those bolt even after growing and harvesting for 4 or 5 months.  

[pfunnyjoy]

Jan 22, 2024 1:45:49 GMT -5 Clovis Sangrail said:

I am not familiar with tatsoi, but the pictures I have seen here make it look good.

What do you do with it?

Cook it? Or make it into a salad?
.
Is is like lettuce? Or spinach? Or cabbage?

And how is the yield compared to lettuce?

(I did look it up on wiki, but I really want to know how real people use it.)

Thanks.

I have cooked it, used it in salad, eaten the occasional leaf right off the plant, and juiced it in green juices.

Sometimes I just toss it in with scrambled eggs for some wilted greens, other times I get fancier and sautée it in olive oil with onions, garlic, and cherry tomatoes as a side to my eggs. It could be nice in stir fries, probably would be good in curry or soup, anywhere you might like a mild green. I don't juice it by itself, but in combo with other green veggies, and it is a lovely addition to a green juice! I'm sure you could also put it in a green smoothie.

Tatsoi is from the brassica family, a cruciferous veggie, and so related closest to cabbage. It tastes like a very, very mild mustard green. A little more bite than spinach. It has more body to the leaves than lettuce, but less so than cabbage. Fairly close to spinach for feel. Not entirely dissimilar to baby bok choy to which it is also related.

Unlike spinach, Tatsoi is a low oxalate green, which makes it a green you don't have to worry about how much you eat, whereas spinach is high oxalate and may be problematical with those who are sensitive to that or prone to kidney stones. Tatsoi, like spinach, is also highly nutritious. 

As long as you give it plenty of nutrition, it gives great yield. My plants were started from seed on October 5th. They have not bolted and give nice harvests once mature. You remove the lower leaves, which you can gently tear off the stalk. I usually need to harvest some about every 3-4 days.

I think they can also be grown as microgreens, though I haven't tried that yet.

[Clovis Sangrail]

Thanks slw and pfunnyjoy. Very helpful. 

I have added Tatsoi to my list. 

[pfunnyjoy]

Jan 29, 2024 2:02:37 GMT -5 Clovis Sangrail said:

Thanks slw and pfunnyjoy . Very helpful. 

I have added Tatsoi to my list. 

You are welcome!

I lost my Tatsoi seeds (hopefully temporarily) ... meanwhile, I've got a garden planted with a Tatsoi/Komatsuna cross called Chijimisai. I have a sneaking suspicion this will also be a nice green and equally easy to grow. I'm seeing green in the pods on day 2 so it sprouts as fast as Tatsoi.

[Clovis Sangrail]

Jan 29, 2024 22:26:55 GMT -5 pfunnyjoy said:

Jan 29, 2024 2:02:37 GMT -5 Clovis Sangrail said:

Thanks slw and pfunnyjoy . Very helpful. 

I have added Tatsoi to my list. 

You are welcome!

I lost my Tatsoi seeds (hopefully temporarily) ... meanwhile, I've got a garden planted with a Tatsoi/Komatsuna cross called Chijimisai. I have a sneaking suspicion this will also be a nice green and equally easy to grow. I'm seeing green in the pods on day 2 so it sprouts as fast as Tatsoi.

I have seeds coming, and they should arrive today.

What I don't have is a place to put them, so they will have to wait until this one Harvest gets cleared out. But right now, it's full of chives.

I did find an interesting recipe for pickling tatsoi. So -- salads, stir fried, pickled -- lots of options.

I hope you find your seeds. Did you check the couch cushions?

[mike]

I've grown it in one of my totes a few years ago. It was pretty good. I really can't remember how successful it was. I only found a couple early pics.