Salsola

SKU: MS562
Salsola is considered one of the oldest vegetables cultivated in Japan, where it is known as okahijiki — literally, "land seaweed." This name refers to its resemblance to seaweed, with its tubular stems and leaves, and springy, upright stature. Read More

Exposure Full-sun to partial shade

Matures in 45 days

Season Cool season

Seed type OP ?

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Heirloom
Shipping & Returns

West Coast Seeds ships anywhere in North America. However, we are not able to ship garlic, potatoes, asparagus crowns, bulbs, onion sets, Mason bee cocoons, or nematodes outside of Canada. We regret, we cannot accept returns or damages for orders outside of Canada. The minimum shipping charge to the US is $9.99.

Salsola

Product Details

Salsola komarovii. Largely unknown in the west, this curious crop has its roots in east Asia. It is considered one of the oldest vegetables cultivated in Japan, where it is known as okahijiki — literally, "land seaweed." This name refers to its resemblance to seaweed, with its tubular stems and leaves, and springy, upright stature. It also occurs naturally in salty soils, so it may be found quite near the sea. Salsola (also known as Saltwort) has the ability to draw salt out of soil, and when it does, its own flavour becomes salty. Otherwise its taste is quite neutral, but it absorbs other flavours well. It was a popular hit in our field trials due to its pleasantly crunchy texture. Salsola can be steamed, added to soups and stir-fries, pickled, or eaten raw. Salsola seeds need a bit of extra heat to germinate, so use a seedling heat mat. Once germinated, the plants are easy to grow annuals that can be harvested from June to October. Harvesting does not slow the growth down, so one or two plants may be enough for the average family.

Matures in 45 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Quick Facts:

    • Ancient Japanese heirloom
    • Also known as Saltwort
    • Pleasantly crunchy
    • Mild flavour

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All About Salsola

Difficulty

Difficulty
Easy

We Recommend

We Recommend: West Coast Market Mix (MS489) isn’t just for the West Coast. It’s a fast-growing blend of lettuces, chicories, arugula and herbs intended to be harvested as baby greens. Tasty! Enjoy repeated harvests of crisp and succulent salad greens.
For Urban Gardeners: City Garden Blend (LT450) is lovely. Several different seeds are pelleted together, so you only need to plant three or four pellets in a 3 to 5 gallon container. Watch as a beautiful selection of different green and red lettuces grows in, and then start harvesting! This blend requires very little space, and can be accomplished on a sunny windowsill.

Season & Zone

Season & Zone
Season: Cool season
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Timing

Timing
Seed every three weeks from just before the last frost date until the end of summer for a continuous harvest. Provide frost protection with a cloche or heavy row cover when frost looms in the fall. Many mesclun types and mixes will continue to grow all winter where winters are mild.

Starting

Starting
Plant in a block or in a wide row. Sprinkle the seeds evenly over prepared, moist soil. Try to space seeds about 1cm (½”) apart. Cover lightly with soil, and firm them in. Four grams of seed will plant a 12m (40′) row that is 7cm (3″) wide, so don’t plant the whole packet at once. For container growing, choose containers that are at least 10cm (4″) deep. Wider is better. The most common mistake is over-planting.

Growing

Growing
Moderately fertile soil – particularly if you’re planning multiple harvests. Dig in 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m (10′) of row. For containers, use peat or coir based mix with compost added. Water regularly. If growth slows after harvest, use a bit of kelp or fish based fertilizer to provide a boost of nutrition for the next growth spurt.

Harvest

Harvest
There are two methods of gathering salad greens. You can use scissors to cut everything about 2-5cm (1-2″) from the ground, when the plants are about 10-15cm (3-4″) tall. Or, you can pick individual leaves as they’re needed. The first cutting may contain more brassicas than lettuces (arugula, mizuna) but if you cut the mix back when the leaves are still small, the lettuce will catch up. The salad greens will regrow for a second harvest in another 2 or 3 weeks.

Diseases & Pests

Diseases & Pests
Slugs love baby greens and flea beetles love brassica leaves.

How to Grow Salad Greens

Step 1

Timing

Seed every three weeks from just before the last frost date until the end of summer for a continuous harvest. Provide frost protection with a cloche or heavy row cover when frost looms in the fall. Many mesclun types and mixes will continue to grow all winter where winters are mild.

Step 2

Starting

Plant in a block or in a wide row. Sprinkle the seeds evenly over prepared, moist soil. Try to space seeds about 1cm (½”) apart. Cover lightly with soil, and firm them in. Four grams of seed will plant a 12m (40′) row that is 7cm (3″) wide, so don’t plant the whole packet at once. For container growing, choose containers that are at least 10cm (4″) deep. Wider is better. The most common mistake is over-planting.

Step 3

Growing

Ideal pH: 7.0

Moderately fertile soil – particularly if you’re planning multiple harvests. Dig in 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m (10′) of row. For containers, use peat or coir based mix with compost added. Water regularly. If growth slows after harvest, use a bit of kelp or fish based fertilizer to provide a boost of nutrition for the next growth spurt.

Step 4

Germination

Days to maturity: From direct sowing.

Step 5

Harvest

There are two methods of gathering salad greens. You can use scissors to cut everything about 2-5cm (1-2″) from the ground, when the plants are about 10-15cm (3-4″) tall. Or, you can pick individual leaves as they’re needed. The first cutting may contain more brassicas than lettuces (arugula, mizuna) but if you cut the mix back when the leaves are still small, the lettuce will catch up. The salad greens will regrow for a second harvest in another 2 or 3 weeks.

Tips

Disease & Pests

Slugs love baby greens and flea beetles love brassica leaves.

Customer Reviews & Questions