Description
Serbajadi Hong Kong Stem Flower Chinese Kale – Brassica oleracea alboglabra
This vegetable is a perennial flowering plant which has thick, glossy blue-green leaves which are large; a thick stem and small flower heads. Hong Kong Stem Flower Chinese Kale is particularly popular with Chinese cooks throughout South East Asia, and also with the Thais. Like many leafy vegetables, it is packed with calcium which is good for bone health. It is also one of the most highly nutritious vegetables, having an excellent content of beta-carotenes and is also a very good source of vitamins C, B1, B2, and E as well as many minerals, including copper, iron. The leaves are generally pulled off the central stem, and the stem (except for the tough end) can also be peeled and sliced for stir frying.
Type of vegetable: Leafy
Edible parts: Leaves, stems and shoots
DIRECTION OF USE
Best soil: Fertile, well drained soil with a pH level of 6.0-6.8 is most suitable. A high level of organic content in the soil is required for optimum growth.
How to plant: Sow seeds ¼” deep, ½” apart, in rows spaced 2 feet apart. Thin seedlings to 12” to 24” apart. It can be directly sown into the field or it can be planted in the nursery and transplanted to the field.
When to harvest: Harvesting begins as the flower buds develop, about 30 to 45 days after sowing of seeds when leaves are 6” to 8” tall.
How to harvest: For greens, use whole plants when they are small. Cut off 2” to 3” from base of the stem.
Care: Keep soil moist. Weed regularly and maintain good drainage.
STORAGE
Keep away from children and pets.
Store in cool and dry place away from direct sunlight.