Description

CREASY GREENS (Barbarea verna) or land cress is a European biennial heirloom cultivated as a leaf vegetable since at least the 17th Century. It is easier to grow than watercress with the same peppery taste and can be eaten raw like watercress in salads or cooked like spinach. A biennial herb of the brassicaeae family it is easily grown and once you have a patch, it will readily self sow (though it is not invasive at all). And it doesn't take as much room as collards. The seed can be pressed into an edible oil. A traditional Southern meal is made from the cooked greens served with buttermilk corn bread and many consider it a traditional Christmas dish in the South. Sprinkle on salads or cook in quiche - be creative! Here in Zone 7 it is a self-sowing perpetual potherb. DAYS TO MATURITY: 40-45 days. 100 Seeds.

NUTRITION: Creasy Greens are a powerful source of Vitamins A and C - both hard to come by naturally in the colder months. Popular with homesteaders, you can keep a little patch of this going all winter (with help in colder climes).

GROWING TIPS: Easy to grow. Like watercress it loves water, but doesn't like to sit in it. Can grow in shade but also likes full sun. Can be fall sown and if provided protection can be harvested throughout the winter! Otherwise sow in spring at three week intervals for succession of greens. Direct sow mid-spring onward, 15 seeds/ft, 1/4" deep. Keep soil moist until emergence in 10-14 days. Thin to 4-6" apart. Pick individual leaves. As the heat comes on, the pepper in the greens increases!