What's this?

[the.fee.fairy]

I've pulled it out of the two places that i've sown Basil - its definitely not basil!

It looks like Pak Choi, but as i didn't plant that til Sunday just gone, it's not Pak Choi.

It has a short tap root, very short - it sits on the earth basically, with a small root.



This bit is growing in the middle of the round bit in the garden. I planted Sunflowers, Lavender, Nasturtiums, Lily of the Valley and Carnations there - and i#m pretty sure its none of those.

It doesn't seem to look like a weed, and if it is - where has it come from?!

[red]

looks like pak choi - or swiss chard...

[the.fee.fairy]

Any idea where it would have come from? I've been using shop-bought compost (mine's not ready yet) and i only planted the Pak choi on Sunday, and i've not planted any swiss chard!

[Cornelian]

Any idea where it would have come from?

It is a blessing from your garden gods (I was blessed with several lovely lupins this last year in the same manner). Enjoy. :)

Bought-in compost always manages to deliver a few surprises (mostly, in my case, brambles ).

[farmerdrea]

It looks like one of the brassicas they plant here as fodder crops. I'd guess that it got into your soil via birdy poops?

Cheers
Andrea
NZ

[the.fee.fairy]

could have done.

I've composted a few of these!!

So...are we agreed that it is probably edible? If it is, i kow what i'm having with my sunday lunch tomorrow!

[Wombat]

Looks like a brassica of some description to me. I am unaware of any inedible brassicas - some might get a bit bitter, but should still be edible.....

Nev

[digiveg]

I'd bet on it being pak choi.

[farmerdrea]

It may be a different variety to the pak choi I've got in the vege patch (leaves are very shiny and smoothe - the leaves on your brassica look rough and not as round-egded). In any case, it will be edible, but if it's a wilding or fodder type it will be bitter. Taste it!

Cheers
Andrea
NZ

[ohareward]

It does look like animal fodder brassica. Our pak-choi is more tightly packed. As Farmerdrea said it will still be edible. It looks really healthy.

Robin

[the.fee.fairy]

You know what guys...i think it is pak choi.

Last year, i planted a tray of i, and the seedlings came up and died pretty quickly, so i gave up on it and left it.

This year, when digging out different bits of the garden, i threw the tray on the earth. I bet some of those seeds were still alive!!

Free pak Choi...yum!

[red]

well, interesting technique - but effective. who knows.. maybe this will become the way to grow pak choi...

[the.fee.fairy]

It appears to have worked!

I think i'll harvest some to go with my sunday lunch tomorrow.