GROWING TIPS

Plant Spotlight: Leafy Greens

Sierra Leeper | November 12, 2024

Throughout our gardening journeys, we will cross paths with many different kinds of plants that have all different uses and growing needs. Part of the difficulty (and the magic) of gardening is getting to know each of these sometimes-fickle plant types and understanding how they grow and what they need to thrive. One of the most common plant types you will see in any garden is leafy greens. Let’s learn more about what leafy greens are and how we can best care for them in our own gardens.

WHAT ARE LEAFY GREENS?

By definition, leafy greens are any leaf of a plant eaten as a vegetable, such as spinach, lettuce, and arugula. There are almost a thousand plants with edible leaves that would classify as leafy green vegetables, but leafy greens do not include plant leaves used for spices, medicines, or teas.

They are some of the easiest plants to grow in a garden and can often be harvested all at once at the end of the season or over time as they grow. Because of their high levels of antioxidants and vitamins, leafy greens are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. They are generally low in calories and high in minerals, water, and fiber that can help reduce inflammation, protect the immune system, support healthy brain function, and promote holistic health.

In fact, in 2014, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) tested 47 plants generally considered as “powerhouse fruits and vegetables” and determined that the top 16 most nutrient-dense foods were all leafy greens! Out of the 41 fruits and vegetables actually proven to be “powerhouses,” or “foods most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk,” 22 were leafy greens. One leafy green in particular, watercress, even scored a perfect 100.00 on the nutrient density scale, meaning that it contained all 8 nutrients that help protect the body from cancer and heart disease, among other ailments. Pretty incredible, right?

TYPES OF LEAFY GREENS

Now that we know what leafy greens are and how they are beneficial to our gardens and our health, let’s take a look at some of the different types of leafy greens we might be growing in our gardens throughout the year.

Arugula

Brassicaceae (Cruciferous Vegetables)

Origin: Mediterranean, cultivated in Ancient Rome
Seed to Harvest: 20-50 days
How to Harvest: Harvest as you grow once the leaves have reached 2”-3” in length.

Bok Choy

Brassicaceae (Cruciferous Vegetables)

Origin: China, cultivated over 5,000 years ago
Seed to Harvest: 45 days
How to Harvest: Harvest the plant all at once by cutting the plant above its growing point (about an inch above the soil level) once it reaches 12”-18” tall.

Brussels Sprouts

Brassicaceae (Cruciferous Vegetables)

Origin: Belgium, cultivated in the 13th century from plants that were grown in Ancient Rome
Seed to Harvest: 90-120 days
How to Harvest: Once the buds reach 1”-2” in diameter, snap or cut them off of the stalk starting with the buds closest to the soil and working your way up.

Bunching Onions

Amaryllidaceae (Flowering Bulbs)

Origin: China, cultivated over 2,000 years ago
Seed to Harvest: 60-90 days
How to Harvest: Once the plants have reached about 12” tall, either pull up the individual plants from the soil or cut the plants at their base above the roots to encourage more growth.

Cabbage

Brassicaceae (Cruciferous Vegetables)

Origin: Europe, cultivated over 3,000 years ago and made popular by the Celts
Seed to Harvest: 60-180 days, depending on the type
How to Harvest: Once the cabbage head is firm and at its desired size but before it starts to go to seed, either pull up the whole plant or cut the cabbage head at its base and leave the plant to continue growing.

Celery

Apiaceae (Umbellifers)

Origin: Mediterranean and Middle East, popular in Ancient Egypt, Rome, and China
Seed to Harvest: 130-140 days
How to Harvest: Harvest stalks once they reach 6”-18” long by cutting them just below where the individual stalks join together.

Chives

Amaryllidaceae (Flowering Bulbs)

Origin: Europe and Asia, cultivated in China for over 4,000 years and in Europe for 600 years
Seed to Harvest: 60 days
How to Harvest: Harvest the leaves by using a knife or shears to cut the leaves about 1”-2” inches above the soil.

Collard Greens

Brassicaceae (Cruciferous Vegetables)

Origin: Mediterranean, cultivated over 5,000 years ago
Seed to Harvest: 60-80 days
How to Harvest: Harvest the leaves once they reach about 10” long by starting at the bottom of the plant and working your way up.

Endive

Asteraceae (Daisy Family)

Origin: Belgium, accidentally cultivated by a farmer in 1830
Seed to Harvest: 50-90 days
How to Harvest: Pinch off individual leaves once they have reached 2”-3” or harvest the entire head at once by cutting it just above the growth point.

Fennel

Apiaceae (Umbellifers)

Origin: Mediterranean, cultivated by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Seed to Harvest: 42-120 days
How to Harvest: Harvest the entire plant bulb after at least six weeks and before it flowers, once it reaches the desired size.

Kale

Brassicaceae (Cruciferous Vegetables)

Origin: Mediterranean and Asia Minor, cultivated over 4,000 years ago
Seed to Harvest: 55-75 days
How to Harvest: Harvest the outermost leaves first, pinching or cutting their stems but leaving about ½” of stem on the plant. The leaves should be at least the size of your hand.

Lettuce

Asteraceae (Daisy Family)

Origin: Europe and Southwest Asia, cultivated over 6,000 years ago and used by the Ancient Egyptians
Seed to Harvest: 30-100 days, depending on the type
How to Harvest: Harvest individual outer leaves once they reach a desired size or cut the entire lettuce head at the base to harvest at once.

Mustard Greens

Brassicaceae (Cruciferous Vegetables)

Origin: Himalayan Mountains, cultivated over 5,000 years ago
Seed to Harvest: 45-50 days
How to Harvest: Harvest individual outer leaves by picking or cutting them from the plant, or remove the plant at its base to harvest all at once.

Napa Cabbage

Brassicaceae (Cruciferous Vegetables)

Origin: China
Seed to Harvest: 70-90 days
How to Harvest: Harvest by cutting the heads from their base once they feel firm but before they separate.

Nasturtium

Tropaeolaceae (Tropical Flowering Vines)

Origin: Andes Mountains, used for medicine by the Incas
Seed to Harvest: 28-42 days
How to Harvest: Harvest the leaves by pinching or cutting them from the branches, making sure to leave enough leaves behind so the plant can continue growing.

Sorrel

Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)

Origin: Europe and Northern Asia, cultivated by the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans
Seed to Harvest: 60 days
How to Harvest: Cut or pinch off individual leaves once they have reached 4” in length.

Spinach

Amaranthaceae (Flowering Amaranth Family)

Origin: Persia, cultivated over 2,000 years ago
Seed to Harvest: 45-50 days
How to Harvest: Use garden shears to cut outer individual leaves or harvest the whole plant at once after the plant has reached 4”-6” tall.

Swiss Chard

Amaranthaceae (Flowering Amaranth Family)

Origin: Sicily, cultivated by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Seed to Harvest: 45-60 days
How to Harvest: Once the leaves are about 4” long, cut the outer leaves an inch above the soil or remove all the leaves at the base at once.

*The seed to harvest dates listed above apply to growing leafy greens from seed, however, if you are growing leafy greens from transplants you received in your Leaf’d Box, subtract 14 days from the seed to harvest time to know approximately when to harvest your greens.

CARING FOR LEAFY GREENS

Long Day Plants vs. Short Day Plants

As the seasons change throughout the year, some plants thrive better in certain conditions than others. Some plants experience this really cool process called photoperiodism, which is “the biological response to the timing and duration of day and night” (Ha, Morrow, & Algiers). This means that certain plants flower in longer daylight hours while others grow better and flower with shorter daylight hours. It’s all the natural way that plants align with the seasons and adapt to their conditions.

Many of our leafy greens are often long-day plants, which means they usually need more than 12 hours of sunlight per day. However, leafy greens tend to be pretty hearty and can survive colder temperatures and less daylight than other crops. This is what makes them so great to plant in early spring and late fall! And some leafy greens are daylight neutral, which means they can grow in a range of different conditions and don’t depend on the changing of the daylight hours to signal them to flower.

Long Day Leafy Greens: arugula, cabbage, endive, fennel, lettuce, mustard greens, Napa cabbage, spinach
Short Day Leafy Greens: bok choy, bunching onions, sorrel
Day Neutral Leafy Greens: Brussels sprouts, celery, chives, collard greens, kale, nasturtium, Swiss chard

Companion Planting

Companion planting is huge for helping ensure your leafy greens, and your garden as a whole, are happy and healthy all season long. Companion planting is the act of pairing certain plant types near each other or far away from each other to help each plant grow to its full potential. Some key companion planting techniques when it comes to leafy greens include:

• Separating brassicas from lettuces (plant your arugula, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, and Napa cabbage on the opposite side of your garden from your lettuce and endive to help prevent your lettuces from bolting too quickly)
• Placing bunching onion near cabbages to deter pests
• Keeping nightshades away from brassicas and spinach to prevent pests and bolting
• Placing marigolds, nasturtium, and herbs like mint and dill near collard greens and other brassicas to deter pests
• Keeping your spinach away from brassicas and potatoes as they can hinder its growth

Planting Calendar

STAGES OF LEAFY GREEN GROWTH

Leafy greens are amazing because they can be so flexible and versatile. Due to their nature of being leaves, they can often be utilized in many parts of their life cycle. For instance, many leafy greens can be harvested as baby leaves (like kale and spinach), and some can even be harvested as microgreens (like mustard and arugula)! However, on the other end of their life cycle, many leafy greens can get stressed and bolt, or flower and go to seed, due to temperature or light changes, lack of water, or overcrowding. Make sure to harvest your greens before they bolt or they might have a bitter, inedible flavor.

Three ways to harvest:

• As You Grow – If you are harvesting individual leaves as your plant grows throughout the season, remember to never cut more than ⅓ of your plant at a time or it will be sent into shock and could die.
• Cut and Come Again – Cut the entire plant above its growth point and leave the roots to grow again.
• All at Once – Remove the entire plant from your garden, including the roots.

LEAFY GREEN RECIPES

Here are a few of our favorite ways to use our leafy greens here at Leaf’d Box. Have other recipes you enjoy? Send them our way by tagging us or messaging us @leafedbox on Instagram!