Growing ingredients (seeds/varieties)
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- This topic has 51 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 6 months ago by Gochusmajam.
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- October 1, 2008 at 6:34 pm #48557AnitaParticipant
The availability of fresh ingredients is very limited where I am, and I’d like to plan a little garden around Korean vegetables/herbs. What would you want fresh veggie-wise? Garlic, radishes, sweet potatoes, onions . . . help?
Thanks!
(Also, if there’s a seed company or something that sends things to the US, that’d be great. Thanks!)
- October 2, 2008 at 12:27 pm #51171MaangchiKeymaster
I would like to plant kkaennip (sesame leaves: perillar leaves), tomatoes, Chinese cabbage for kimchi, radish”. I would not plant garlic because you can get it easily everywhere.
- October 8, 2008 at 1:47 pm #51172GuamGirlParticipant
I found one website…
They have a nice variety of asian seeds available. I’ve never ordered from them, but they claim to be a Yahoo! store, so they should be legit.
The other option is to go to your nearest Home Depot or Lowe’s and ask if they can order any asian herbs for you.
If I could grow a garden, I’d love to try oriental cucumbers and hot peppers. Oriental cucumbers are so much crunchier than English ones. And hot pepper plants are so pretty. I love having them around. But I live in an apartment, so it’s container gardening for me… Right now, we’ve grown grape tomatoes and I just picked up a pack of green onion seeds. I’ve also grown chives, but not from seed.
Good luck with your garden, Anita!!!
- October 9, 2008 at 7:19 pm #51173miminkMember
Hello!
If I had the patience to keep a vegetable garden, I would love to grow the korean cucumbers. They are the best!! My mom would pickle them in various methods and it would last forever.
Currently, I have a very neglected vegetable garden of sesame leaves and peppers. It was actually left over from when my mom used to live with me. I should do something with it. =(
- October 16, 2008 at 10:27 pm #51174unchienneParticipant
I’ve ordered from Evergreen Seeds and everything I planted did bloom. I even managed to harvest a good supply of royal crown daisy/edible chrysanthemum for soups…which is great since I love eating it and can only get to an Asian market once a month. The other plant I grew was the Korean mild pepper, which I also managed to harvest. Pretty good yield, even though I’m not much of a gardener. I bought some others seeds as well, but as I was limited to containers at the time, I didn’t plant them.
When my mother was gardening at our old house, she would plant the following:
1. Asian cucumbers
2. Hot and mild pepper plants
3. What she calls sesame leaves but I think the given name is perilla.
4. Korean watercress (she had hers growing in a kiddie pool since they requires LOTS of water)
5. Korean radish
6. Korean cabbage
I’d throw in some edible crown daisy/chrys. They’re used in a lot of spicy stews, and what you don’t use will go to flower so think of it as an edible AND ornamental. Evergreen has several varieties of plants to choose from, so they should accomodate various growing regions. We are “lucky” enough to live in the deep southern regions of Georgia, so we got lucky with some of the items which can’t take a frost. One day I’d love to try my hand at Korean melon, but this year I was too lazy. I do have a nice kalamansi (filipino citrus) growing on my front porch though.
- December 14, 2008 at 9:48 am #51175JG1Member
My mother in law grows perilla, korean melon, korean red peppers, bell peppers, chives, green onion, cabbages, garlic, lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, beans, and edible flowers.
Me, I just grow dandelions and sunflowers. And we eat them both.
- December 28, 2010 at 12:46 am #51176TatiemimosaMember
- January 24, 2011 at 3:31 pm #51177oksipakMember
Just received my seeds from Evergreen Seed Co.:
Perilla
Oriental Radish
Oriental Spinach
Chinese Leek
Asparagus Bean
Coriander
I’m going to attempt to grow these in our area this year. The temperature is cool here and constant 65-70 degrees, summers are foggy so don’t really know how they will grow.
- January 26, 2011 at 5:27 pm #51178sirdanilotMember
Cilantro, perilla leaves are very easy to grow. Also chives (both european and asian). I coulnd’t imagine hot peppers being very hard either.
With perilla keep in mind that it will take a very long time to sprout, but as soon as it does it grows very rapidly. You will want to pick the very young leaves, because in my experience the plant gets tougher and more bitter when maturing. So the enormous perilla leaves, you will probably want to buy in the store. Perilla plant also gives ddeulkkae seeds (and cilantro gives coriander seeds which can be used as a spice in things like indian cuisine, etc.)
Most greens won’t be very hard to grow either. I planted ‘mustard spinach’ once and it was almost like a weed, overtaking my garden ! I think the crysanthemum is a very good idea. Perhaps they sell minari on that site as well.
If you want to grow fruits, consider raspberries. It will take a couple of years before the plant is mature, but when it is you have delicious fruit. It is a climbing plant, so grow it against your fence or something. Also strawberries are of course a classic; just be careful not to let the snails eat them.
Blackberries can also be grown, but are better picked in the wild for they are ubiquitous anyway (here in europe we have to look for them, but in America they should be everywhere simply because there’s more nature).
- February 21, 2011 at 12:08 am #51179oksipakMember
My 2nd shipment from Kitazawa Seed Co. consist of the following:
1) Thai Chili
2) Korean Radish
3) Sesame Black
4) Japanese Mugwort
5) Pepper-Japanese
6) Chinese Leek Flowering Type
7) Chinese Leek Hiro Haba
8) Ordered Some Burdock this week
Just going to try planting some of these seeds in pots. I’ll keep you posted as to what grew. We have LOTS of gophers in our lawn and neighborhood, so potted plants are the best way to go.
- October 2, 2018 at 9:33 am #79282GochusmajamParticipant
Have you tried growing radish in a pot? Do you think it would work indoors? Would I need a large pot to accommodate the root?
- September 9, 2011 at 3:56 am #51180oksipakMember
Currently I have Chinese Leeks, Chinese Pea Pods, all varieties of radishes, carrots, Burdock, Mugwort, Bush Beans, Edible Mums, Zukes, Dwarf Peas, Mustard, Turnips, Beets, Chinese Chives, Mustard, tomatoes, potatoes and all varieties of herbs growing. The only disappointment is the Perilla Leaves that never came up this year. :)
- September 9, 2011 at 3:57 am #51181oksipakMember
- September 9, 2011 at 4:00 am #51182oksipakMember
- September 9, 2011 at 12:20 pm #51183MaangchiKeymaster
Awesome photos! I wish I could visit your house to see these precious things! You really have a green thumb! I’m very happy for you!
- April 3, 2012 at 3:45 am #51184oksipakMember
- April 5, 2012 at 9:05 am #51185MaangchiKeymaster
I can almost smell your ssukguk! Beautiful precious soup made with home grown ssuk (mugwort)! The recipe is here! https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/ssukguk
- July 22, 2012 at 12:18 am #51186oksipakMember
Saturday July 21, 2012: Wish our Perilla Leaves were sprouting but not having any luck for last year and this year (it is a difficult seed to sprout in our Zone 9 apparently). If anyone has 100% seed germination, I'd like to hear of your secrets in "how-to-grow" Perilla Leaves! :D This dish ( https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/heukimjajuk ) is garnished with homegrown Chives and Mints. This year the Chinese Sweat Peas, Korean Rat Radish are doing excellent! Dill and Fennel do well in Zone9 (which is perfect for our Pacific King Salmom Gravlax Recipe and Smoked Salmon that my husband makes.) Zukes are being harvested and Chinese Chives are getting ready for the next Kimchi Batch. What is everyone else doing? :P
- July 22, 2012 at 8:59 pm #51187MikuraParticipant
I think germinating perilla seeds can be fickle due to dormancy issues. Some people say they may be dormant for over a year. Personally, instead of dealing with the seeds, I just take cuttings from an existing plant and root them to keep a constant supply of new perilla plants. They are very easy to root in my experience, as long as you keep the cutting in soil in a quite humid container until they form roots. The only drawback of course is that you need an existing perilla plant, but I’ve even been able to root cuttings found in a korean grocery store. Hope that gives some good suggestions. I’m zone 7 so I guess your mileage may vary.
- July 22, 2012 at 10:11 pm #51188cbeau69Participant
I have had very good luck with perilla in Florida. I got my seeds from http://www.evergreenseeds.com
- September 21, 2013 at 11:22 pm #51189oksipakMember
September 21, 2013: My garden in a greenhouse for the very first year. Zone 9. In our area along the Pacific Ocean, a greenhouse is necessary to grow Korean vegetable plants—three varieties of tomatoes, Perilla Leaves, Jalapenos, Chinese Chives, Basil, and Tomatillos. Trying out the new greenhouse this year to see what grows and since it does fantastic, next year my Asian garden will be even larger. :D
- September 22, 2013 at 4:20 pm #51190oksipakMember
- September 26, 2013 at 1:32 am #51192MaangchiKeymaster
oksibak,
Thank you for sharing the photo of your garden! I think it’s perfect: full of fresh, homegrown ingredients. Looking at them must make you really happy and satisfied, and using the bounty to prepare meals must make you even happier! Hopefully you saved some room to grow beautiful flowers, too!
Thanks again for posting these photos here!
- October 6, 2013 at 3:18 pm #51193ddnormanParticipant
Maangchi, thank you for your wonderful recipes! I have had a vegetable garden for many years and you have inspired me to try growing kimchi ingredients this year. I’m also trying to impress my Korean friends! ^^ I had great success with Nappa cabbage, Korean radish, leeks and Thai chili peppers, all of which I used in making your 막김치and 깟두기! Following are some pictures from harvest and 김장. 감사합니다!
데이빗
- October 6, 2013 at 3:26 pm #51194ddnormanParticipant
- October 7, 2013 at 3:31 am #51195oksipakMember
WOWZA!!! Hey DDNORMAN, your garden harvest makes me jealous, in fact, you make me want to try growing the Napa Cabbage next year. :D
- October 7, 2013 at 1:09 pm #51196ddnormanParticipant
- October 11, 2013 at 4:05 pm #51197MaangchiKeymaster
Wow Dave I am totally impressed by this stunning garden!
The quality of your radishes and cabbage looks top-notch! It’s hard to buy such high quality radish here in New York, I have to be really lucky to find it.
Good work! I will share some of your photos with my other readers to inspire them to grow their own vegetables.
- November 25, 2013 at 7:02 pm #51198ddnormanParticipant
Maangchi,
Thank you very much for your nice comments! Your words are inspiring me to make an even better garden next year. I will continue to share my Korean vegetable garden experience with you and your readers as long as you are willing to listen! ^_^
I really am enjoying making delicious Korean food with your recipes, even more so when I can use my harvest.
Following is a picture from the last harvest of the year for me including red cabbage, Collards and leeks. As you saw from my recent posts I used these in your "emergency kimchi" and "Collard greens side dish" recipes!
감사합니다!
Dave - March 10, 2014 at 1:40 am #51199oksipakMember
ddnorman, Happy New Year 2014, a bit late but what do you have growing in your garden this year? :D
- March 10, 2014 at 2:11 am #51200ddnormanParticipant
oksipak,
Happy belated New Year to you! Right now I am planning to grow similar veggies as last year including baechu, mu (3 varieties) leeks, chili peppers (Thai, Serrano, jalapeno), Thai Basil, pak choi, Swiss Chard, lettuce Collard greens, tomatoes and possibly snow peas. How about you? See pic for what my yard looks like as of today! I will start planting on Memorial Day.
Dave
- March 23, 2014 at 4:36 pm #51201WinglessAngelParticipant
My garden plans (among other things) this year are soy, mung, purple basil, chinese chives, korean hyssop, oregon II giant sugar snap peas, orange master dwarf pomagranite (indoors for hubs to bonsai), lao purple stripe eggplant, takii gem watermelon, chinese red noodle bean, taiwan black seeded yard long bean, chinese mosaic bean, and thai purple bean. I have a lot more planned too but that’s the extent of my asian produce list for this year. It’s hard to find seeds that I can get to grow in zone 6A here where I live.
Love your garden photos Dave! (Sorry I snuck into your thread, not stalking I promise, I just love gardening) lol
This is also where I buy most of my seeds from as well here in the states as they are all heirloom and Non GMO. They are always fast to ship and have great prices, shipping is totally inexpensive and you always get a free pack of seeds with every order (this year I got a pack of red romaine). Great customer service and they do have a great variety of Asian veggies, fruits and herbs that they sell too.
- March 24, 2014 at 9:47 am #51202ddnormanParticipant
Hi Elsie!
For the compliments on my garden…감사합니다! ^^ You are welcome to drop by and comment on any of my posts any time. I enjoy talking to folks with similar interests…especially Korean related things. I love vegetable gardening (been doing it for a number of years now) and my wife does an awesome flower gardens. I look forward to sharing my garden notes & pictures with you and Maangchi’s readers and hope to see your garden pics here as well. Then it’ll be your post too! ^^
I think you should try growing Korean Radish (무), Napa Cabbage (배추) and Perilla (깻잎). They grew quite nicely for me in zone 5b and are essential to many of Maangchi’s best recipes. I have ordered seeds from the Kitazawa Seed Co and will look at picking some up at my favorite Korean grocer (Chung Gae in Acton MA https://www.maangchi.com/shopping/chung-gae-market ).
Cheers!
Dave
- March 26, 2014 at 1:44 am #51203WinglessAngelParticipant
Thanks Dave :) Actually radish and brassica type veggies don’t grow well in my area so hence the lack thereof of them in my garden list. I would if I could get them to grow. Though if hubby does decide to just order in top soil this year I might still try to find a few packs of white radish to grow as they would probably do better in the better soil for my raised containers. I am doing my garden a bit on the unorthodox side this year and likely next, we plan on purchasing raised bed kits so my garden this year is going to be mostly giant tote boxes with holes drilled in them. They’re all ready to go, just need the dirt. Hubs isn’t relishing the thought of toting dirt from the back of the property all the way up front (3 acres) so he might just order me in good topsoil lol
- June 5, 2014 at 12:45 pm #51204ddnormanParticipant
- June 5, 2014 at 2:51 pm #51205ddnormanParticipant
In the middle picture above, I put a handful of organic fertilizer (bone meal, blood meal, greensand) and a handful of composted cow manure/peat moss into the bottom of the hole before I put the plant in. Once all the plants are in I give them a good drink of water!
- June 5, 2014 at 3:58 pm #51206WinglessAngelParticipant
Ok, sorry I haven’t been in in forever! Here’s an updated look at the majority of my garden. Ddnorman, you know the history as to the change from all tote bins and pots to the raised beds earlier than expected lol, but here it is. Mostly Asian veg and herbs here. My Wall O’ Colorful Bins is growing beautifully and attacking the netting already. My newly landscaped raised bed area is also growing gorgeously and doing great!
Some pics here of immediately after everything was planted. A few of my hubby’s bonsai’s too as well.
Oh and the flag in the middle of the garden is to piss off my racist neighbors :D
- June 5, 2014 at 4:00 pm #51207WinglessAngelParticipant
- June 9, 2014 at 10:49 pm #51208ddnormanParticipant
Thanks winglessangel! Yours is looking great as well! I especially like the 태극기 /Taegeukgi / South Korean flag!
- June 14, 2014 at 11:13 am #51209ddnormanParticipant
- June 14, 2014 at 3:41 pm #51210MaangchiKeymaster
ahhh, so precious stuff! Thank you for showing us this photo! The top left one are Korean radishes? The soil looks very rich! Cheers to your vegetables! : )
- June 14, 2014 at 6:17 pm #51211ddnormanParticipant
Maangchi,
고맙습니다!!! 😃 네~ 그래요! 그거 무를 이에요! Yes those are radish! I will need to thin them! 😭
Cheers!
Dave
- August 8, 2014 at 12:51 am #51212ddnormanParticipant
Hi Maangchi!
Here is my latest garden update! I had some trouble with slugs eating my baechu, but I think they are making a comeback! The radishes, peppers, kkatnip, leeks and cucumbers are doing pretty good! I'miss hoping I get enough cucumbers and "passion altieri" (that's what Kitazawa Seed Co. calls them) radishes to make cucumber kimchi and ponytail radish kimchi along with baechu kimchi and kkakdugi!
Cheers,
DavePS the last one is a picture of our front yard. My veggie garden is on the right.
- August 13, 2014 at 3:44 pm #51213MaangchiKeymaster
Oh thanks for sharing the photos of your garden! Kimchi and some side dishes made from these vegetables will be extra-special!
- January 1, 2015 at 12:47 pm #58233ddnormanParticipant
- June 16, 2015 at 5:57 pm #62462ddnormanParticipant
Hi Maangchi!
It’s that time of year again! The garden is in and doing well! The usual suspects are in there… Napa cabbage, Korean radish, Korean cucumber, Korean pepper and Perilla along with other peppers, cabbage, kale, swiss chard, lettuce, beans, green onions and tomatoes.
I can’t wait to make kimchi, kkakdugi and oi sobagi using my veggies and your recipes!
Cheers!
Dave - June 17, 2015 at 7:22 pm #62509EvilGrinParticipant
The main Asian or expensive ingredients i grow are.
Lemon Grass, its so easy to grow from cuttings
Dragon chili peppers…cayenne Thai hybrid.
Shallots…at upto $5lb in stores i cant afford to buy them. I can turn that $5 worth into $30+ worth easily. They keep very well also.
Garlic Chives…super easy to grow also and i use them instead of green onion in a few recipes.
Culantro…Cilantro is easy to get but culantro is far less common around here. You cant have a good Pho Bo soup without some fresh culantro leaves.
Im lucky to have two large specialty markets fairly close. Some stuff just takes up to much space and its cheap enough at the market.
- June 17, 2015 at 10:05 pm #62510ddnormanParticipant
EvilGrin,
I have done lemon grass in the past. Also Vietnamese coriander/rau ram. Currently doing Thai chili and garlic chives as well. Never tried culantro though. We can seem to get it in the local Asian markets. We are lucky to have several pan Asian, Vietnamese and Korean markets including HMart nearby.
Cheers!
Dave
- June 18, 2015 at 12:18 am #62511EvilGrinParticipant
Ive grown Birdseye in the past but these are a Thai chili and cayenne hybrid. There are supposed to have slightly less heat than a Birdseye.
The Korean market sells Korean pepper flakes so cheap i dont bother growing them either. At $8/2lbs for Assi brand pepper flakes its not worth my garden space. I use way more fresh jalapenos and hot wax.
Global Foods has culantro sometimes but they run out all the time. Same with Holy Basil and it always happens when i need it right away. Its very aggravating because the owner is from Thailand. :D
- June 18, 2015 at 4:07 pm #62515OxideParticipant
A lot of Asian seeds at Kitazawa Seed Co. It is family owned, they have been importing Asian seeds for a gazillion years. This is where I got seeds for Korean radish and perilla. I have been growing ao (blue … meaning green) perilla for years. This year I bought seeds for Korean perilla — green on top, red under the leaf. Supposed to taste different than the all green, Japanese ao perilla.
kitazawaseed.com
- June 20, 2015 at 1:05 am #62524EvilGrinParticipant
Thank you so much for the link. Finally authentic Korean Perilla and not Japanese shiso.
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