Sandwich Island

Synonyms

Season Overview

Description

Old variety from England. Originally, the wild form comes from the Mediterranean region, where the root vegetable has been eaten since ancient times. Almost forgotten, frost-hardy, delicious root vegetable with filigree, purple, edible flowers in the second year. A delicacy in England as a "vegetable oyster." The leaves are prepared like spinach, the root tastes sweet, spicy with oyster flavor. The roots are prepared like asparagus or salsify. Thorough cleaning makes peeling unnecessary. The flowers, not yet opened, can be steamed like vegetables.

Growing tips

Germination at 8 - 12°C approx. 10 - 15 days. Cultivation as for salsify. Water sufficiently in dry periods, otherwise the roots will become woody and the plant will start to shoot. Harvest with a digging fork and wrap in sand for storage and store in the dark. For winter harvesting, cover the beds slightly with straw. The shoots of the plant are also edible, for this cut off the leaves in winter and mound the roots about 10-15 cm. Then in the spring the shoots can be harvested. Does not need to be fertilized during growth, but preparing the soil with fertilizer is useful. Remove weeds. The milky sap of the roots can discolor hands and clothing, so peeling or cutting is best done under water.

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Wet

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

Medium

Seeding distance

15 cm

Row spacing

30 cm

Seeding depth

2 cm