It’s the beginning of May as I write this, and there are SO MANY vegetables that are ready to be planted right NOW! Its gorgeous outside with no frost in the foreseeable forecast but don’t be fooled. It could turn on a dime, and make you regret that you trusted the weather. Wait until toward the end of May for warm weather vegetables like tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and squash. But there is no reason you cannot be planting cool weather vegetables like carrots, beets, rutabagas, and potatoes, and some hardy green vegetables like Swiss chard, various lettuces and Asian greens. Here are some favourite standbys of mine: Tatsoi, Radish Greens, Chives, Garlic Chives, Sorrel and Welsh Onion.
TATSOI
Being open-minded can reveal a whole new world of vegetables that thrive in our climate. Don’t overlook TATSOI just because it’s unfamiliar—it has so much to offer. Sometimes, the best discoveries come when we simply open our eyes and minds.
I first stumbled upon TATSOI by chance. It was part of a seed donation at a SEED event hosted by our local community garden. From the moment I grew it, I was hooked, and I knew that it would have a permanent place in my garden.
That first year, I started the seeds indoors. But I soon realized they didn’t need that big of a a head start. The following year, I direct-seeded them in the garden. TATSOI germinates quickly, grows fast, and isn’t fussy about growing conditions either — it’s just eager to grow and eager to please you. What’s not to love about that?
Many Asian greens are well-suited to cool climates like the Edmonton area in Alberta, which falls into Zone 3 and higher. It’s no surprise they’re growing in popularity. “Asian greens” refers to a variety of leafy vegetables commonly used in Asian cuisines—such as bok choy, Chinese broccoli, napa cabbage, pea shoots, and TATSOI. These versatile greens can be stir-fried, steamed, added to soups, or tossed into salads. They bring bold flavour to the table and deliver a powerful punch of nutrition.
Until now, I’ve grown my TATSOI in a sunny part of the garden, but this year I’m experimenting with a spot that gets less sun. I’m optimistic and expecting good results, so stay tuned! I’ll post an update later in the season once I see how things go.
How to Grow Tatsoi
Tatsoi is a cold-hardy, fast-growing Asian green that’s easy to grow and well-suited to a wide range of gardens, especially in cool climates.
🌱 When to Plant in Zone 3
Early spring – as early as the soil can be worked – mid April is perfect timing
🌞 Light Requirements
Full sun to part shade. It grows best in full sun but tolerates some shade. If you get hot summers, a less sunny spot may prevent it from bolting.
🪴 Soil
Prefers moist, well draining soil rich in organic matter (compost).
🌾 Sowing Seeds
Direct sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and spaced about 1 inch apart.
Thin to 6 inches apart for full heads by harvesting baby greens earlier.
You can also grow TATSOI in containers or raised beds.
💧 Watering
Keep soil evenly moist, especially during germination and early growth.
Mulching with straw will help keep moisture in the soil between waterings.
🍃 Growth and Harvest
You can expect germination in 5-10 days, depending on soil temperature.
Ready to harvest in 20-45 days, depending on whether you’re picking baby leaves or full rosettes.
Harvest outer leaves as needed, or cut the whole plant at the base.
❄️ Cold Tolerance
Light frost won’t harm them, and may even sweeten the flavour.
Very cold-hardy—can survive light frost and even snow. Now THAT’S what I like to hear.
RADISH GREENS
I don’t like radishes. There—I said it. I’ve tried them many times, but they’ve never won me over. That said, we’re not enemies. Radishes are welcome at my table—as long as someone else invited them to the party. What I do like, however, are young radish greens. They’re tender, flavourful, and a great addition to the garden. That’s reason enough for me to plant radishes. It’s a bit of a trade-off, you can’t have your radishes and your radish greens too. Once the roots mature, the greens are tough and prickly. So, you have to decide: do you want the root or the greens? For me its no contest. I’m in it for the greens. They’re quick to germinate and easy to grow. You can pull them out when you’re ready for them, or try snipping them off at the ground for another lighter batch to follow. Throw them into a salad or put them into a fresh pesto.1
* Fun fact: Radishes and Chives are native to China and other parts of Asia.
How to Grow Radishes
Radishes are among the easiest and fastest vegetables to grow—perfect for beginners and rewarding for seasoned gardeners alike. If you like the spicey flavour of radishes, then go for it, but even if you don’t, you might like the milder tender greens from the young plant. Grow some for their roots if you like, and some for their greens.
🌱 When to Plant
Early spring and later summer.
For continuous harvests, succession sow every 2 weeks.
Avoid the hot midsummer – they bolt and turn woody in heat.
🌞 Light Requirements
Full sun (6+ hours a day is best)
They tolerate partial sun to light shade.
🪴 Soil
Loose, well drained soil with good fertility.
🌾 Sowing Seeds
Direct sow outdoors, they do not transplant well.
Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep spaced 1 inch apart.
Thin seedlings to 2 inches apart to allow for root growth. EAT the greens you thin out.
💧 Watering
Keep soil consistently moist but not soggy.
Uneven watering can cause roots to split or grow tough.
⏱️ Growth and Harvest
Fast growers! Young leaves can be ready in 2-3 weeks.
Roots will be ready in 3-4 weeks.
❄️ Cold Tolerance
Radishes can tolerate light frost. Not suited for the heat of mid summer.
Chives, Garlic Chives, Welsh Onion and Sorrel
* Every garden should have a chive plant—and, in my opinion, it should also have garlic chives, a Welsh onion, and a sorrel plant. These are the kind of hardy, perennial favourites that quietly earn their keep year after year.2 And while we’re on the subject, I firmly believe every garden needs at least one rhubarb plant… but that’s a sermon for another post.
If you’re fairly new to growing Asian greens, don’t overlook trusty favorites like chives, kale, sorrel, and even radish greens. While they may not all be traditionally associated with “Asian” cooking, they work beautifully in the same types of dishes. They’re also easy to grow, cold-hardy, and incredibly productive.
I hope you’ll give TATSOI and Radish Greens, a full chance to impress you. And also these other wonderful perineal greens. I’d love to hear your experiences. In the meantime, Happy Growing!
Warmly,
Cindy Suelzle
May 2, 2025
Footnotes:
- recipe for Radish Green Pesto https://backyardcityhomestead.com/2020/06/19/common-herbs-and-spices-in-your-house-and-yard-part-5-mullein-to-plantain/ ↩︎
- Chives, Garlic Chives, Welsh Onion and Sorrel are all perennial vegetables – meaning they’ll come back every year if planted in the ground. They are easy to grow, easy to use, and very dependable. You can start harvesting in April.
* Chives and Garlic Chives are good companions in the garden. Chives have fine round hollow green leaves, used like a mild green onion. Garlic Chives have flat leaves and is every bit as valuable as the normal chives, having a slightly more ‘garlic’ flavour. Easy to grow, and will get bigger every year. Easy to cut a piece of the plant with roots off for sharing. They both flower and the flowers have thousands of seeds in them, anxious to become a plant. Best not to allow the flowers to go to seed.
Can be used in cooking, or to top sandwiches, salads or just about anything else that lends itself to a mild onion flavour.
* A Welsh onion is very hardy, one of the first to come up in the spring, and growing bigger every year. Also known as Japanese bunching onions or spring onions, they are non bulbing onions that produce clumps of hollow green leaves that are stronger in taste than chives or garlic chives.
Growing: They prefer full sun to part shade, well-drained soil, and regular watering.
Division: Welsh onions divide at the base, creating clumps that can be divided and replanted to increase production.
Flowering: They produce white, globe-shaped flowers in late spring, which can be cut off to encourage more leaf and bulb production.
Don’t trust the name. “Welsh onion” originated in northern China or Siberia, definitely not Wales.
* Sorrel is often called “Lemon Sorrel” because of the gentle lemony flavour in its leaves, and is highly prized in European and Asian cooking. To grow, choose a sunny location with well drained soil but ample moisture. choose.
Once you’ve got these plants established in your garden, you can benefit from them all season long, snipping as you need them.
The best thing is that you likely have friends who have them. Just ask if you can have a portion of their plant, and replant into your own permanent garden area. Perennials are always looking for a friend. ↩︎