Eat your greens this month with Mini Choy and Broccoli Greens, two new cultivars being vertically harvested!
Mini Choy
We have been busy growing Mini Choy in Australia! Once this green has full grown leaves, it’s ready for harvest and takes roughly 30 days to go from seedling to table. The cruciferous veg is a species of Chinese cabbage and has anti-cancer properties protecting against developing lung, prostate and colon cancer. To maximize the harvest, our Modular Farm uses LED lighting and climate controls to reflect what Mini Choy likes best; growing in colder climates ranging from 10° C – 21° C. Vertically farming Mini Choy differs little from in-soil growth and needs 6-7 hours of light daily, exceeding these limits is known stress this veg out.
Not one bit of this crunchy green goes to waste in recipes ranging from raw salads to rich soups. Preparation methods are endless but if you’re steaming or boiling Mini Choy, its stocks should be chopped and added separately to cook the crunch down to something more tender. Its small leaves bring a sweeter flavour and are more tender in contrast to larger Choy varieties.
Broccoli Greens
Over in Toronto, the newest addition to our Modular Farm is Broccoli Greens! Despite the name, this plant does not grow heads of Broccoli like one would usually equate with the vegetable. They both belong under the same Brassica family, but the seeds are completely different. Known to some as a hidden superfood, Broccoli Greens are high in vitamins A, C and K, and are an excellent source of calcium and potassium. A common way to eat this in the kitchen is in salad and microgreen mixes. In our Modular Farms, it typically takes six to seven weeks to go from seedling to table. To keep these baby greens looking fresh, we keep them at a 19-23 degrees Celsius environment, though it prefers to be on the cooler side. Its preferences in environment is very similar to that of kale! It particularly enjoys nighttime when the temperature drops. We also use our internal controls to keep a low relative humidity at around 55% as well as a balanced nutrient/water mix at 6.0 pH and 2.0 EC.
Have a question now? Contact us at info@modularfarms.com.au or give us a call at +61 1300 040 453
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