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Kai laan not as advertised

EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
in Fruit & veg
I’ve been growing Kai laan, aka Chinese broccoli, for a few years. It’s green and healthy and tastes OK, but it never looks anything like the pictures of Kai laan on google or on the seed merchants’ pages. Mine has thin stems and big leaves, whereas it looks it should have fat, juicy stems and small leaves. I don’t think it’s too much nitrogen, because it’s growing in ground that’s only been improved with garden compost this year, and I haven’t fed it. Does it maybe need loads of water?
Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


Posts

  • pinutpinut Posts: 194
    It may be the actual seeds themselves. The seeds are either wrongly labelled or a very similar (but not the same) variety of the same veg.

    If you want authentic veg seeds then buy them from Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Taiwan or Thailand - from trustworthy and reliable sites, obviously.


  • SkylarksSkylarks Posts: 379
    Where did you buy the seeds from and could you post a photo please?
  • EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
    I bought them from Marshals this year, Chiltern seeds last year, can’t recall beyond that, but probably someone else. In this photo, something seems to have nibbled the tip off the nearest one. The rest have the same habit and haven’t been nibbled.  These are in the poly tunnel, but outside-grown ones do the same thing. If I leave them, hoping hat the stem will bulk up, they go tough eventually. 
    Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


  • EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
    The seed packets have pictures which look right, it’s odd that they’ve been like this from every supplier that I’ve tried, but I take your point.  I’ll ask mr Google about Asian suppliers. Thankyou. 
    Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    I have no experience of this particular veg but maybe there are several varieties and the one sold for growing here is slightly different. Or possibly the conditions here result in the differences in growth?
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • SkylarksSkylarks Posts: 379
    Ah, I see what you mean, they don’t quite look right but it’s been a while since I’ve bought any (veg, not seeds). From your first description, I thought they sounded like Choi Som.

    I’m going to a Chinese supermarket tomorrow or Sat so will have a look at their veg section to see if there’s anything like yours.
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