I planted some creasy green seeds last spring and they mostly sat in the finely tilled soil and sulked. Nancy had received a big pack of seeds from her cousin, Billy, and I spread the extras at the top end of my garden where not much grows anyway. Not enough sun.
I also remember scattering them just about the time we had a little dry spell, so they didn’t do anything. But I didn’t plant anything else in that upper bed and – lo and behold – the little fellows started peeking up from the soil around September, when the weather cooled a bit and the monsoons commenced. I guess they like cool, wet soil. They have since sprouted everywhere but have gone a bit dormant since the really cold weather. If they perform like other greens, they should take off around the first of March and I look forward to picking a mess.
What we call creasy greens is actually Land Cress, or Upland Cress. The plant is native to Europe and has been cultivated there for over 400 years. It is considered a decent substitute for the more exotic Water Cress and can be used in sandwiches, salads or in cooked greens, like spinach.
In the south, creasy greens grow wild in many places. I remember seeing a fellow with a hand spade and a sack on the Wildlife Management Area at Wingina and asked what he was doing.
“Going to pick a mess of creasy greens,” was his response. They were scattered in the dirt like dandelion weeds, but a little thicker.
I haven’t the foggiest idea what I’ll do with the greens I harvest – cook them like collards with a little fat back, I suppose.
I don’t plant many things in my garden that take over a year to produce, so this will be a first. If they turn out edible, I’ll let you know.