Vegetable Gardening in Japan

[Hiroyuki]

We successfully cultivated oyster mushrooms!

With Mori Sangyo's fully matured logs, you can never go wrong (if you just follow the instructions, of course).

[Hiroyuki]

SFG update Oct. 22

We are still getting cheery tomatoes. They are not as tasty as they were in summer, but are good enough to eat. We haven't bought tomatoes or cherry tomatoes since last summer.

Edited October 22, 2006 by Hiroyuki (log)

[torakris]

Hiroyuki,

I am so jealous of everything you are able to grow! especially those mushrooms!!

I think I need to put a little more effort into my garden next year.

Anyone planting any winter vegetables? Is it too late to start anything now?

[helenjp]

I'm just putting some peas and beans into a planter on our veranda, so they can grow slowly over winter. I'll put in a catch crop of tsumami-na with that, and maybe some other greens like shungiku too.

Our garden is just too shady for success, but this year our sons pleaded for windowbox-style planters to grow vegetables in.

[Hiroyuki]

Today, we harvested the oyster mushrooms:

This is all we got:

When I checked the three shiitake logs, I found this :

Jumbo shiitake!! It was 27 x 21 cm in size!

I put half of it in a pan to make clear soup. Look at the color!

[Hiroyuki]

I have another surprise for you, Helen. I found hakka

(It's hakka, isn't it?)

on Herb Doori (Street) here in Shiozawa

I had learned from a website that hakka plants were planted on this street, and I found them today.

Now I have to talk to some city official to get some.

[v. gautam]

Without meaning to be presumptuous, I would respectfully like to offer some alternative viewpoints, begging forbearance from all of you.

This impulse arises from both my professional qualifications as a plant physiologist and molecular pathologist with over a quarter century of training, and from a personal love affair with fruit and vegetables and the desire to see everyone be extremely successful with their gardening. Anytime I unwittingly violate some personal boundary, please just say so straight out, American-style, and I will be not at all sad!

This is just looking at Hiroyuki-san's garden:

The Square Foot Gardening System is sound for certain vegetables like globe radish, carrot (which are seemingly unresponsive to density) etc., but not necessarily for all the species the book includes in its ambit.

Be that as it may, if you can get quantities of rice straw (at rates cheaper than the peatlite formula) at Shiozawa, that have not been treated with herbicides, the straw breaks down into excellent compost and you can grow cucurbits like cucumber, melons, watermelons, pumpkins, even tomatoes, on the straw bales, without the necessity of making a separate square foot garden.

When the breakdown is far progressed, i.e. end of the first year, simply add the stuff to your SQF beds. Tomatoes and cukes do fine on the raw first year undecomposed straw, IF you are attentive with the fertilizing and watering schedule.

If the bales are tight, they will not be an eyesore; else they may be contained within 4 feet x 8 feet sheets of construction styrofoam [don't know if they are economical vs. SQF system in Japan]

So, here you have a pre-SQF garden of raw straw, where you grow certain types of plants. Then next year, that straw becomes ready for a new SQF box, with or without any peatlite [i.e. peat, vermiculite, perlite] additions. Of course, this hinges on whether straw is actually more economical than peatlite, given the cost of acquisition and transportation, bother, your labor, additional fertilzer, water costs, styrofoam or plywood containment for neatness, etc.

I feel ashamed to mention a source of nitrogen that was traditional in Japan and Asia, but now goes to waste, causing a disconnect in the biogeochemical cycle, as well as in our economics and foreign policy: human nitrogenous wastes, of which the liquid fraction is very safe, clean, collectable and eminently suitable for use in straw bale culture.

For the moment, please give aeroponics a rest! I

There are many fantastic watermelon cultivars that are small in both plant and fruit size, all developed in Japan. We have grown some and can recommend them strongly, and suggest specific variety names if you wish. These are so easily grown that they should not be overlooked; nor should cantaloupes; if these two types of melons happen to find favor with your family. Shall be happy to provide step-by-step guide if needed. Very cost-effective.

While Japan is home to exceptional hybrid tomato seed varieties that leave nothing to be desired, here is a friend korney19@verizon.net [no financial ties of course, we are just tomato crazies] who supplies dozens of fantastic heirloom tomato seeds at unbelievable prices. Quirky guy, but you have to be that to grow several score tomatoes in your backyard!

Primocane relatively thorn-free raspberries like Dinkum, Anne, Caroline and Jaclyn, plus one plant of a thorn-free blackbery like Triple Crown would be delicious, cost-effective additions. Berries from July to November, very flavorful.

I see Hiroyuki-san still is left with much valuable empty, sunlit space in his yard, and would respectfully urge him to consider [not plant, just consider] 1-2 espaliered (or just on dwarfing rootstock) European pears along a wall; one hears that such are fairly dear in Japan, but would grow fairly well in Shiozawa. Perhaps Comice and Seckel?

Apples on very dwarfing rootstock are very worthwhile : you get to plant varieties you cannot ever find in stores: Pitmaston Pineapple, Centennial, Chestnut Crab, Uralskoje Nalivnoje, Sam Young, Edward VII, Coconut Crunch, Egremont Russet; Northern Spy. All are available in Japanese germplasm collections.

If at this point Hiroyuki-san has not been mortally offended, I may yet venture to write about recent developments on dwarfing rootstocks for cherry and peach that make growing these very feasible for a small backyard. Even one tree each makes for an unforgettable experience, especially for a young child. The best part is that the gravel mulch need not be disturbed: the trees can be planted through it and grow neatly without creating a mess.

gautam

[JasonWV]

Hiroyuki as much as I love Mushrooms I wish I could get some of those logs around here. =( Anyone know a Website/Catalog I can get Japanese/Asian Plant seeds from?

[Hiroyuki]

if you can get quantities of rice straw

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Thank you very much for putting some professionalism to my thread, gautam.

I created this thread so that we could share our experiences in vegetable gardening, but unfortunately, it has been much of my monologue, except for avid replies from Helen.

I am a novice, and I am open to opinions (and critisms). I think I'll try to follow your "rice straw" suggestions in the next season.

[Hiroyuki]

Hiroyuki as much as I love Mushrooms I wish I could get some of those logs around here. =( Anyone know a Website/Catalog I can get Japanese/Asian Plant seeds from?

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Why don't you post your question here?

[helenjp]

I also hope that Gautam visits the Japan Forum frequently in future!

I have a strictly amateur interest in plants, and since I come from a warmer climate, I couldn't begin to suggest plants (apart from the really obvious ones ) that would suit Hiroyuki's climate. I regularly kill off plants just by underestimating how dry it is here in the winter!

If you can get rice straw (even old tatami) Hiroyuki, that would be great.

Gautam, since you can buy processed clays in Japan (akadama-tsuchi) in various-sized granules or lumps, would using some of that help overcome some of the limitations of the SFG soil?

Can you help Hiroyuki identify that mint? I've been looking and looking at the picture, and the heavily serrated leaves look right, and the color and (as far as I can tell) position of the flowers look right. But I expected hakka (mentha arvensis piperascens) to be downier/hairier on leaves and stems, and not show a red stem. But this photo shows slight to considerable reddening of the stems, while some Japanese "hakka" seems to be mislabelled western black peppermint mentha piperata ???. Mints crossbreed so easily, and mislabelled herbs are a problem in every garden center, and I'm not expert enough to do more than have doubts!

Edited November 1, 2006 by helenjp (log)

[Hiroyuki]

I couldn't begin to suggest plants (apart from the really obvious ones  ) that would suit Hiroyuki's climate. I regularly kill off plants just by underestimating how dry it is here in the winter!

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I underestimated how wet it was in the winter here in the snowry region in the initial years after I settled here . I even used a humidifier in my condo unit in the winter... I ended up getting a lot of items in my drawers moldy. (Silly Tokyo boy...)

We also have this long-standing Gardening thread in the General Food Topics Forum.

[Hiroyuki]

Can you help Hiroyuki identify that mint? I've been looking and looking at the picture, and the heavily serrated leaves look right, and the color and (as far as I can tell) position of the flowers look right. But I expected hakka (mentha arvensis piperascens) to be downier/hairier on leaves and stems, and not show a red stem. But this photo shows slight to considerable reddening of the stems, while some Japanese "hakka" seems to be mislabelled western black peppermint mentha piperata ???. Mints crossbreed so easily, and mislabelled herbs are a problem in every garden center, and I'm not expert enough to do more than have doubts!

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I have learned a great deal about mint for a few days, now I'm sure that I'm more knowledgeable about it than most local people here. One important thing that I have learned is that it's impossible to determine the variety that was cultivated here in the Edo period. (It's doubtful that mint grew wild here.) Another important thing that I have learned is that according to a book on the history of the former Shiozawa town, the variety with reddish stems and roundish leaves was considered of high quality, which probably means that it had the highest menthol content. I'll look around to find such a variety.

Thank you very much, Helen, for your cooperation in this matter!!

[helenjp]

Hiroyuki, I wouldn't be sure that high menthol = best peppermint in every case!

Menthol is a bit harsh - excellent for things like moth-repellents. All Japanese hakka has high menthold levels, but I don't know whether the ultra-high ones were the most popular in the past or not.

impossible to determine the variety that was cultivated here in the Edo period.

I think so too. I'd probably check old herbal remedy companies to see if they had old records with illustrations, but that's a long shot!

Maybe you have a nice Shiozawa cultivar!

I would like to send photos of my strongest-smelling mint, but middle school boys tipped the pot out a few weeks ago, and it has only just started growing tiny new leaves again.

[Ohba]

Very interesting to read your post, Gautam. By the way, can anyone here give advice on planting during November or December? (greater Tokyo area). What to plant, and any other handy information you can think of. I'm not doing SGF, but space is rather limited, probably somewhat under 50 square metres of usable ground. It's my first winter season, and I also have in mind the possibility of using it to just get it ready for spring. The soil contains a lot of stones still, and doesn't have ideal structure yet, although spring, summer and autumn were quite successful for growing vegetables and herbs.

[JasonTrue]

Hiroyuki as much as I love Mushrooms I wish I could get some of those logs around here. =( Anyone know a Website/Catalog I can get Japanese/Asian Plant seeds from?

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For vegetable seeds, Kitazawa Seed company might be a place to start in the US. You may find some of their products in Asian supermarkets (they have a display in Uwajamaya Seattle).

For mushrooms, I can't help, but it looks like Hiroyuki pointed you in the right direction. You might ask a mushroom grower like Grandview Mushrooms (Grandview, WA) (I never asked him if he provides a substrate for mushrooms but he has really good shiitake).

[Hiroyuki]

Very interesting to read your post, Gautam. By the way, can anyone here give advice on planting during November or December? (greater Tokyo area). What to plant, and any other handy information you can think of. I'm not doing SGF, but space is rather limited, probably somewhat under 50 square metres of usable ground. It's my first winter season, and I also have in mind the possibility of using it to just get it ready for spring. The soil contains a lot of stones still, and doesn't have ideal structure yet, although spring, summer and autumn were quite successful for growing vegetables and herbs.

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Even if you select not to do SFG, you will find the recommended plant spacings very helpful.

Hiroyuki, I wouldn't be sure that high menthol = best peppermint in every case!

But I'm sure that the purpose of cultivating mint plants here in the Edo period and later was to get "hakka oil". Check out my Niigata thread; Hakka Tou (Japanese mint candy) is a specialty of the former Shiozawa town.

[Ohba]

Even if you select not to do SFG, you will find the recommended plant spacings very helpful.

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Thanks. That will be useful, and one thing I want to do a lot better with next year's plantings is get spacing, grouping and arrangement much more organized. This year was a bit haphazard, so the garden is not an especially pretty sight. As eating the results is my first priority, I can live with that, but better organization should mean more space to use.

It was interesting to see what succeeded and failed. I ended up with more eggplants than I really needed as a result of some cheap seedlings, 70 yen apiece, that I really just threw in the ground and left to themselves. More of those next year, I think. Everything else, I grew from seed. Cucumbers were very easy, as was zucchini, which is still producing. It takes up a lot of space, and I just planted a single seed, so God knows what to do with the other few dozen seeds in the packet. I was a bit surprised that pumpkins failed, I had been given some seeds, and they germinated well but didn't thrive. Never even got close to producing an actual pumpkin. Spring onions and chives - total failure. Green beans were mildly successful but the plants didn't look healthy, and the crop was small.

All herbs in pots either struggled or died, with the exception of basil and dill, while the same herbs in the ground thrived. This was despite some considerable attention to the pot plants - I'd prefer the herbs in pots because they look good and it saves garden space. In the ground, even lemongrass is reasonably happy, and has been okay into November this year. Nira - grows wild, probably from the neighbouring garden. Can't pull it up (and throw away) fast enough. "Perpetual spinach" is an easy grower, very useful as extra green stuff for salads, or as a spinach substitute for cooking. Rocket and radish were both easy, green pepper and chillies reasonably so. I put tomatoes in way too late, but they stayed in good condition. They didn't start ripening until the end of October (but SHIT they taste good), and a lot are still green now.

No, the real problem is wanting to grow everything, and not having the space. An allotment is starting to look like a strong possibility.

[helenjp]

Ohba, that sounds wonderful! My plan for next year's garden has only one item - cut trees! The garden is already shady, even when the ume trees (and all the rest of them...) are under control. Our garden is usually 2-3 weeks late, unless I start with seedlings instead of sowing seed. However, plants grown from seed are often more robust.

Pumpkins...both zucchini and pumpkins sometimes fail to set seed at high temperatures - so summer this year probably suited your zucchini, but may have been too cool and cloudy for the pumpkin???

Maybe your soil was a bit acid for the beans? Japanese soil tends to be acid, and a little liming wouldn't hurt. I used to just use a shell mulch where I had beans, I think I've seen it sold with those little pebbles in Japanese home centers. You can also buy 石灰石 (sekkaiseki) or limestone as a sort of flaky powder.

A retired farmer has converted his remaining field to allotments, and I'm tempted too...though I believe you have to carry water from your own home??

[Ohba]

Maybe your soil was a bit acid for the beans? Japanese soil tends to be acid, and a little liming wouldn't hurt.

I tested it back in winter and it's about neutral. But I think it's just bad soil structure and lacking good organic matter, so I'll dig plenty in this winter.

[Hiroyuki]

Maybe your soil was a bit acid for the beans? Japanese soil tends to be acid, and a little liming wouldn't hurt.

I tested it back in winter and it's about neutral. But I think it's just bad soil structure and lacking good organic matter, so I'll dig plenty in this winter.

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Dig? Why don't you post some photos of your garden here so Helen, gautam, and other knowledgeable people can give you some good advise? Have you ever thought of making a raised bed?

[Ohba]

Dig?  Why don't you post some photos of your garden here so Helen, gautam, and other knowledgeable people can give you some good advise?  Have you ever thought of making a raised bed?

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I think my end-of-season garden is looking a little too ragged for me to post pictures of it on a public forum! Maybe next year.

I might well go with raised beds. We'll have the winter to do a bit of planning and preparatory work, so that's definitely an option.

[Hiroyuki]

We had the first major snow of the season here in my area on December 3.

These two photos were taken on the next day, December 4.

Unfortunately, I live in one of the snowiest regions in the world. We have up to three meters of snow every winter.

This thread will have to hibernate.

[Hiroyuki]

During hiberation, my son successfully harvested one head of cabbage from one of the SFGs.

Photos can be found here.

So far, we have had much less snow here than in the same period of the previous year.

[Hiroyuki]

Today, my children gathered some strawberries from our small vegetable garden.

SMG boxes

The four white bags that you can see at the upper left corner of the photo each contain one satsuma imo (sweet potato) seedling.

Planter boxes

They also gathered some shiso leaves and lettuce leaves, as I mentioned elsewhere.