Growing Salsify, also Vegetable oyster

Tragopogon porrifolius : Asteraceae / the daisy family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
      P P              

(Best months for growing Salsify in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 6 - 8 inches apart
  • Harvest in 14-21 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Beans, Brassicas, Carrots, Celeriac, Endive, Kohl-rabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Alliums, Spinach

Your comments and tips

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03 Mar 10, Jo Mckenzie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I'm trying it for the first time seeds seem to take ages to come up - i sowed them 2 weeks ago - maybe its still to hot here but will keep trying!!!
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29 Sep 08, Tony Dowling (Australia - temperate climate)
I am originally from Invercargill New Zealand My father grows Salisfy, I remember as a kid my mother used to grate the salsify up make into patties and fry them very nice, we used to have the salsify to substitute for Bluff Oysters out of season. Yes the plant does have a resemblance to the taste of Oysters
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23 Sep 08, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi, I'm in Canberra, planted Salsify some years ago, now it grows like a weed in the garden, which is fine, since we keep eating it! You can buy them from http://www.greenharvest.com.au and http://www.edenseeds.com.au/ We peel and chop, then boil them in water, with lemon juice and salt, like artichoke hearts. After the water reduces, we add cream, and bake with a layer of cheese (au gratin style). The flavour of the roots is better before the plant starts to make its flower in late spring. So harvest all through the cold weather. Our early spring is still pretty chilly. But seriously, I worried about how hard it might be to germinate when we first got them, now I can't stop them from self sowing. They seem to be germinating all year round!
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Hi Heather, I am in Gembrook. I planted Salsify from seed and it looks great. This is the first time I have grown it, so haven't had a harvest. If it grows here, it will grow in Launching Place. -Tina

- Tina

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