Atriplex hortensis
£2.50
Atriplex hortensis – Orach
I discovered this by chance as it is a legacy of the farm’s original use as a market garden. The young leaves are edible, rather like spinach. If they’re left alone they become towering giants of texture, their stems encrusted with seeds. Deep chocolate maroon leaves and seeds.
Plant type: hardy annual
Site: full sun
Height: 1.8m
Plant spacing: 30cm
Sown to grown: 12 weeks
Min. seeds per packet: 100 seeds
Growing tips: prefers to be sown directly in April, thin out young plants for edible leaves. Support large plants which can be toppled by high winds. Pinching at about 30cm high to promote bushy growth can help.
Harvesting/Arranging tips: I like to pick stems when the seeds have good pinky maroon colour and before they fade to buff and start to drop. Very useful for large scale arrangements.
Vase life: 7-10 days
Cost: £2.50
Out of stock