An “eat-all greens” variety.
This early maturing leafy green produces excellent yields of sweet, tender, crunchy leaves. It’s a leafy green that is not on the radar of most people in North America, although it is a popular leafy green in Newfoundland. We wondered about that. And of course, had to do some research. Interestingly, we weren’t the only ones; two scientists in St. John’s published a paper in the Canadian Journal of Plant Sciences titled, “Brassica vegetables as edible greens in Newfoundland,” that looked at that very question.
What did the scientists find out? In their paper, the authors describe how Newfoundlanders grow densely seeded leafy greens as a staple crop throughout the summer (aka “eat-all greens”, see below). One of the most commonly grown leafy greens is Dwarf Essex. They wanted to know why Dwarf Essex was preferred over other brassica leafy greens. Did Dwarf Essex have some superior qualities? It seems it does. Their research discovered that Dwarf Essex performed better than the other kale cultivars in the study in terms of faster germination, growth and higher yield. The gardeners of Newfoundland were on to something!
What are “eat-all greens”? This term was coined by seed breeder and author Carol Deppe to describe a fast growing, nutritious, and productive leafy green. Dwarf Essex ticks off all of these boxes. See our description of Groninger Blue Kale for another “eat-all greens”. In her book, “The Tao of Vegetable Gardening,” Carol describes the benefits of growing “eat-all greens”:
“I believe the eat-all style of growing greens and the eat-all varieties will be a game-changer for all gardeners, but especially for those with small gardens. In addition, the high nutrient content of the eat-all greens crops as well as the very high yield makes them an ideal choice for growing in community or public gardens or in “food deserts” where greens are especially needed and are unavailable. And because of the very low amounts of labor for harvesting big batches at once and the minimal labor in the kitchen, the eat-all greens are also ideal for freezing. And it turns out that most also make good dried greens for use either in soups and stews or as herbal teas. Many who have very tiny gardens or short growing seasons may now be able to produce a year-round supply of greens for their families when they have never before been able to even imagine doing so.”
Plant Characteristics: An early, hardy, easy to grow veggie. Dwarf Essex is heat, drought and cold tolerant and can even withstand light frosts.
How to Plant: Super, duper easy. Try the “eat-all” method: Scatter seeds 2” to 4” apart. Cover lightly with soil and keep moist until germination. That’s about it! Harvest plants when they are 1-2 feet tall. Or if you would like to have just a few larger Dwarf Essex plants direct sow a few seeds in the garden early spring, leaving about 18” between plants.
How to Use: Dwarf Essex leafy greens are perfect for eating fresh in salads and on sandwiches. They are also great cooked as you would spinach. Or in a stir fry.
Photo 2 Caption: Winter greens. Dwarf Essex and Groninger Blue baby greens (with purple veins)
Note: In case you are wondering about the history of this little known veggie, Brassica napus is an ancient leafy green that is known to have been cultivated in Europe since at least the Middle Ages. It likely originated in Europe as a natural cross between a turnip (Brassica rapa) and a member of the cabbage/kale family (Brassica oleracea). The species Brassica napus also includes the popular cultivars Siberian kale and Red Russian kale.
