Good King Henry Seeds - Blitum Bonus-Henricus - Delicious & Perennial
Quantity: 20 Seeds
Good King Henry, aka Blitum Bonus-Henricus is a relatively unknown yet wonderful vegetable. It’s a member of the Goosefoot family, Chenopodiaceae, and originates in Europe. It lives as a perennial down to zone 4. Once established, The leaves can be harvested in abundance from spring until hard frost. The leaves taste quite similar to spinach; their flavour is savoury, sweet, sometimes pleasantly salty, and the leaves are succulent in texture. The young leaves work well as an ingredient in salads, while the larger leaves are best used in soups, stir frys, and roasted veggie dishes. Once the plants are well established (roughly 3 years) the young shoots can be harvested and cooked like asparagus. The plants can grow to two feet in each direction, and don't need much to thrive other than plenty of sun, consistent moisture, and a layer of mulch.
All seeds are organic and open pollinated.
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Growing Instructions
Sow seeds Indoors as early as a 10 weeks before last frost, but any time in the growing season is an appropriate time to start seeds, providing they have been stratified. Indoor sowing isn't necessary, as it germinates readily in the ground. Surface sow the seeds, or plant them 1/8 inch bellow the soil surface, and keep moist until sprouts appear. Germination rate is highest when the seeds have been cold stratified for 10 weeks, but this can also be done naturally by sowing outdoors in the autumn. The plants should sprout in early spring. Plants thrive with plenty of sun, but appreciate shade during the mid day when it is hottest. It likes loamy soils, and doesn’t seem to be particular to PH, but does like the soil to be free draining of water. These plants are drought, flood, and pest resistant, and can provide one with high quality food for many years to come.