Garden for Nutrition IndexOrganic Crops in the City
The crops listed below are those which are the most nutritious and can be grown in rotation in a small city plot. They are an excellant source for a raw living food diet.
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Collards (Brassica oleracea L. (Acephala group):
(Point of origin: Eastern Mediterranean / Asia Minor)
Nutrition: High in calcium, lutein, zeaxanthin
, sulforaphane.
Eatin raw is a good source of B1 nd B6.
Eat raw if thyroid is healthy.
Cook to de-activate goitrogenic compounds
or get extra iodine in the diet.
Harvest only after light frost.
Flavor will be enhanced.
ADVANTAGES:
Parboil and dry for late winter use.
Disadvantage:
Members of this Brassica family will cross
Stager by years to save seed
Insect susceptible.
Varieties: Champion, Georgia Southern, Green Glaze
Sources: Johnny's, Territorial, Seeds of Change
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Turnips (Brassica rapa):
(Point of origin: Siberia)
Nutrition: High in calcium, folic acid
, lutein, zeaxanthin, B6, sulforaphane.
Eatin raw is a good source of B1 nd B6.
Eat raw if thyroid is healthy.
Cook to de-activate goitrogenic compounds
or get extra iodine in the diet.
Preparation: Harvest in early spring while temperatures are
still cool and the leaves are young and not
too spicy.
Eat greens raw, cook root.
Advantages: natural biofumigant
very insect resistant
Parboil and dry for late winter use.
Disadvantage:
Members of this Brassica family will cross
Stager by years to save seed
Varieties: Seven Top (Brassica septiceps) - for greens only,
root is small and cold hardy
Purple Top - for the root and greens
Gold Ball - Seeds of Change, good keeper
Sources: Seeds of Change, Territorial, Bountiful Gardens
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Kale (Brassica oleracea Acephala group):
(Point of origin: Eastern Mediterranean / Asia Minor)
Nutrition: High in calcium, lutein, zeaxanthin, B6
, sulforaphane.
Eatin raw is a good source of B1 nd B6.
Eat raw if thyroid is healthy.
Cook to de-activate goitrogenic compounds
or get extra iodine in the diet.
ADVANTAGES:
Parboil and dry for late winter use.
Will tolerate hard freeze
Disadvantage:
Members of this Brassica family will cross
Stager by years to save seed
Varieties: Dwarf Blue Scotch - very cold hardy
Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch - very cold hardy
Russian or Siberian types (Brassica napus):
not a true kale, actually a rape,
astoundingly cold hardy
up to 3 feet tall
Propagation: Plant in summer and harvest until heavy freeze
Sources: Hume, Seed Savers Exchange, Veseys, Bountiful Gardens
, Seeds of Change, Territorial
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Malvaceae family:
Okra (Abelmoshcus esculentus):
(Point of origin: North Africa)
Nutrition: high in calcium, magnesium, folic acid,
lutein, zeaxanthin
Eatin raw is a good source of B1 nd B6.
The cooking water of okra is very soothing
to the throat and digestive system
since it is mucilaginous.
The seed and pod is good to eat raw if you are young
and healthy, but is often a bit much for the elderly.
The outer pod shell is easier to digest by itself.
Preparation: eat raw when in season
Young pods can be deseeded, parboiled, and dried for winter greens.
Mature seeds are high in quality protein with a slightly off taste,
but good in small amounts as curd to supplement other foods during
famines.
Large amounts can be toxic.
Lost Crops of Africa
Varieties: Burgundy - 1988 AAS winner
Red Velvet - high in amino acids
Clemson Spineless - 1939 AAS winner
Propagation: Soil must be >70 F consistently
or the plants will be stunted.
Once stunted, it never recovers.
Direct seed because of tap root.
Cultivation: Rhizobium meliloti, Rhizobium sp., and Bradyrhizobium sp.
will inhibit harmfull fungi on okra
Animal Feed: save the seed from overmature pods for animal feed
Sources: Bountiful Gardens, Seeds of Change
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Beet (Beta vulgaris):
Goosefoot or Chenopodiaceae family
(Point of origin: Germany)
Nutrition: High in folic acid, so eat raw.
Never eat the leaves.
Root is high in bitters, so peel the skin
and do not eat too much.
Soak in water to reduce bitterness.
Properties: Pollinates by wind up to 5 miles away.
Soak in water to sweeten.
Variety: Detroit dark red - low geosmin
Cylindra
Ruby Queen (AAS)
Long Season
Source: Territorial, Seeds of Change,
Heirloom Seeds
BEETS
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Greens not listed due to a lack of advantages:
Mustard greens were not included, because the other members of the same
family have more calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients.
It is very nutritious, but there are only so many greens in the same
family that can be grown in rotation.
Dandelion was not listed because it is so invasive and
is too bitter. It is extremely nutritious, and is worth
harvesting from fallow fields.
Nettle is not listed, even though it is high in calcium,
because it is perennial.
It is worth harvesting from fallow fields.
Pak choi was not listed because it is not especially high in
magnesium.
Chicory is not listed, even though it is high in calcium,
because it is too bitter.
It is worth cultivating into fallow fields and harvesting.
Tender Greens were not included, even though they are very high
in calcium, because they are very bitter.
Cabbage was not listed, because the other members of the same
family have so much more calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients.
The only exception might be Pak Choi, which does not store well
as a dry green.
Broccoli was not listed because it is too inefficient.
It is very nutritious, but it requires a large plant to
produce a small head.
Lettuce was not listed because it contains very little nutrition:
No fiber, no calcium, and no magnesium.
Only a few varieties have low levels of vitamin K, zeaxanthin, and lutein.
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