There are many different types of leafy vegetable that are used in Thai cooking. Here we have selected some of our favourites for you.

"Pak Choi Seeds packet of"

Packet of Pak Choi or Bok Choi Seed

Pak Choi or Bok Choi is an Asian member of the cabbage family that has a delicious light, sweet flavour and crisp texture.

It consists of long, thick, white stalks, topped by intensely blue-green leaves.

China's most popular vegetable is used raw or cooked in Thailand from any stage from seedling to mature plant and can be used as a “cut and come again” vegetable.

The flavour is sweet with a hint of mustard. It is used to enhance everything from soups to stir-fries and can be eaten young in salads or left to mature and used in stir fries.

Pak choi goes well with the flavours of soy sauce, hot peppers, and toasted sesame oil. It is used in won ton soup and chow mein. Young flowering stems can be used like broccoli or as a substitute for spinach.

Position: Pak Choi grows best in a sunny position in a fertile soil. It can be sown directly into open ground or can be planted into grow bags

Sowing: Can be grown all year. Pak choi is a cool-season crop typically grown in autumn and early winter, though in warmer climates harvest can continue well into winter.These green stemmed varieties withstand adverse conditions than white stemmed forms. Some protection is required for winter harvesting. Phasing the sowing will extend the cropping period. Sow thinly, direct into finely raked, moist, weed free soil 6mm (0.25") deep in rows 30cm (12") apart. Thin the resulting seedlings, leaving the strongest, by degrees to a final spacing of 20cm (8") apart.

Tending: It is important to water well in dry weather and to keep well weeded. Provide a weak liquid feed once a week. It needs to be grown quickly and the roots must be kept moist. Checks to growth, brought on by overcrowding or drought, will cause plants to bolt.

Harvesting: Plants reach a stage for ’baby leaf’ harvest in 28 days and mature plants take around 50 days. Chop off enough of the base of the pak choi plant before washing so that stalks can be cleaned individually.

Height: 30cm (12") Spread: 30cm (12”) Location: Full sun in moist fertile soil Time to Sow: All year round Days to Germinate: 6-10 days Days to Harvest: Baby leaf - 28 days. Mature plants - 50 days

$2.25

"Leafy Chinese Celery Seed Packet"

Packet of leafy Chinese celery

Chinese Leaf celery is the type that is used in Europe. It looks similar to parsley but tastes exactly like regular stalk celery, but with a slightly stronger, herbier taste. It is a darker green, with thin, rounded, flexible stalks and curly, aromatic leaves; it is much easier to grow than its "big brother".

Great for container gardens and small herb gardens. the celery is used and taste just like its giant cousins but only gets 20 - 25cm (8 -12”) tall and very leafy. It is a cut-and-come-again plant and grows back beautifully. No blanching is required.

The leaves are best eaten while tender it can be used like an herb. Great in dressings garnish soups. Stews and salads, pies and stuffings or any recipe where celery leaves are used.

There are 3 different kinds of celery plants; normal (sometimes called blanched or bleached) celery, leaf celery and celeriac (sometimes called celery root). These are all three related, and will cross pollinate if grown next to each other.

Sowing: Sow in Spring from February to June. Germination can be erratic and the seed is best surface sown indoors or in a greenhouse. Outdoor sown seed rarely germinates satisfactorily. Start the seeds indoors no sooner than 2-3 months before your last frost date. Leaf celery is a bit finicky to get started but once transplanted into the garden, it is very easy to grow. It will take around 85 days from sowing to first harvest. Sow into flats or modules containing a good quality well drained soil. John Innes seed mix or similar. Surface sow, do not cover as they need light to germinate. Water from the base of the container, never directly on top of the seeds. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks at 15*C (59*F). The seedlings should be transplanted when they have their first set of true leaves and are still small.

Cultivation: Leaf celery is not frost tolerant so only plant outdoors once all risk of frosts has passed. Full sun or partial shade suit them equally well, and although they are fairly tolerant of drought, don't plant them in very dry places and water when dry.

Harvesting: Leaf celery takes a little while to germinate and grows somewhat slowly, but once you get it going you can keep cutting from the same small patch all season. A couple square feet is plenty for a small family.

Storage: For use over winter months place cut pieces in an ice cube tray and freeze. It may also be dried by hanging upside down in a well-ventilated area.

Companion Plants: The growing plant is an insect repellent, it repels the cabbage white butterfly so is a good companion for all brassicas. A good companion for leeks, onions, tomatoes, French beans and brassicas.

$2.25

"Chinese Cabbage"

Packet of Chinese Cabbage Seeds

Chinese Cabbage is also known as Chinese leaves in some recipes. The vegetable variety has pale, tightly wrapped leaves. They are succulent with a crisp, broad, white ribs and a rather delicate and mildish sweet flavour.

The leaves can be cooked like cabbage, stir-fried or served raw in salad in Thai cooking.

Sowing: Can be grown all year. Chinese cabbage is typically grown in autumn and early winter, though in warmer climates harvest can continue well into winter. Phasing the sowing will extend the cropping period. Sow thinly, direct into finely raked, moist, weed free soil 6mm (0.25") deep in rows 15cm (6") apart. Thin the resulting seedlings, leaving the strongest, by degrees to a final spacing of 20cm (8") apart.

Tending: It is important to water well in dry weather and to keep well weeded. Provide a weak liquid feed once a week. It needs to be grown quickly and the roots must be kept moist. Checks to growth, brought on by overcrowding or drought, will cause plants to bolt.

Maturity 50-60 days after transplant and good adaptability in cool area

"Pak Ka Na, Chinese Kale"

Packet of Pak Ka Na, Chinese Kale seeds

Packet of Chinese Kale, Phak Ka Na Vegetable , sometimes vcalled Chinese Brocolli seeds.

A dark green leaf vegtable with strong,thin long round trunks with flat, glossy soft deep green delicate leaves,It does not look or taste like common greens, it has a slight sweet & bitter taste, The taste reminds of Broccoli, the stacks are wonderfully crunchy. Delicious stir fried boiled or steamed.

Very nutritious containing lots of iron

Plant kale as soon as the ground can be worked, very frost tolerant. Sow ¼-½” deep, 1” apart in rows 18-30” apart. Thin seedlings to 8-12” apart. Kale germinates easily in cool or warm soil temperatures with even moisture. Choose an area with full sun and a soil pH of 6.0-7.0. Enrich the soil with compost or well rotted manure. Flavour of kale is improved if the plants grow quickly.

Kale benefits from additional feedings of liquid fertilizer during the growing season.

$2.55

"Bamboo Leaf, Pak Boon, Water Spinach Seeds"

Packet of Bamboo Leaf, Water Spinach Seed Seeds

A new and different variety of Water Spinach with small light green arrow shaped leaves on long hollow stalks. Very vigorous, tolerant to heat, and requiring less water for growth.

Sowing: Soak the water spinach seeds for 24 hours before planting.

Choose a nutrient-rich soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0 for optimal growth, and mix in organic fertilizer, compost, or manure to add extra nutrients to the soil. Water the soil until it is saturated.

Dig holes 4 inches deep and 5 to 12 inches apart for each seed,planting them in rows if desired. Keep the soil well watered at all times to help the seeds germinate.

Caring for: The plant needs little attention, add a feed of nitrogen rich fertilizer spray every two weeks.

Harvest: Every month or two, pick before the plant flowers. This ensure the nicest and tastiest leaves, great for stir fry or a salad.

Thai Stir Fried Morning Glory (Pad Pak Boon). This is a very common Thai dish – you see it is frequently eaten as one of many dishes in a larger Thai style meal or used in many types of Thai Noodle soups. or great for delicious salads also on its own The plant is upright and leaves are bamboo leaf shape, tender texture and have few fibres, delicious taste and fast growth, it can be harvested about 25 days after sowing in summer at South areas.

$2.55