• Welcome
  • Community
  • Blogs
  • Photos
  • Join
  • Log in
Follow MNN    
MNN - Mother Nature Network - Envrionmental News
improve your world
Friday, February 10, 2012
  • Earth Matters

    Browse All » Animals Weather Energy Politics Space Translating Uncle Sam Wilderness & Resources

  • Health

    Browse All » Allergies Fitness & Well-Being Healthy Spaces

  • Lifestyle

    Browse All » Arts & Culture Travel Natural Beauty & Fashion Recycling Responsible Living

  • GREEN TECH

    Browse All » Computers Gadgets & Electronics Research & Innovations Transportation

  • Eco-Biz & Money

    Browse All » Green Workplace Personal Finance Sustainable Business Practices

  • Food & Drink

    Browse All » Beverages Healthy Eating Recipes

  • Your Home

    Browse All » At Home Organic Farming & Gardening Remodeling & Design

  • family

    Browse All » Babies & Pregnancy Family Activities Pets Protection & Safety


MNN.COM›MNN TV›

In the Field

Tweet
Pin It
Email Bookmark and ShareShare
WorldShares lets you earn donations for your favorite nonprofit. Earn up to 20 points now.
Learn More

Earn Points
What's this?

In The Field: Finding a beneficial insect while harvesting Chinese cabbage


In the Field
While harvesting Chinese cabbage, Farmer D is amazed to find a parasitic wasp. He explains the benefits of having these insects in your garden. (Meredith Darlington/MNN and Nick Scott/MNN)

Read the transcript

Farmer D: This Chinese cabbage and this Chinese cabbage were planted around the same time. Even this one. This one has bolted. These haven’t. So, why, I don’t know, but I sure as heck don’t want to save seed from a cabbage that’s going to bolt too soon. So I'm going to harvest it out. This is compost and it's still going to be edible, these outer leaves should still be fine. Chinese cabbage is grown mostly for the stalk. So this juicy part is what you chop up and put in stir fry or shred it up for salad. The stem is more like kind of like bok choy. It's more of what a Chinese cabbage is prized for. The leaves are great. This one’s going to be a tad bitter because it bolted, but it should be fine. Now this is cool. With Chinese cabbage, also like lettuce, you can leaf pick it. So if you have this in your garden, instead of taking the whole head. Come in a little closer. Oh wow, this is awesome! Alright, it you come in really close, we are witnessing one of the greatest beneficial garden bugs at work. This is a parasitic wasp that is parasitizing a cabbage looper as we speak. Really cool. What happens, it lays eggs in the caterpillar, and that parasitizes it, it breeds the beneficial wasp and it kills the pest. Chinese cabbage is pretty prone to bugs. Cabbage loopers love them, flea beetles love them. But when you do grow them they are pretty quick, they are about a 45-day cabbage, which most cabbages are more like 70 days, so they grow really fast. I'm going to leave that one even though it's bolting because it's providing a habitat for that wasp, which is just awesome.

MNN homepage photo: Sage78/iStockphoto
CLOSE link:

Other Episodes...

In the Field: Interviewing an EPA scientist
In the Field: Herb picking tips
In the Field: Tree farm goes organic
In the Field: Edible garden installation

Comments

Follow this conversation
Add your comment
View:
  • All (0)

Add your comment

Sign in with one of these accounts or just add your comment below.
    Log in or
    create an account
     
    Login
Used only for emailed comments and will not be displayed with your post
Notify me with an email when other people comment on this article.
The posting of advertisement, profanity or personal attacks is prohibited.
Click here to review our Terms of Use

tease to ecollywood

tease to squatter

tease to toxic plants for cats

ADVERTISEMENT

TOP MEMBERSJoin Now
  • poland.jr
    21026 points
  • ecomainegirl
    9359 points
  • achase
    9323 points
  • LauraB
    5049 points
  • Momof2
    4514 points
All members

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH MNN

Follow @twitterapi
 Tumblr
 Google +

ADVERTISEMENT



Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Advisory Board
  • Editors' Blog
  • Press
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Service
  • WorldShares

MNN Tools

  • Advice
  • Blogs
  • Day in History
  • Eco-glossary
  • Infographics
  • Lists
  • Photos
  • Videos

Connect

  • Community
  • Contact Us
  • Contests
  • Idea Lab
  • Mixed Greens
  • Newsletters
  • Polls
  • RSS

Channels

  • Earth Matters
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Green Tech
  • Eco-Biz & Money
  • Your Home
  • Family
  • State Reports
 

Copyright © 2012 MNN Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Website by GLICK INTERACTIVE | Powered by CIRRACORE
 
SPONSORS