Oyster Leaf

Late spring 2018: I did not cold-stratify but planted seeds as they came, shallowly in pots. Took 6-8 weeks before any seedlings appeared and the germination rate was maybe 20%. Seedlings did grew well and I transplanted at 4-leaf stage into potting mixture in two large (18" diameter) pots. Kept pots on a southern-exposure patio that can get quite hot in the summer. Watered when soil is dryish. First winter was very cold with extended periods well below freezing. Plants in only one of the two pots survived but now in late spring have grown splendidly and look like they may be getting ready to flower. Germination is definitely a challenge but this plant is very much worth the effort. Attractive blue-green foliage and the flavour of a raw leaf is really remarkably like oysters. Try with champagne! I am going to try to get more started this year and if successful will try growing them in the ground as well.

I couldn't get a single one of my seeds to germinate. I followed the instructions on the packet perfectly, but they were VERY stubborn! I think I may try again this year, because they do sound delicious! :)

Wasn't sure how to plant this so I sunk some seeds 1/4" in my raised garden beds. Very slow to start and grow but at least I got a fairly good rate of germination (5 out of 6?) My plants have never gotten very big so I only now harvested a few leaves. The flavor is huge! I made some soup and added about 8 leaves along with other greens, and the broth tasted of the essence of oyster. I'm eager to try adding this to recipes with actual oyster, to see if I can boost flavor without adding more shellfish. Might make for an interesting border plant as well, as the tiny blue flowers are pretty.

I bought two envelopes of these seeds, hoping to have a new crop to offer to my chef customers, but no. My hoop house environment wasn't good for these plants and slugs decimated them right away. I'll try again next year but I'd love to hear from others who have grown it successfully! I hate to give it a bad rating, but need more planting info!

I stratified the seeds in sand in the refrigerator for several weeks, then planted them out. I didn't expect to see any sprout, but, to my surprise (stratification still seems like magic) several did. I know they like sandy soil, but don't know how much to water them, fertilize, etc. I do know they do not like being handled much, so I transplanted two, each to a large container filled with succulent mix and topped with ground oyster shells to keep them relatively cool. Very slow growth; one looked half-dead, so I transplanted it back into a plastic pot and took another sprout and carefully put it in the container with the succulent mix.There is so little info on this plant, it would be great if there were more info on the package. The flavor is great; I cut a very tiny piece off a leaf and tasted it; it was very salty and seaweedy.