RobertEire: Gai Laan (often spelled Kai Laan, and called Chinese Broccoli and Chinese Sprouting Broccoli, among other attempts to create a European name) is one of our favorite vegetables and I'd guess would grow very well in Ireland --once you work out the proper season! It is a winter crop here, and gets tough and bolts when the days are lengthening AND the temperature gets into the 100s (F) --not likely to be an Irish problem. California has a wonderful Asian seed source, EvergreenYH (http://www.evergreenseeds.com/), which carries several varieties in nice large packets. The difference between the varieties didn't seem to be very great --they all produced well, they all tasted good, and they all began to make flowering stalks at about the same time when planted in early September. The flowering stalks are the part Kailaan is grown for commercially, but the leafy thinnings are delicious also. The stalks are quite long, with a shiny outside skin and very sweet, succulent interior. When they grow fairly slowly (cool weather?) they are thicker; as the weather warms the outside skin becomes fibrous --but it's very easy to peel. My suggestion would be to plant in spring, and if the Kailaan bolts quickly, with tough skinny stems, try another planting in midsummer, or perhaps even May, so the main growth time is when days are shortening. It will take some frost --if you can protect it you could try a fall planting, though it's a bit late now, I'd think. The dark green leaves and loosely clustered flower buds (only a few per cluster) add a different texture and flavor to the stalks. We like our Kailaan more or less braised --started with a very quick toss in a little oil, to coat the stalks lightly, finished under cover with a little water or chicken broth, then dressed at serving time with a few drops of soy sauce. It is very good steamed, too. Another vegetable you might like to try is Komatsuna. Same season, but mine seemed less sensitive to day length. Komatsuna has very large, shiny dark green leaves with a sweet, succulent midrib. It is a brassica but not like any other I've grown. The leaves are smooth and thin, not like a cabbage or a mustard, and the flavor is not very mustardy. Just a few plants fed us two or three meals a week for months --two or three leaves made a dish for the two of us, and you can pick from the same plant again and again. Eventually the ribs started to get tough, so I stripped the leafy part, and when it began to bolt the flower stalks were very good too, and produced for quite a long time. The bases of the flower stalks needed peeling eventually --very easy, like kailaan, no trying to peel between knots and branches as when peeling broccoli stems. We have fond memories of Ireland and the great root vegetables the landladies at the farmhouse inns served. It was spring --around Easter-- and possibly just what was left by that time.

Just found a spot for this tree and his little brother (or sister?). It is planted at the edge of my wooded area. No tall trees around it since I've cut down many wild trees in that area. I'll just need to keep the woody plants away from that side. The good thing is that I do not need to cut the grass in that area. I may keep a wide mulch ring. Do not know if they are male or female. The previous owner said he got some fruits (peppers) on the trees. Bu he still have 3 such pepper trees.

Hello, Can anyone provide some "how to" tips for growing sansho from both the seed form as well as from plant clippings? I've ordered seeds through Amazon and Ebay. They have come from China, Japan and the USA. I've tried to propagate them indoors in little 4 inch starter pots under a grow light and heating pad. They havent taken. Do I need to stratify them? Also, years ago, my aunt gave me 2 sansho plants that she grew from cuttings from her "mother plant". They were well established when I received them. I also live in Toronto, Canada, so the winter weather is really harsh. I have them outside in pots in the spring, summer and early fall. They are brought in for the winter and stay in a cool bay window while they go dormant (in the same pots). I'd like to try propagating them from cuttings, but need some help. I have rooting hormones, but I'm wondering if it might be more successful to try to root them without clipping. Has anyone done this already? I've tried taking clipping in the past, but without success. Any help and comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Kathy from the north.....

Hi It is untimely posting But I do anyway. Sansho seed have to be harvested when soon after seed are mature , let's say around October. If seed left on the tree/shurb too long , seeds are not germinate well. If you want to saw seed in spring, clean seed and keep seed in mosted sand. you can use plastic pot and your wife's/ girl friend's old pantyhose to separate sand and seeds. moist but not wet sand. keep plastick post out side under eave of garage or unheated strage place untill late Feburary or early marchand . Saw seed directry in ground. or soon after seed are mature,you can saw seeds directry in ground. seed should not be covered too deep. 1/4 deep is good enought. Mulching soil with pine straw or wheat straw. avoid large chunk of pine bark mulch. if you can use jify pot. it work better since roots are not disturbed. General speaking, Sansho can't transpalant once tree is mature. male tree and female tree is needed to produce seeds. Identifying tree male or female , you have to flip trees up side down. ^^ when sansho flower apear late march or early april, then you can tell tree is male or female. you can air layer on second year branch to propagate in small scale production. also you can graft sansho. Please let's me to know if you want to know more. mike y