Not sure how much help but as I have a different climate than you (not as hot as early as yours) I'd guess that yes, this late fall planting would be better for you. Late February works fine for me as it gives me the 60 days needed before the real heat sets in here in June.

Plus I have never grown it in a container, only in ground and in ground soil is always cooler than that in a container, much less a black container.

As for water, I have never used salt water although I am on a deep well not city water and it still retains its lightly salty flavor. Don't know anyone who grows it who does use salt water. I suppose that in theory one could mix up a lightly salted water if you want to try it but I have never found it necessary.

As I mentioned in the other post on it, it goes by many names and Agretti is merely the name in Italian. Saltwort is the most common one AFAIK, even Russian Thistle is more common, So you'll find much more info on growing it searching using its more common names than using "Agretti".

Hope this helps.

Dave

Thanks for answering digdirt!

Surely this is a different Russian thistle than Ive come to know and loathe? It grows all over here, turning the landscape into a barbed wire nightmare. I can't imagine anything or anyone trying to grow it on purpose, let alone eat it! Sounds like an excruciating proposition.

I think it maybe in the same family but not the same thing. Russian Thistle is not officially a name for any plant. It's a common name. The plant I have has a few common names as well but the "Russian Thistle" Dave maybe referring to is not just Russian Thistle but OppositeLeaf Russian Thistle. I maybe wrong.

But Salsola Soda is the Latin name for the plant and Google image search doesn't bring up the same plant for Russian Thistle and Salsola Soda.

In the same family is Salicornia and it's another plant I hope to grow. I really love Salicornia.

They are starting though!

Looks like you're going to get pretty good germination rates! Congrats!

My niece lives in Co., and tells me that Russian Thistle out there is what we commonly think of as tumbleweed...it's invasive and nasty.

Agretti is a much smaller plant, and it has succulent type leaves. Google pics of both and there is a clear difference.

Thanks Donna. Yup there are more this morning. I do think that I should have held off until Fall to plant but this will at least give me some experience with them. I have more seeds to try this fall.

Isn't it interesting how names for plants can be so different regionally? We often go through the same discussions over lima beans vs. butter beans vs. southern peas and beans etc.

I assume that Opposite Leaf Russian Thistle has gotten shortened over the years - it is a mouthful after all - to just Russian Thistle or even Thistle (which can mean lots of things).

And tumbleweed is in the same family and when harvested green and young is edible and quite tasty but most people think of it in only negative terms.

Dave

I knew that "tumbleweed" Russian thistle was Salsola, but didn't know the species. I see now it is obviously not S. soda.

Palatable as it may be, it is a noxious and invasive weed here, not to mention painful and unpleasant to work around. If you've ever had to deal with a large field of it in any capacity you'd probably come to disregard any positive qualities the young shoots may possess lol.

Its a bizzarre plant to see, in late summer-fall, it looks almost like it came from another planet.

Is salicornia what is sometimes called "sea asparagus?" When I was living in Hawaii, a guy would sell it at the farmers market, it was good stuff.

Yup Salicornia is sea asparagus or sea bean. I have seen it marketed more as sea bean . I absolutely love the stuff and I am hoping I can grow it as it's really expensive otherwise.

I just came across a description of Agretti telling that seeds need to be saved warm...60-70 F ....maybe this is why they have such a short viability? I will experiment this Fall and see what I can figure out.

https://www.gourmetseed.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=768

I'm excited to see what develops Donna. Mine so far are germinating well. Now the next step is to see how well I can grow them. I'll probably start again this fall and see though I had hoped to use the container they are in to grow Amish Deer Tongue lettuce lol.

Not sure if you can see them but I have had several more pop up since my last picture.

I'm hoping someone sees this and can help. My Agretti / Saltwort seedlings are coming up but the stems are really skinny and leaning over. Any idea what is going on?

They are located at the South West side of my house so it's getting a decent amount of sun. There are a few days where it's been dreary and cloudy .

Here in this picture, the arrow is pointing at what looks like the stem of the plant and the stem is really skinny.

They look like they're coming along fine to me. They have fleshy leaves, so may be too top heavy for potting mix ...but look like they'll be fine when their roots catch up to top growth.

Thanks Donna.

Check the stem at the soil level to make sure you don't have damp-off going. If not then just brush more soil up next to the stem to better support the plants. And make sure they are getting enough sun (assuming they are outside).

Dave

Thanks Dave. I went back and looked and I don't *think* it is. The stems are solid and not looking like they are pinched or rotting. No fuzz or mold growing. The soil is pretty damp ( not soaking wet ) but I was under the impression that they like being wet?

I do have a lot of gnats crawling around the soil. Is this any concern?

If you google pics of agretti plants, lots of them flop, and grow every which way. This may be some kind of natural defense against the strong winds that are present on shorelines, where they grow naturally. A stiff plant would soon be toppled by high winds, where a plant that can bend with the wind survives. I think they're fine just as they are.

LOL I don't know . I Googled and I think many of them look to be standing up LOL. But I'll keep an eye on them.

Mine look closest to this type for example.

Whatever this type is. They look pine needles.

"The soil is pretty damp ( not soaking wet ) but I was under the impression that they like being wet?

I do have a lot of gnats crawling around the soil. Is this any concern?"

Fungus gnats indicate overly wet soil. To get rid of them - the larvae in the soil eat at the roots - dissolve Mosquito Dunks or bits (Bt) in water and use it to water them. Yes they like a little more water than many other plants but not "wet".

If it helps remember that marsh plants like these grow on the far edge of the pond bank. A good 2 bull frog hops away from the edge of the water. ;-)

Dave

Look at pics of them growing along the seashore...not in a controlled enviroment with lights, etc...I still think they're fine.

Thanks Donna

Great advice Dave. Thanks for the solution on getting rid of these gnats. I never could find something that works.

@DigDirt2 / Dave . You suggested using Mosquito Dunks to kill the gnat larvae .

I crumbled up the dunks and added to my watering can with water but it's now a little more than a week and I see there are still chunks of the disk floating around .

What's the best way to make use of these dunks ?

Shoot had a whole long answer written out and hit the wrong key.

I don't understand your question. They are meant to float in any standing water and slowly dissolve over time - like weeks. But the water they are in begins to kill within an hour or so. You don't have to wait for them to dissolve. When you use up the first batch of water just add more water. You can use it to water anything. It is just Bt in a compressed form.

Dave

slowly dissolve over time - like weeks

^^ This is where my question stems. There isn't any standing water which the plants are in. I water my plants using a garden hose not normally a source of water which the dunks can just float in and slowly dissolve.

To water my plants by another mean I use a watering can. So in this case I added the dunks to the water can but as you say if they dissolve slowly I didn't feel I could use the water right away. I felt I should wait and give the dunks a chance to dissolve some but I wasn't sure how long to wait.

So I added the dunk to the can, waited for it to dissolve and watered but left the dunk in some water to add more in for another watering. I didn't know what to expect for the rate it should dissolve.

But the water they are in begins to kill within an hour or so.

^^ Which I think you answered here my question here.

So just an update. I pulled all my plants and chunked them. They all grew to be really tough and just not palatable IMO. I tried it raw and cooked and yuck.

They all look like this picture and were just tough. I read they will get this way in heat but I'm not sure if I want to try them again this fall to see if I have better luck or not.

Right now the container I had them in would be great to grow wild purslane lol.

So sorry to hear that. If you do try again and they get tough, try trimming them down...newer growth is always more tender.