Plant Rescue 105 - Chinese Cabbage

      Back in November after the harvest of The Chinese Cabbage, it was my thought that that plant had gone to plant heaven, never to be heard from again.  And you were hoping the saga was over, too.

Chinese Cabbage, 11/23/2012

      This magnificent plant had grown as a volunteer, and I constantly feared for its life against the appetite of deer or rabbits.  But it survived, only to be mowed down by my blade for the Thanksgiving harvest.

Picked for Thanksgiving, 2011

      End of story, right?  Wrong.  There still was a stump, promising all sorts of possible rescue plans:

      I cut off all the little leaflets except the one shown in the middle of this shot.  Put the rest of those leaf thingies in my compost:

      Where they promptly rotted from too much moisture.  End of story, right?  Not so fast.  The old root with the one attached leaflet went back into a pot.  And did well:

Coming back strong, 12/28/2011

      I have some chinese cabbage started now from purchased seed, so I should let this poor survivor alone to live out its life and produce seed.  As it is trying to do:

Still growing, 2/17/2012

      Or I could cut it back another time and use these leaves for a salad.  It has a nice seed head forming, yet the cole crops are notorious for cross pollinating, meaning I might not get chinese cabbage from the seed.  Maybe I will cut it up for trying to clone some of the pieces.  Yes, that might extend its life a little bit more. Long live the Chinese Cabbage.