Plantain Purple Perversion Plantago Major
Plantago Major
Story: This domesticated variety of the wild growing weed Plantain is native to Eurasia and has a long medicinal and edible history. This strain features large, crinkled leaves ranging from light green to deep, reddish purple which are delicious cooked or eaten raw when young.
Sow: March - May
Requirements: These are hardly perennials that will grow in a wide range of soils but thrive best in sunny positions, sow direct or in modules and keep weed free for harvestable leaves. Remove the outer, oldest leaves throughout the season to discourage pests for a clean crop. They are a disease and pest free crop once they get established.
When to harvest seed: As the stalks dry and turn brown on the plant throughout the season once established.
Need to isolate: No
Seed Grown: Omved Gardens
Seed harvested: 2024
Saving seed from Plantain: This hardy plant produces abundant, tiny seed throughout the season. Plant in a clump so that the wind pollinated flowers reach each other and isolate from wild growing Greater Plantain patches (common in lawns as a wildflower). When flower stalks are dry to the touch cut them off to mature off the plant or pull the ripe seed off by running your fingers over the seed heads, pulling the seed into a bowl. We find a sieve best to separate the chaff from the seed as the light seed is easily lost during winnowing.
How to send seed back: Please label all seed with variety, type, date and your contact, if you didn't get a chance to fill out our online data collection form, you can also send us a few lines about how it grew for you/flavour etc. Please aim to send back 2 tablespoons of dried seed or more so that we can continue to share with network members. Send to: Omved Gardens, 1 Townsend Yard, N6 5JF.
Please remember, if you’re an individual grower you can order up to 3 packets of seeds. If you order more than this, you will receive just three packs to begin with. This is to ensure we get plenty of data in return and to keep our stocks sustainable for years to come.*
*Community groups and Experienced Growers can order larger quantities, please email us if this is the case.
If an item is out of stock we will send a close alternative.
