Coleus edulis
| Coleus edulis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Coleus edulis (common name: gala dinich)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse in late winter and seal the pot in a plastic bag until germination takes place - this is usually within 2 weeks at 20°c[1]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow on the plants in a greenhouse for their first year. Store the tubers in a cool frost-free place and plant them out into their permanent positions in the spring, after the last expected frosts.
Division. Harvest the tubers in the autumn after the top growth has been cut back by frost, store them in a cool but frost-free place over winter and plant them out in spring.
Cultivation: We have no information on this plant and do not know if it would be feasible to grow it outdoors in Britain, it is almost certainly not winter hardy. As an experiment it could be worthwhile growing it in much the same way as potatoes are grown, planting out the tubers in April and harvesting them in the autumn. Give the plants a warm very sunny position in a well-drained soil.
This species is cultivated for its edible tuber in Ethiopia[2].
Range: N. Africa - Ethiopia.
Habitat: Mountainous regions, 1800 - 2100 metres.
Edibility: Root - cooked[3][4][2][5]. We have no further details.
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.