Monk's beard, which is called agretti in Italian, is a representative of the s alt herbs that is often used in the kitchen. Even if you don't live by the sea and don't have a s alt lake in your garden, you can easily grow s alt herbs yourself.
The name s alt herb already indicates the characteristic property of the plant group: the preference for s alty soil. Associated with this, the slightly s alty taste of s alt herb species is reminiscent of the sea and holidays. You can bring this holiday feeling home by planting monk's beard yourself. Everything you need to know - from sowing the Agretti seeds and caring for them to harvesting and preparation - can be found in this article.
What is the difference between Monk's Beard, Agretti and Salzkraut?
Several species from the subfamily Salsoloideae, which is subordinate to the foxtail family (Amaranthaceae), are referred to as s alt herbs. A well-known and popular representative is monk's beard (Salsola soda). This herb originally comes from Eurasia and North Africa, but can now be found on many coasts as far away as Scandinavia and Japan. While monk's beard is still a rarity here and you rarely find it at well-stocked weekly markets, it is established in Italian cuisine, for example. There, however, the herb is not called monk's beard, but rather agretti or barba di frate. Another well-known representative of the s alt herbs is the Japanese s alt herb (Salsola komarovi), which is also known as land algae in Japan and is often used for sushi.
Tip: A plant called ice flower is also called s altweed. However, this belongs to a completely different family, the Aizoaceae, and is therefore not related to the s alt herbs described here.
The s alt herbs we grow are not perennial and therefore have to be sown or planted in the garden every year. S alt herbs have strongly branched stalks, which, despite being one year old, lignify slightly. The color of the sprout isdifferent. S altweed is greenish-white under normal circumstances, but it often turns reddish in the event of drought stress, lack of nutrients or increased s alt content.
Monk's beard can reach a height of up to 70 cm. Its leaves are rounded and long, resembling needles. Agretti blooms approximately from June to September. However, the flowers are greenish, very small and sit inconspicuously in the leaf axils. Fruits develop from this, which in nature are mainly spread by the wind. They can also be harvested from most varieties and used for your own reproduction.
Cultivation of monk's beard, agretti and s alt cabbage
Monk's Beard places high demands on its location. Agretti are more naturally found in wet areas, such as s alt marshes, s alt marshes, or coastal locations. S altweed is also a halophyte. This means that not only does chasteberry tolerate s alt, it needs sodium chloride in the soil to thrive.
Agretti need a lot of light, which is why it is best grown in locations with lots of sun.
For planting s alt mace can For example, you use our Plantura organic universal soil , which is peat-free for the sake of the environment and still has very good water storage capacity. Mixed with some table s alt, this soil can be prepared for monk's beard.
Tip: Use a maximum of two teaspoons of s alt per liter of pot volume or one to two teaspoons per plant outdoors. Monk's beard tolerates s alt concentrations of up to eleven grams per liter. It accumulates sodium, so it stores it in the plant body. The addition of s alt leads to compact plants and aromatic leaves.
S altwort can be sowed directly outdoors from mid-April to May. Since monk's beard seeds can only be stored for a short time and have a relatively low germination rate, sowing can sometimes fail. In addition, young s altwort plants are still susceptible to late frosts. For these reasons, it is a good idea to put s alt cabbage indoors on the windowsill from February to April.
Pre-breeding procedure:
- Prepare a seed tray, for example with our well-moistened Plantura organic herb and seed soil and a maximum of 2 teaspoons of s alt per liter of soil.
- Distribute the monk's herb seeds relatively densely, about 3 cm apart, and cover the seeds with about 1 cm of soil. Then water everything wellan.
- Make sure the soil temperature is between 15 and 20 °C. In addition, the soil should always be kept moist, but never wet.
- In good conditions, monk's weed seeds will germinate within 7 to 10 days. But it can also take a little longer.
- When the plants are about 3 to 4 cm high they can be pricked out 20 x 20 cm apart in their final location, either in the pot or in the garden.
- Pay attention to an adequate water supply, especially after transplanting the s altweed.
Tip: Growing Agretti in a greenhouse as a winter crop at around 15°C can also work. To do this, the seeds of the s altweed are sown directly into the final substrate in the greenhouse until October.
Maintenance of s alt cabbage and Co.
Not much needs to be considered when caring for s altweed. Salsola soda should be watered regularly and will grow even better with a fertilizing every two weeks. A suitable fertilizer is, for example, our liquid Plantura organic tomato and vegetable fertilizer. It consists of 100% natural, plant-based and animal-free ingredients and is manufactured as resource-friendly as possible. 10 ml of this should be stirred into one liter of irrigation water every two weeks and used to water the plant.
Tip: Fortunately, snails don't like s alt cabbage at all.
Harvest and Use
S altweed grows relatively quickly and can be harvested after about two months. If there is a sufficient supply of nutrients, the plants will sprout again vigorously even after the harvest, so that harvesting can continue. The younger the shoots are, the crunchier and fresher they taste. So don't hesitate too long with the harvest and simply cut off the tips of the shoots. Care should be taken to leave at least five centimeters of the original shoot so that the plant can sprout again.
Many recipes with agretti have come to us, especially from Italian cuisine, including pasta with monk's beard. Freshly added, s alt cabbage gives salads a fresh aroma reminiscent of the sea and holidays. Other recipes with Agretti are ravioli stuffed with s alt cabbage or simply added to omelets or scrambled eggs.
Another vegetable that has been fairly forgotten and also thrives in s alty locations is the so-called sea kale. Everything about planting and caring for beach cabbage can be found in our special article.