Growing Samphire

[Inastate]

Anybody care to share their thoughts on growing Samphire?

I've read that you can water it with a mixture of sea salt & water, but I'm not sure how accurate this is.

thanks

[Alison]

Are you wanting to grow marsh or rock samphire? They're quite different but I've only ever foraged rather than grown.

[veggiechicken]

Does this help? http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ire_63814.html

[Inastate]

Are you wanting to grow marsh or rock samphire? They're quite different but I've only ever foraged rather than grown.

I thought I'd read that one was quite inedible. But further reading just now had indicated otherwise?

Likewise with veggiechickens link, I was certain that people had success with this stuff, but after a quick google, and the above link, it appears not to be the case! I can't tell if I've simply read the misleading spiel on the seed merchants websites or not?

[solway cropper]

If you want samphire your best bet would be to move to an estuary and gather it from the shore. Not much help, I know, but I do feel that some wild foods are best harvested from the wild.

[djhs196]

An alternative is to grow Salsola.

There's a write up here - Alys Fowler: salsola | Life and style | The Guardian and seeds are available from Real Seeds - Vegetable Seeds : Salad Crops other than lettuce.

It's crunchy and salty, and samphire like in taste. I wouldn't use it in fresh in a salad, but as a sidefish for fish I think it has great merit as a samphire alternative?

[WilliamD]

We've grown both: rock samphire last year and marsh this year; marsh being the 'posh' one you get in the supermarkets in longish strands and rock being the more leafy one (ours growing last year in the pic below). The rock grew fairly well and we ended up with a jar of it pickled, with peppers etc. and it was reasonably nice to eat. The marsh was incredibly reluctant to thrive, often apparently dying off and then sprouting a few strands again but always staying a very small clump. And that was with soaking it regularly in salt water as you're supposed to. Will be trying again next year though. It's so delicious I'm determined to crack it.


Rock Samphire - not the best of the two varieties.