Mustard greens are a fast and simple cool-season crop. They deal with mild frosts and offer you tender child greens in just a few weeks. The secret is timing. Mustard greens style greatest after they develop in cool climate, and so they bolt (flower) as soon as temperatures climb and days lengthen. Learn to develop mustard greens with the ideas on this information.
Key Takeaways
Mustard greens thrive in cool seasons and develop shortly, with the perfect harvesting in spring and fall.
Direct sow seeds 1/4–1/2 inch deep; count on germination in 4–10 days with cautious spacing for optimum progress.
Constant moisture and correct daylight are essential; mulch will help keep moisture ranges.
Thinning seedlings is important for progress; permit spacing of three–6 inches relying on desired leaf dimension.
Frequent pests embody flea beetles and aphids; use natural controls for higher crop well being.
When to Plant Mustard Greens
As a result of mustard greens are a cool-season crop, planting dates rely extra on temperature than the calendar.
In cooler and temperate climates
Spring crop: Sow seeds 2–3 weeks earlier than your final frost date, and once more a few weeks later for an extended harvest.
Fall crop: Sow seeds in late summer time by means of fall so vegetation mature as temperatures cool (usually higher taste and texture than spring crops).
In mild-winter and heat climates
Develop mustard greens as a fall, winter, and early spring crop.
Keep away from late spring planting notes like “it’s nonetheless cool sufficient” as a result of one heat spell can set off bolting and difficult leaves.
Within the low desert, mustard greens are a fall and winter crop.
If you wish to match mustard timing with the remainder of your seasonal planting, my Arizona vegetable planting information makes it straightforward to see what to plant when.
Sizzling local weather tip: In early fall and once more on the finish of the season, I plant mustard greens within the coolest areas of my backyard that get pure afternoon shade and fewer solar) so it lasts longer and bolts later.
Mustard vs. Different Greens (Fast Overview)
In case you’re making an attempt to resolve which greens to develop this season, right here’s a fast comparability. It’s additionally a useful technique to combine and match greens with totally different timing and taste, so you will have one thing to reap.
Mustard greens: Quicker progress with a extra peppery, daring taste. Nice once you need fast harvests.
Swiss chard: Not a brassica and among the finest greens for warmth. Wonderful for cut-and-come-again harvesting.
Collard greens: Sturdy leaves with a light taste. Very productive and among the finest greens for colder climate.
Kale: Much like collards and infrequently much more cold-hardy. Leaves can style sweeter after a frost.
Bok choy: Fast-growing and tender, however can bolt sooner. Finest in cool climate.
Lettuce: Not a brassica. It bolts shortly in warmth and often performs greatest in delicate temperatures.
Spinach: Loves chilly climate and might deal with chilly situations, nevertheless it bolts shortly as temperatures heat up.
Malabar spinach: Not true spinach. A heat-loving vine with thick leaves that thrives in summer time when most greens wrestle. Finest grown on a trellis and harvested usually for tender leaves.
Methods to Plant Mustard Greens
Solar: Full solar is nice in cool climate. In hotter spells, afternoon shade helps forestall stress and bolting.
Soil: Unfastened, well-draining soil with loads of natural matter. Add 1 to 2 inches of compost earlier than planting.
Planting: Plant seeds 1/4–1/2 inch (0.6–1.3 cm) deep. House seeds about 1 inch (2.5 cm) aside (you’ll skinny later)
Watering: Maintain space hydrated till seedlings emerge.
Thinning: Skinny seedings to about 3 inches (7.6 cm) aside for child leaf harvests, 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) aside for bigger leaves. (4 per sq. for sq. foot gardening)
Succession planting: For a gradual harvest, sow a small batch each 2–3 weeks throughout your planting window. Get extra succession planting suggestions on this information.
Beginning Mustard Greens Indoors (Elective)
Beginning seeds indoors will help you get constant germination when outside situations are nonetheless scorching.
Sow seeds 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) deep in seed-starting combine.
Maintain evenly moist.
As soon as seedlings have 2–3 units of true leaves, harden off for a couple of week.
Transplant and water properly the primary few days.
Caring for Mustard Greens
Watering
Mustard greens style greatest after they develop shortly. Intention for constant moisture, particularly whereas vegetation are small. Mulch helps stabilize soil moisture and temperature.
Fertilizing
If progress seems to be pale or sluggish, a light-weight feeding helps. Aspect-dress with compost, or feed with an natural fertilizer like Agrothrive.
Mustard Greens Bolting (Why It Occurs and What to Do)
Bolting is when the plant switches from making leaves to creating flowers and seeds. With mustard greens, bolting is most typical when:
temperatures rise
days lengthen
vegetation expertise stress (dry soil, nutrient stress, crowding)
vegetation mature and “resolve” it’s time to reproduce
Methods to sluggish bolting
Plant in the best season on your local weather.
Maintain watering constant (keep away from drought stress).
Harvest often (don’t let vegetation sit too lengthy).
Use mild shade throughout heat spells (particularly in scorching climates).
Attempt slower-bolting varieties (some pink mustards are identified for slower bolting).
In case your mustard greens bolt anyway
Harvest what you possibly can. Leaves might style stronger, however they’re usually nonetheless good cooked.
The flowers are edible and engaging to helpful bugs.
If you would like seeds, let just a few vegetation end flowering and save the seeds.
Bolting isn’t just a mustard drawback, so in case your onions begin sending up flower stalks too, here’s what to do when onions bolt. Cool-season crops can bolt for various causes, so when you’ve got seen it occur with root crops too, learn this information on why carrots bolt the primary 12 months and tips on how to forestall it.
Harvesting Mustard Greens
Child leaf: Minimize leaves when they’re 2–4 inches (5–10 cm) tall.
Minimize-and-come-again: Snip outer leaves, leaving the middle to continue to grow.
Full plant harvest: Minimize the entire plant on the base.
For the highest quality, harvest within the morning and funky leaves shortly.
Frequent Pests (and Easy Natural Controls)
Mustard greens are within the brassica household, so you may even see acquainted pests:
Flea beetles: Tiny “shot holes” in leaves, worst on seedlings
Use row cowl early, hold weeds down, and defend vegetation whereas small.
Aphids: Cluster on tender progress
Blast off with water, encourage helpful bugs, or use insecticidal cleaning soap if wanted.
Cabbage worms: Ragged holes and inexperienced droppings
Hand-pick, use row cowl, or use Bt when caterpillars are current.
FAQ: Mustard Greens
They will, particularly when it will get scorching. Planting in cool seasons and preserving water constant helps sluggish bolting.
Sure. The leaves usually get harder and stronger, however they’re often nonetheless good cooked. Flowers are edible too.
Full solar is good in cool climate. In heat climates morning solar with afternoon shade can enhance high quality.
Skinny to three inches (7.6 cm) for child greens, or 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) for bigger leaves.
Sure. Use a container not less than 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) deep with drainage. Maintain watering constant.
Older leaves and warmth stress improve pungency and bitterness. Harvest youthful leaves.
They tolerate mild frosts properly. Onerous freezes can harm leaves, however vegetation usually survive with safety.
Many sorts are prepared in about 30–45 days, with child greens a lot sooner.
Sure, but when different brassicas are flowering close by, cross-pollination is feasible. Let seed pods dry on the plant, then acquire and dry completely earlier than storing.
