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How to Grow Mustard Greens: Planting & Harvesting Spicy Garden Greens

Growing Mustard Greens in the garden
Photo Credit
saypinarcs
Botanical Name
Brassica juncea
Plant Type
Vegetables
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Part Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
Hardiness Zone
2
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Spice up your garden with easy-to-grow mustard greens—bold flavor, big benefits

Andy Wilcox
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Need a little zip in your greens? Meet mustard greens—the bold, peppery cousins of kale and collards that bring heat to your plate and nutrients to your body. Whether you’re tossing them in salads or cooking them Southern-style, these cool-season champs are easy to grow and packed with personality. Let’s turn up the flavor and get planting!

About Mustard Greens

While many people lump them in as “greens,” mustard greens are quite different from collards or kale. Mustard greens are known botanically as Brassica juncea. As an annual plant, it will flower, seed, and die all in one year. 

They are cool-season crops grown in the spring and in the fall. Plus, they’re “hardy,” able to withstand low temperatures and frost. The greens have thinner, more tender leaves than collards or kale. Their foliage can be many shades of light to deep green and purple. Leaf edges may be smooth, frilly, or lacey; some can grow large. Known for their spicy flavor, mustard greens are excellent additions to salads, sandwiches, smoothies, and juices. They are often cooked down and added to dishes to bring a shot of flavor and a bit of heat. 

Also, note that B. juncea is not an “invasive” mustard plant, such as garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and wild mustard (Brassica arvensis). If you are concerned, remember to remove the flowers, and it won’t make seeds and spread. After all, we want the tasty foliage!

The biggest issue with mustard greens is planting this cool-season crop so it avoids summer heat. Avoid any temperatures above 75°F, or you may have bitter leaves and early flowering.

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Planting

Choose a sunny location with fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Don’t plant on a wet site. Mustard greens like neutral pH but not too picky.  Mustard greens can also be grown in containers! Choose a pot that is at least 3 gallons for full-size plants. Baby mustard can be grown in smaller containers.

When to Plant Mustard Greens

Mustard greens can be grown from seed or transplants. They’re fast growers (30 to 60 days, based on variety). Succession plant this green every 2 to 3 weeks for a continuous supply of tender leaves. 

Spring Planting: 

If you grow in spring, make sure the leaves mature before the heat of summer for best taste. See our Planting Calendar.

  • Direct Sowing: Sow seeds directly in the garden 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost. Or, sow any time after soils reach 40°F.
  • Starting Indoors: Sow seeds 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplants: Transplant seedlings or starter plants into the garden 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost. 

Fall Planting:

Many gardeners prefer fall crops because the plants mature in cool conditions and taste better.

  • Direct Sowing: Put seeds in the ground mid to late summer for a fall harvest, about 6 to 9 weeks before the first fall frost. The maturity date should be about 2 to 3 weeks after the first fall frost. 

How to Plant Mustard Greens

  • Work in compost or aged manure and mulch around plants after they emerge. 
     
  • If direct sowing seeds, plant about 1/2-inch deep, and cover lightly. 
     
  • Thin seedlings when plants have 3 to 4 true leaves.
     
  • Transplant when there are 4 to 6 mature leaves. It may take 5 to 6 weeks to grow transplants.
     
  • Thinned seedlings or transplants should be spaced 3 inches apart in a row, with rows 12 inches apart.
     
  • Baby mustard greens can be planted closer together, about two seeds per inch, with rows 4 to 6 inches apart. 
     

Growing

Mustard greens can be lush and reach an impressive size. Like other greens, they not only taste good but are great at making your garden look inviting, and you like you’ve got a green thumb.

  • Mustard greens like fertile soil rich in organic matter. This is the spot to use a little extra compost or aged manure. All that nitrogen as the organic material breaks down is just what those greens like. 
     
  • Keep soil moist and very consistently moist. Check the soil moisture by working your finger down 2 to 3 inches. The soil should be cool and a little damp. If it is hot and dusty, you’ll need to water.  
     
  • Check your rain gauge and provide extra water if necessary. Mustard greens like about an inch of water per week, more in hot or dry weather. Two deep waterings are better than daily shallow irrigation.
     
  • Water in the morning to reduce issues with fungal diseases. Leaves will dry faster in the heat of the day, minimizing how long they are damp and supportive of spores. 
     
  • Mulch around the plant also helps conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth. 
     
  • Feed mustard greens about 4 weeks after transplanting. Sidedress (along plants) with 1/2-cup per 10 feet of row of a nitrogen-based fertilizer (21-0-0). Water in.
     
  • Fabric covers are helpful to protect young seedlings and transplants from freeze and from insect damage.
     
  • Weed consistently, as mustard greens do not establish well with weeds. 

Types

  • ‘Red Splendor’ is a heat-tolerant (bolt-resistant) variety with deeply lobed green and purple leaves. It is a hotter-flavored mustard green and works well for baby greens.
     
  • ‘Southern Giant’ is a large-leafed and tall variety. An heirloom from the South, this classic mustard green will provide tons of fresh harvests.
     
  • ‘Wasabina’ has a gentler flavor and works well for harvest when young and tender.
     
  • ‘Feaster Family’ heirloom mustard grows large, about 20-25” tall, with large, upright, light green, mild-flavored leaves. 

Harvesting

Mustard greens can be harvested as baby greens about 3-4 weeks after sowing or allowed to get larger. Of course, if you seed them closely and then eat the ones that need thinning, that provides both sizes. 

Greens harvested before hot weather will be more mild and tender. For mature plants, grab the base of the leaf and twist it off. Mustard greens are cut and come again, meaning they will continue to send new leaves and provide a long harvest season. Baby mustard greens can be snipped off with scissors.

Gardening Products

Pests/Diseases

  • Flea beetles (use row covers)
     
  • Slugs
     
  • Aphids
     

Wit and Wisdom

  • Many gardeners find curly-leaved varieties tolerate frosts better than straight-leaved plants.
     
  • Mustard greens contain more Vitamin A than spinach and more Vitamin C than oranges.
     
  • These spicy greens are loaded with antioxidants called phytonutrients. 

Recipes

Sautéed Greens with Garlic
Vegetables
About The Author

Andy Wilcox

Andy Wilcox is a flower farmer and master gardener with a passion for soil health, small producers, forestry, and horticulture. Read More from Andy Wilcox
 

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