Mustard Greens

Thrives in USDA Zones 3 - 11

• Direct Sow

  4 - 6 weeks before last frost; or in late summer for autumn harvest

• Harvest

  30 - 60 days; cut outer leaves regularly or harvest whole plant; flavor intensifies with cold weather

• Use row cover immediately after sowing to exclude flea beetles, the main pest of young brassica leaves.

• Sow thickly and harvest thinnings as baby greens; the remaining plants will fill out.

• Succession sow every 3 - 4 weeks for continuous harvest through cool seasons.

• Allow one plant to bolt and flower - it will attract beneficial predatory wasps to the garden.

• Watering

  If the top 2 inches of soil feel dry, a deep watering at the base may help more than frequent light watering. In healthy soil, rain may cover much of what it needs.

• Feeding

  Extra feeding is rarely required if soil is healthy. If growth looks pale or slow, a light compost top-dressing is often enough before adding anything stronger.

• Seasonal care

  During the main season, harvesting when the crop is ready and removing damaged growth can help keep the planting productive if it starts to look crowded or tired.

• Southern Giant Curled

  Classic Southern heirloom with large, crinkled, bright green leaves and mild-to-medium heat; the standard for Southern cooking.

  Best for

  slow cooking, Southern cuisine, large harvests

• Red Giant

  Striking deep purple-red leaves with strong spicy flavor; ornamental and culinary; slow to bolt.

  Best for

  visual interest, raw salads, Asian cuisine

• Osaka Purple

  Japanese heirloom with purple-tinged leaves; mild heat; popular in Asian cooking and as a salad green.

  Best for

  Asian cooking, salads, mild flavor

• Green Wave

  Vigorous, heat-tolerant variety with frilled green leaves and medium pungency; productive and slow to bolt.

  Best for

  warm climates, extended harvest

• Tendergreen

  Mild, spinach-like flavor with smooth leaves; less pungent than most mustard greens; good for those new to the flavor.

  Best for

  mild taste, beginners, salads

• Flea Beetles
• Cabbage Moth
• Aphids
• Slugs
• Cabbage Worm

Origin

Thought to have originated as a natural hybrid between Brassica rapa and Brassica nigra in Central Asia.

Native Habitat

The parent species grow wild in disturbed habitats, roadsides, and agricultural margins across Central Asia and Europe.

Current Distribution

Cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical climates; especially important in South Asia for oilseed production and in East and Southeast Asia for vegetable cultivation.

Kingdom

Plantae

Family

Mustard family (Brassicaceae)

Genus

Brassica

Species

juncea

• Root System

  Taproot with fibrous laterals; relatively shallow; benefits from consistent moisture.

• Stem

  Erect main stem with side branches; tender and edible when young; hollow and tough when bolting.

• Leaves

  Large, puckered or smooth depending on variety; bright to dark green; may have purple or red pigmentation; distinctly pungent when raw.

• Flowers

  Small yellow four-petaled flowers; blooms quickly in heat; flowers and young seed pods are edible.

• Fruit

  Narrow cylindrical seed pods 1 - 2 inches long; seeds round, brown or yellow, strongly pungent.

Brassica juncea is thought to have originated as a natural hybrid between Brassica rapa and Brassica nigra in Central Asia, with domestication occurring independently in both Central Asia and China approximately 3,000 - 4,000 years ago. The species developed into two profoundly different horticultural traditions: the East Asian tradition, which emphasized leafy vegetable forms through continuous selection in China, Japan, and Korea; and the South Asian and Near Eastern tradition, which focused primarily on oilseed forms used to produce mustard oil, one of the dominant cooking oils of the Indian subcontinent. African-American food culture developed mustard greens as a cornerstone of Southern cooking through the agricultural experience of enslaved people, who recognized and cultivated plants familiar from African food traditions; slow-cooked mustard greens with pot liquor became inseparable from Southern culinary identity.