It is so satisfying snipping fresh greens from a garden for a salad. And it’s fun to add flavors to different salads beyond your standard lettuce varieties. Certain greens, like mustard and arugula, can add a spicy kick to salads, sandwiches, pizzas, stir fries, and other recipes. In this article, I’m going to share some tips on growing mustard greens from seed.
Members of the brassica family, which includes other cruciferous veggies, like cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, and kale, mustard greens are hardy, cool-season crops that are pretty easy to grow—and low maintenance. They are also packed with vitamins and nutrients, and high in fiber, bringing lots of healthful benefits to your salad bowl.
Why grow mustard greens?Mustard greens are like arugula, especially as the leaves mature. They add a zesty flavor to whatever they’re added to. Plants are quick to mature—they are ready in 30 to 40 days.
Different types of mustard are grown around the world, from Asia to Africa, to the Southern United States, and are used in a wide variety of recipes. Leaves are sautéed, boiled, dried, and even pickled. Not only do they bring interesting flavors, they are also very ornamental. You can also eat the flowers and seeds.
Mustard plants will start to bolt as the weather warms up, though there are some bolt-resistant varieties that will slow that inevitability. The key is regular succession planting, so your whole entire crop of mustard greens doesn’t bolt at once! Sow seeds every couple of weeks.
Types of mustard greensWhen you’re perusing a seed catalog, you may encounter several different types of mustard greens, such as: