How to Grow Mustard Greens From Seed

Mustard greens are a quick, cool-season crop, so grow them in the cooler ends of the year. Direct-sow in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked, then again in late summer for a fall crop that tastes milder after a light frost. Because heat pushes it to flower, sow a short fresh row every 2 to 3 weeks for a steady supply and stop spring sowings once daytime highs settle in the mid-70s. In the mild-winter South, it grows happily through fall and winter.

Mustard is happiest sown right where it will grow. Scatter or space the seeds about a quarter to half an inch deep in rich, well-drained soil, keep the bed evenly moist, and seedlings appear fast, usually in 5 to 10 days. Thin to 6 inches apart for baby-leaf cutting or 8 to 12 inches for big full-size plants. Full sun gives the most growth, though a little afternoon shade helps in warm spells.

Fast, steady growth is what keeps mustard tender and less fiery, so water regularly and never let it dry out, and feed lightly with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer for lush leaves. Mulch keeps the roots cool and slows bolting. Watch for flea beetles peppering the leaves with tiny holes and for cabbage worms, and cover young plants with a light row cover if needed. Southern Giant Curled is unusually cold-hardy and bolt-resistant, but in hot regions like the Deep South or Texas grow it as a fall-through-spring crop rather than in summer.

Mustard grows fast and pairs well with other quick greens and pest-repelling flowers that keep its tender leaves clean. These four make especially good companions, and you can add any of them in one click:

You can start cutting baby leaves once they reach 4 to 5 inches, tender and mild for salads, or let plants size up and harvest larger leaves for cooking. Pick outer leaves as needed for a cut-and-come-again patch, or shear the whole plant an inch or two above the crown and let it regrow. Harvest in the cool of the morning, and pick before hot weather makes the leaves too pungent.

Mustard greens bring a bold, peppery, horseradish-like bite. Use young leaves raw in salads and sandwiches for a spicy kick, or cook mature leaves to mellow them: braise them slow Southern-style with a little garlic and smoke, wilt them into soups and stir-fries, or saute them as a quick side. The flavor softens with cooking, so even fiery leaves turn savory and rich in the pan.

• Bolting and bitterness: heat makes mustard flower and turn sharp. Grow it cool, keep it watered, pick young, and resow every couple of weeks.
• Flea beetles: tiny shot-holes across the leaves. Cover young plants with a light row cover and plant radishes or nasturtiums nearby as a trap crop.
• Cabbage worms: hand-pick the green caterpillars and check leaf undersides regularly.
• Tough, overly pungent leaves: usually old or heat-stressed. Harvest younger leaves and keep the soil evenly moist for milder flavor.