Mustard seeds

The zesty, fast-growing green worth a spot in your garden

Mustard (Brassica juncea) is a quick cool-season member of the cabbage family grown for its bold, peppery leaves and, later, its pungent seed. Leaves range from frilly green to deep purple-red, and the flavor runs from mildly zesty when young to sharp and horseradish-hot when mature. Grown a little longer, the plant bolts into cheerful yellow flowers and sets the small round seeds used to make mustard and pickling spice. Fast, hardy, and versatile, mustard earns its place in both the salad bed and the spice rack.

How to grow mustard from seed

Mustard is one of the easiest greens to start from seed. Sow mustard seeds about a quarter to half an inch deep in full sun and fertile, moisture-retentive soil, then thin to stand four to six inches apart for full leaves or sow thickly for baby greens. Leaves are ready to cut in roughly 20 to 45 days, and the plant grows best in the cool weather of spring and fall, since heat pushes it to bolt. Let a few plants flower and dry down if you want to harvest your own seed. For the full step-by-step, see our complete guide to growing mustard from seed.

How to use mustard

Young mustard leaves add a peppery snap to salads and sandwiches, while mature leaves are a southern classic braised low and slow with smoky seasonings, or stir-fried and folded into soups. The seeds are the other prize: toast and crush them into homemade mustard, grind them into curry blends, or drop them whole into pickling brines and tempering oils. Little on the plant goes to waste, from tender leaf to ripe seed.

Mustard and its brassica cousins

If you love mustard, you will likely enjoy its cabbage-family relatives. Try kale for hardy leafy greens, broccoli rabe for another bold, bitter green, or arugula for a similarly peppery salad leaf. You can explore the full range in our vegetable seeds collection.

Why buy mustard seeds from Organo Republic

Every packet of mustard seed we sell is non-GMO, open-pollinated heirloom, and germination tested, so you can sow with confidence. As a U.S.-based licensed seed dealer, we work directly with trusted growers to keep quality high and prices low, and every pack carries a QR code that links straight to free online growing guidance. Orders over $49 ship free. Whether you want a single pack of mustard or a curated vegetable collection, you will find dependable, easy-to-grow seed here.