Mizuna

About Mizuna

Mizuna is a Japanese mustard green with feathery, deeply cut leaves and a mild, peppery taste. It is easy, fast and very slow to bolt, and it regrows after cutting, so it is a favorite in salad mixes. It is a cousin of bok choy and napa cabbage.

Grown as a cool-season annual in every zone, in spring and fall; it is very cold tolerant. It is the same species as field mustard, which the California Invasive Plant Council rates Limited (advisory).

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Days count from seeding; baby leaves are ready in about a month. Sow in early spring or late summer for fall; seed sprouts in soil as cool as 40F (best 55 to 75F). Space 4 to 6 inches for baby leaves and up to 16 inches for full-size plants.

Soil

Well-drained soil rich in organic matter; water when rain is short.

Choose well-drained soil rich in organic matter; work in compost before sowing.

Feeding

Dry soil and hot spells push it to flower; keep it watered and pick often.

Harvest

Cut baby leaves at 3 to 4 inches, or cut the whole plant about 2 inches above the soil and let it regrow. Picking often also delays flowering.

Cut about 2 inches above the soil and it regrows; picking a few outer leaves at a time gives up to five pickings before it flowers.

Varieties (8)

Extension sources name only a handful of mizuna varieties; many seed packets just say 'Mizuna'.

Pests to watch for

Flea beetles, Slugs, Brown garden snail, Imported cabbageworm

In the kitchen

Young leaves raw in salads; older leaves sauteed with garlic or onion, stir-fried, or added to soups and stews.

Keeping it: Wash, bag and refrigerate; it keeps for more than a week.

Safety: If you take the blood thinner warfarin, keep the amount of leafy greens you eat about the same from day to day, because they are rich in vitamin K (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements).

Pets: Not listed by the ASPCA