Brassica rapa var. nipposinica
Mizuna
Common names: Japanese mustard greens, Spinach mustard
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Spacing
- 15 cm, rows 25 cm
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Sowing
- Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep
- Harvest
- May, Jun, Oct, Nov
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below −10 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- For children
- Well suited
Photo: Flickr user masahiko(Masahiko Satoh) · CC BY 2.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Mizuna is a Japanese leafy mustard with delicate, deeply cut leaves and a mild, slightly peppery flavor, much gentler than most Asian salads. The feathery leaves are excellent raw in salads or lightly steamed, and the plant is remarkably frost‑hardy.
Care instructions
Sow directly in the garden from spring to late summer, keeping the soil consistently moist to produce tender, mild leaves. Harvest as a cut‑and‑come‑again salad by snipping just above the soil with scissors; the plant will regrow multiple times, providing a steady supply for weeks. When sown in autumn, it can survive strong frosts under a cover and will keep you supplied until winter.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–Apr, Aug–Sep
HarvestMay–Jun, Oct–Nov
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 5 °C, ideally 20 °C
- Days to sprout
- 3 to 7 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 1 cm
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, well-drained, moist, nutrient-rich
Mizuna likes loose, humus-rich soil that stays evenly moist but dries off well; it does not tolerate waterlogging. Keep the soil on the moist side, because drought makes it bolt quickly.
Brassicas are heavy feeders and prone to clubroot. Observe a 4-year break and do not follow directly after other crucifers such as radishes or mustard.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep
Before sowing in spring (March/April) or late summer (August/September), work mature compost shallowly into the soil. On lean soils, add some horn shavings. With a well-prepared bed, you usually do not need to feed again during the short crop; too much nitrogen makes the leaves soft.
Overwintering
Mizuna is an annual and, although it survives light frosts down to about -10 °C for a short time, it dies in sustained severe frost. Sow it anew every year. For a winter harvest, sow from September in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse and cover with horticultural fleece; in spring, start it from February/March or sow directly outdoors from March/April.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You propagate mizuna exclusively by sowing. Vegetative methods such as division or cuttings are not common practice for this annual leaf vegetable. For a spring crop, you can start it from February in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame and sow directly outdoors from March; for an autumn and winter harvest, sowing in the greenhouse from July to September is recommended. Direct sowing in the bed is the easiest method: lay the seeds about 1 cm deep in rows 15 to 25 cm apart, and later thin to 5 to 10 cm between plants in the row. At soil temperatures of around 15 to 20 °C, the seeds usually germinate within a week. For a continuous harvest, sow again every 2 to 3 weeks (succession sowing). In high summer you should be restrained with sowings, as mizuna bolts faster in heat and long days and turns bitter. After harvest (cut the leaves about 3 to 5 cm above the ground), the plant regrows several times and gives further cuts.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
legume family (Fabaceae)
particularly well establishedLeguminous plants collect nitrogen in the soil, from which Brassicaceae benefit as heavy feeders.
For example Bush beanPole beanBroad beanSnow peaWrinkled peaRunner bean and 35 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
carrot family (Apiaceae)
You can pair celery and dill with all Brassicaceae because they repel the cabbage whitefly with their scent, a proven companion.
For example CarrotCeleriacDillParsleyFlorence fennelCoriander and 21 more species in the catalogue
Source: Bio-Gärtnerei Mixed-culture Practice
mint family (Lamiaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example LavenderThymeBasilRosemarySageHyssop and 43 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
nasturtium family (Tropaeolaceae)
Nasturtium serves as a trap plant for you. Aphids and cabbage whiteflies prefer it over the brassicaceae next to it.
For example NasturtiumMashua
Source: Trap plant practice in organic horticulture
Rather not
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Mizuna yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
Free, no time limit
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