Mizuna (Japanese mustard): Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow mizuna outdoors?
Sow mizuna when the ground is workable and conditions remain reasonably cool. Spring and late summer often offer good opportunities, depending on your climate. Avoid very early sowings exposed to cold as well as hot, dry spells: both can encourage premature flowering. Light shade helps during warmer periods. For a longer picking season, sow several small batches a few weeks apart instead of filling a large area all at once.
Remove weeds, rake the surface fine and firm it lightly. Use fertile soil that retains moisture without becoming muddy. Make drills about one centimetre deep, moisten their base and sow thinly. Cover lightly and water with a fine spray. Maintain steady moisture during emergence, without allowing the surface to crust or become waterlogged.
Thin gradually according to your crop: about ten to fifteen centimetres between plants for small leaves, more for mature rosettes, reaching thirty or forty centimetres depending on variety. Protect seedlings from slugs and use suitable insect mesh if flea beetles cause trouble. Mulch or crop rotation cannot replace a physical barrier against insects already present.
How to care for this plant
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Thin seedlings
If seedlings crowd each other, thin those intended to form large clumps using the spacing for your variety. Keep a denser stand for a quick baby-leaf harvest. In a module, distinguish this selection from final garden spacing.
How do you harvest mizuna?
