Crops › Mustard Greens
How to grow Mustard Greens
in the UK
Sow March to September, plant out October, harvest May to November. About 40 days from seed to plate. You can sow it this month.
Mustard greens are a cracking little crop, proper easy to grow and super quick too. They're dead handy for filling gaps on the plot or getting some early leaves into your salad bowl, a bit of a spicy kick you know. We've got loads of varieties in the GrowMore CookMore app, like I say, something for everyone.
Sowing
You can sow mustard greens from March right through to May, then again in August and September for a later crop. They're not fussy, like, just sow the seeds about 1 cm deep, either directly in a drill on the plot or in trays inside. Give 'em about 10-15 cm between plants eventually, or closer if you're just picking baby leaves. If you're buying plug plants, they're dead simple to pop straight in, but honestly, seeds are so easy and cheap for these.
Growing on
If you've sown indoors, prick 'em out into individual pots once they've got their first true leaves, then harden them off for a week or so before planting out. They'll do well in containers too, you know, especially if you're short on space or want to keep an eye on them. Pop them out on the plot, giving 'em that 10-15 cm space I mentioned, and they'll get cracking. They don't need any special support, just let 'em get on with it.
Looking after it
Mustard greens are pretty low-maintenance, to be honest. Just keep 'em watered, especially in dry spells, or they can bolt quicker and get a bit too peppery. They don't need much feeding if your soil's half decent, but a bit of compost around them won't hurt. No real pinching out needed, just let them grow.
What goes wrong
The main blighters for mustard greens are slugs, as usual on the allotment, and flea beetle. For slugs, I'm always checking under leaves and around plants, picking 'em off. Flea beetle can make little holes in the leaves, especially when they're young. A bit of fine mesh netting can work wonders if you've had trouble with them before, just to keep 'em covered.
Harvest
You'll be harvesting these in about 40 days from sowing, proper fast like. Pick the young leaves for salads – they're less peppery that way. You can take a few outer leaves from each plant, and it'll keep producing. They're best fresh, to be honest, so just pick what you need for your tea. If you've got a glut, just eat more salad, you know what I mean!
I always try to sow a small batch every couple of weeks in spring and autumn. That way, I've got a constant supply of those lovely young, mild leaves for my salads, instead of a massive glut all at once.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Red Frills This one's got cracking frilly red leaves, looks proper smart in a salad. Great if you want a bit of colour and a mild spicy kick. | No club votes yet |
| Green in Snow As the name says, this variety is super hardy and can stand a bit of cold weather. Perfect for getting some greens in late autumn and even through winter in a sheltered spot. | No club votes yet |
| Golden Streaks You'll spot this one with its bright yellow leaves, adding a bit of sunshine to your plate. It's a good choice for something a bit different and very easy to grow. | No club votes yet |
| Red Giant This heritage variety lives up to its name with big, beautiful purple leaves. It's a proper statement plant on the plot and gives you a good harvest. | No club votes yet |
| Osaka Purple A lovely Japanese variety, offering a nice purple colour and a good spicy flavour. It's a bit of a specialty one, great for those who like to try something new. | No club votes yet |
| Pizzo If you're after something with a milder flavour, Pizzo is a cracking choice and gets going early too. Perfect for those who find other mustards a bit too hot, or for kids trying new things. | No club votes yet |
| Scarlet Frills This heritage mustard has lovely red, wavy leaves that look proper ornamental in the garden. It's a bit of a showstopper and tastes great too. | No club votes yet |
| Southern Giant Curled A heritage variety that produces big, curled green leaves, giving you a proper harvest. It's a reliable choice for a good yield of traditional mustard greens. | No club votes yet |
| Osaka Gold Another heritage variety, this one has green leaves with a subtle yellow tint, making it stand out a bit. It's a solid, dependable choice for a good crop of mustard greens. | No club votes yet |
| Red Lion This one's got a deep red colour and a really good spicy kick, proper flavourful. If you like your mustard greens with a bit of heat, this heritage variety is for you. | No club votes yet |
| Wasabina Wasabina gives you a unique wasabi-like flavour, which is dead interesting for salads and stir-fries. It's a light green heritage variety that's a real talking point. | No club votes yet |
| Mizuna Mustard This heritage mizuna has lovely feathery leaves and a mild mustardy flavour, not too overpowering. It's a brilliant addition to any salad mix and grows really easily. | No club votes yet |
| Dragon's Tongue With its striking purple-streaked leaves, this heritage variety looks a bit like arugula and tastes cracking. It's a visually interesting plant that adds a gourmet touch to your plate. | No club votes yet |
| Chinese Mustard This heritage Chinese mustard grows large, smooth leaves with a proper pungent flavour, great for cooking. If you like strong flavours and big harvests, this is a good one to try. | No club votes yet |
| Amchoi An Oriental mustard variety with a milder flavour, perfect if you're looking for something gentle. This heritage plant is versatile and dead easy to grow for both salads and cooking. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Mustard Greens seeds
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Cook the harvest
The peppery bite of mustard greens is a natural match for spicy, fatty nduja, which melts into the pasta cooking water to form a silky, deeply savoury sauce. This is a proper weeknight bowl — bold, fast, and genuinely satisfying. A squeeze of lemon at the end lifts the whole thing.
25 min · easyA fast, furiously hot stir-fry that shows what mustard greens can do when they hit a properly heated wok — the natural peppery bite softens just enough, while the oyster sauce, ginger and garlic create a savoury, glossy coating that clings to every leaf. Ready in under 15 minutes total, this is the recipe for a weeknight when you want something that actually tastes like it came from somewhere good.
18 min · easyBlanched mustard greens are dressed in a simple sesame and mirin sauce, then piled over short-grain rice with a soft-boiled egg and pickled ginger. The greens hold their peppery character beautifully against the sweet-savoury dressing, making this a nourishing, flavour-packed bowl that comes together fast. Think of it as a homegrown take on ohitashi.
30 min · easyThis is the kind of supper you can pull together on a Tuesday with barely any thought — smoky cooking chorizo, creamy chickpeas and a full bunch of mustard greens, all done in one pan in under half an hour. The greens keep enough of their bite to push back against the richness of the chorizo fat, which is exactly what you want. Eat it with crusty bread and a glass of something cold.
26 min · easyWatch for, and grow alongside
Questions people ask
When do you sow Mustard Greens in the UK?
Sow Mustard Greens from March to September. Plant out October, after the last frost.
How long does Mustard Greens take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 40 days, with the harvest May to November.
Which Mustard Greens varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Red Frills, Green in Snow, Golden Streaks, Red Giant and more.
Track your Mustard Greens from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.