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Komatsuna is a green that you might not of heard of, but you should
It’s also called mustard spinach, and out of the mustard greens it has a much milder taste. Many of the mustard greens are known for having quite a spicy bite to them. Komatsuna is great because it’s far less strong than other mustards making it more appealing for those that want to grow these super fast growing greens.
It’s one of my top recommended greens to grow throughout the whole gardening season
(I wrote this 60 page guide on growing greens year-round)
How to grow & eat mustard spinach
Komatsuna is a lovely tender green that loves cool weather in the spring and fall weather. The baby leaves can harvested in 28 days and the larger leaves around 40 days. We eat it raw or cooked, in any way that you’d eat spinach. We grow this crop again in the fall as it’s great for the fall/winter garden.
Like most greens, these are grown as a come and cut again meaning you harvest the outer leaves and let the inside keep growing
Komatsuna is much slower to bolt than some of the other greens, which is a bonus once the heat waves of summer start
This green grows faster and larger than most of the other greens. Below you can see a comparison of spinach and komatsuna sown at the same time in the same garden bed.
It’s also fantastic to harvest in a fall and winter garden, below you can see the harvest in January (zone 5 Canada in an unheated greenhouse)
We sow this green in succession plantings in the spring and then again late summer for the fall and winter harvest. I also overwinter this green to get early spring harvests.
Komatsuna in December
Like other greens, Komatsuna needs nitrogen for nice leafy growth and prefers cooler weather
It’s super easy to grow though, and great for beginners. I like to underplant it under taller plants creating summer shade. You can buy Komatsuna from West Coast Seeds or check other great seed companies that offer the asian vegetables and mustards.
Want to learn more about growing greens to have a year-round supply in any climate?
This 60 page guide is only $2.99!
My name is Isis Loran, creator of the Family Food Garden. I’ve been gardening for over 10 years now and push the limits of our zone 5 climates. I love growing heirlooms & experimenting with hundreds of varieties, season extending, crunchy homesteading and permaculture.
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