The best LEAFY GREEN you can grow this winter

There are few vegetables that can outcompete weeds, but mizuna is one of the hardiest leafy greens you can grow, even through a cold southern winter.

Feathery mizuna is a juicy, crunchy, highly nutritious, mild-tasting mustard green. It tolerates most types of soil, climate, and low light levels. The only thing it doesn’t like is drying out. It’s also fast-growing; microgreens are ready to eat a week or so after germination.

How to grow

Where to plant

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Tolerates most fertile, moisture-retentive soils.

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Does best if lots of organic matter is dug into soil before sowing or transplanting.

When to sow

Late autumn-early winter: sow direct in a greenhouse, under a cloche, or microclima fabric. Late winter: sow in trays, so it’s ready to plant outdoors in early spring.

Days to germination: 6-8 days; seedlings will be ready to plant out 2-3 weeks from sowing. Row spacing: 25-40cm apart. Baby leaves: sow plants 10-15cm apart. Cut-and-come-again: sow plants 20cm apart. Mature leaves: sow plants 30cm apart.

Care

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Keep covered with a cloche or microclima, for fast growth, and to protect plants from slugs.

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Don’t let soil dry out.

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If plant growth is slow, feed with a liquid seaweed fertiliser.

Harvest

Microgreens: 7-10+ days depending on temperatures; tender, delicate flavour. Baby leaves: after 21 days; tender, mild flavour.

Maturity: 30-40 days, depending on variety, peppery flavour, leaves are more fibrous.

Cut-and-come-again: snip leaves off after 21 days, leaving stalks about 3cm high. Plants can be cut back and will regrow 4-5 times. Feed with liquid seaweed fertiliser after cutting.