How to grow mizuna
Family Brassicaceae. Hardy to USDA hardiness zone 3a+ (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Full sun to part shade. Ready in 21-40 days.
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Spacing
6-8 in
Days to harvest
21-40 days
Hardiness
Zone 3a+
What growers actually recorded
Loading zone 7b results…
When to plant mizuna
- Direct sow: ~-4 weeks after last frost.
Companion plants for mizuna
Plant with: Lettuce, Carrot, Onion.
Avoid near: Other brassicas crowded in the same block.
Common pests & problems
Flea beetle, aphid.
Feeding & fertilizer
N-P-K ratio: High N (10-5-5): heavy feeders
Organic options: Aged manure or compost worked in deep · Blood meal or feather meal side-dress at 3 wks · Fish emulsion every 2 wks
When to feed: Feed heavily every 2-3 weeks. Brassicas want steady nitrogen for tight heads.
Watch for: Pale/yellow leaves = needs N. Loose heads = feed harder next round.
N = nitrogen (leaves), P = phosphorus (roots and flowers), K = potassium (fruit and disease resistance). How to read a fertilizer label →
Grower's tip
Cut-and-come-again: shear leaves to an inch above the crown and it regrows for several harvests.
When to plant mizuna in your zone
Free month-by-month sowing and transplanting lists, built from frost dates for your USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) hardiness zone.
Soil & water for mizuna
Soil & pH
6.5-7.5: near neutral (raises club-root resistance)
Fertile loam with strong drainage. Firm soil beats fluffy for heading brassicas.
Compost 2 in + 1 cup of alfalfa or feather meal per 10 sq ft. Lime if pH is under 6.5. It also blocks club-root.
Watering
1-1.5 in / week, consistent
Ground-level drip. Uneven water during heading = split heads or bolting.
Lift an edge of the row and check soil at 3 inches. If it clings in a damp ball, hold off. If it crumbles, water until the top 6 inches are evenly moist.
Knowing when to harvest
- Leaves 4-6 in for cut-and-come-again salad use, feathery and deeply serrated.
- Regrowth after cutting is fast, often ready again in 2-3 weeks.
- Harvest before flowering; flavor turns sharper and leaves thin out once bolted.
Storing & keeping
Refrigerate washed and dried in a bag at 32-40°F for about a week. Best fresh; not suited to freezing or long storage.
What to expect
Per plant: Multiple cuttings, a few ounces each
Per sq ft: 0.5 lb per sq ft per cutting
Troubleshooting mizuna
Small shot-holes in leaves
Likely cause: Flea beetles
What to do: Row cover from sowing, especially in spring plantings.
Bolts quickly in summer
Likely cause: Heat and long daylight
What to do: Grow as a spring and fall crop; provide afternoon shade in warm regions.
Varieties worth growing
Kyona
Classic feathery mizuna, mild and fast-growing.
Red Kingdom
Purple-red leaf coloring adds visual contrast to salad mixes.
Waido
Larger-leafed selection better suited to cooking as well as salad use.
Growing mizuna in containers
6 in deep window box; performs well in containers with regular cutting and succession sowing.
Nutrition
Sulforaphane, glucosinolates, vitamin K, calcium. Brassicas are the vegetable powerhouse.
Common questions
How is mizuna different from mustard greens?
Both are Brassica, but mizuna has a much milder, less peppery flavor and a finer, feathery leaf shape suited to raw salad mixes.
Can mizuna handle frost?
Yes, it tolerates light frost well and often sweetens slightly, making it a good fall and early-winter crop under a cold frame.
Where these numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023 revision). Zone assignment and the 30-year normals behind every cold-hardiness figure.
- NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Frost dates, growing-season length, and the probability bands on both.
- Cornell, UMN, and UC Davis Cooperative Extension crop guides. Spacing, days to maturity, soil pH targets, and per-plant yield ranges.
- USDA FSIS / FDA Produce Safety guidance. Wash, cure, and cold-storage handling numbers.
Ranges are regional guidance, not a promise for your yard. Your own logged results always override the published range.