Mustard greens can be grown in the spring, summer, and fall, though they prefer an air temperature range of 60 - 75° . Direct sow seeds outdoors 4/15 - 8/30. For baby greens, broadcast sow seeds ½” deep, 60 seeds per square foot. For mature leaves, sow seeds 1” apart in rows 18” apart. Days to germination: 4 - 10. Sow every 3 weeks for continuous harvest, or let them re-seed themselves to have low maintenance self-sowing, edible “weeds”. Keep well watered during hot weather. It can grow in part shade. Tolerant of light frosts.
Baby greens: cut entire plant with when 3 - 6” tall for cut-and-come-again baby greens (cut plant with scissors 1 - 2" above soil level so you don’t damage the growing crown.) Return for several harvests. Bigger, mature leaves can be harvested with scissors - cooking mellos the spicyness of these mature greens. Eventually the plants will begin to “bolt” (flower) and make seed. (See Seed Saving Instructions.)
Ruby Streaks mustard is insect pollinated and will cross with other flowering Brassica jundea species such as Osaka Mustard. Isolation distance: ½ mile. Min. pop. size: 25 - 50. Collect seeds from the best plants once pods have turned from green to tan but before seeds have been released. Clean seed as a dry-seeded crop.
