Love a bit of ‘pep’ in your salad, then you need to include Mizuna (Brassica rapa Var. crispifolia) in your vegie patch! Although it is closely related to Mibuna, Mizuna has a stronger peppery taste and ribbed edges along its leaves. It is also fast and easy to grow, great for the beginner gardener, kids or the very hungry!


How to grow mizuna in a garden

  1. Choose a sunny or partly shaded spot in the garden, loosen the soil with a garden fork and dig in Yates Thrive Natural Blood & Bone with Seaweed
  2. Sow seeds directly into the prepared garden bed around 6mm deep and spaced 30cm apart. Cover lightly with Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix and water well. 
  3. Water regularly to keep the soil moist. 
  4. Once the seedlings emerge, feed weekly with Yates Thrive Natural Fish Seaweed+ Plant Food Concentrate
  5. Harvest by snipping or pulling leaves at soil level – this will also help encourage more leafy growth. Otherwise you can harvest the entire heads of the plants after 8 weeks. Sow successive crops every 3-4 weeks to extend you harvest window.

     


How to grow mizuna in a pot

  1. Choose a pot at least 300mm wide and deep and position in a sunny or part shaded spot in the garden. Fill with a quality potting mix, such as Yates Premium Potting Mix
  2. Sow seeds directly into the prepared pot around 6mm deep. Cover lightly with Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix and water well. 
  3. Water regularly to keep the soil moist. 
  4. Once seedlings emerge, feed weekly with Yates Thrive Natural Fish Seaweed+ Plant Food Concentrate.
  5. Harvest by snipping or pulling leaves at soil level – this will also help encourage more leafy growth. Otherwise you can harvest the entire heads of the plants after 8 weeks. Sow successive crops every 3-4 weeks to extend you harvest window.


Growing tips

  • Start picking the leaves from 3 weeks after sowing. This will encourage further leafy growth
  • Pick the leaves as needed. Just be sure not to leave them too long on the plant as the tender leaves can wilt easily
  • Mibuna can bolt or go to seed quickly in summer. To prolong the availability of leafy growth, prune the flower stem back to the base, mulch around the base of the plant and continue to water well.


More Plants

Beans

Beans are so rewarding to grow. And if you give them the right conditions, they will happily grow in the garden or in large pots.

Taro

Taro is a versatile vegetable and is a staple of many Pacific countries. The corms are white with a purple tint, starchy and easy to digest, making it a great substitute for potato.

Kūmara

Here's how to grow kūmara in your garden, or in pots if you live in the cooler parts of the country.

Onion

They may make you cry, but onions are worth the tears! They can impart such a sweet or savoury flavour to your dishes, depending on how they’re used.

Recommended products

Yates Premium Potting Mix

A premium potting mix, ideal for all potted plants and shrubs, including ornamentals, fruit trees, vegies and herbs.

Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix

Specially formulated for trouble-free seed raising in trays (or outdoor seed sowing direclty into the ground) and propagation of cuttings.