Planting Mustard Seeds-Japanese Purple & Tendergreen

Finally, I’ve gotten started with planting my vegetable boxes. I’m late this year in getting my seeds in the ground, but I don’t think it will really matter because, at least in our coastal village of Cambria, it’s been quite cool. We don’t have to worry about plants going to seed as soon as they mature like you do in warmer climates. So I should have an adequate harvest even if it is a bit late. I’ve planted cilantro, lettuce, mesclun and mustard greens this week.

I’m conducting an experiment with Japanese purple mustard and tendergreen mustard. I traded some of my Komasuna tendergreen mustard seeds with a fellow gardener for Japanese purple mustard seeds. I’ve had great luck with the tendergreen mustard (see post) in the past, and save seeds from a few plants every year.  Japanese purple mustard is beautiful to look at with a spicier taste. It can also tolerate cold winters if planted in the fall. I’m sure I’ll enjoy growing and eating this attractive plant.

I started the seeds in damp paper towels in the kitchen. I wanted to see how quickly each of them germinated. As you can see by the photos, the tendergreen mustard germinated quickly (in 3 days). I had to scurry to get them in the ground. I’ve planted them side by side in a small area of the planting boxes. After all, I can only eat so many mustard greens! I’ll see if their growing attributes are similar. So far, it appears that the tendergreen may be faster growing. It should be ready to thin in about 3 weeks and ready to eat in its most tender stage at about that time too. I love gardening. It is all one big science experiment!