Why We Love Mustard Greens

While this crop’s seeds are used to make the yellow condiment often found at fast-food restaurants, there’s nothing unhealthy about this superfood. In fact, just one cup of mustard greens boasts 500% of your daily value of vitamin K — which supports cardiovascular health and reduces inflammation — as well as high doses of vitamins A, C, and E, fiber, manganese, and more. Besides offering an array of health benefits, mustard adds a unique zing to salads, stir-fries, and other dishes.

Varieties 

• Black Mustard (Brassica nigra) – Though its leaves are edible, B. nigra is usually grown for its seeds, which serve as the foundation of many moderately spicy mustards, including Dijon.
• White Mustard (Brassica alba) – The mildest option, B. alba yields seeds that are perfect for mustards and preserved produce (e.g., pickles, relishes, chutneys).
• Brown Mustard (Brassica juncea) – This one’s got a wasabi-like bite. Many curries and hot mustards contain the spicy greens and seeds of B. juncea.

Planting Your Seedlings

• Tower Garden Growing System
• Seedling Starter Kit (if starting with seeds)
• Mustard seeds/seedlings
• Net pots or Growing Clips 
• LED Indoor Grow Lights (for indoor growing)
• Access to power source

View more information on starting your seeds.

1. Germinate your seeds. This step will take roughly 1-2 weeks. Mustard seeds should be ready for transplant (about 10-14 days) when they have a good root system growing from the rockwool cubes.
2. Place one seedling cube into each net pot or growing clip on your Tower Garden Growing System.
3. Gently press the seedling cube until it touches the base of the net pot or growing clip.

Growing Conditions

Temperature:  50–75^°F

Light exposure and watering cycle can be controlled by our digital timer, but for manual reference:

Light

For outdoor – minimum 6-8 hours of full sunlight daily

For indoor – set grow light timer for 14-16 hours on, 8-10 hours off

Watering Cycle

Please set the Tower timer to “O” for outdoor growing or “I” for indoor growing.

Maintenance & Pest Prevention

• Check water and pH levels at least weekly.
• Keep roots away from pump.
• If growing outdoors, rotate garden regularly for even growing.
• Clean pump monthly.
• Check regularly for pests.
• Remove dead plant debris.
• Destroy diseased plant material.

More information on Tower Garden maintenance is here, as well as extra help for pests and troubleshooting.

Harvesting 

• Mustard greens grow quickly and can be ready to harvest in as few as 28 days.
• With a sharp knife or scissors, cut the bottommost, older leaves.
• Take care to not damage the inner leaf tips.
• Allow at least 2/3 of the foliage to remain.
• Frequently return to harvest more and encourage new growth.
• You should harvest mustard greens while they’re still young and tender. Older leaves will get tough and increasingly bitter as they get older.

Ways to Enjoy

• Add Kick to Salads – Young, raw mustard greens add a delightfully sharp tang in salads. Throw some baby mustard greens in to add some flavor and nutritional value. Here’s a recipe from a fellow Tower Gardener for a delightful Mixed Greens Salad.
• Stir Fry – Since larger leaves can be quite potent and tough, many prefer to cook them down in a pan. Incorporate them into a stir-fry to take it to the next level. 
• Indian Curry – Looking to add some kick to dishes that require bold, vibrant flavors? Add mustard seeds to your next curry for a little added spiciness.