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Vegetable Crop Calendars (A–C)Mustard Greens Planting Calendar
Mustard greens are fast, sharp-flavored and frost-tolerant, which makes them a good crop for the shoulder seasons when other vegetables are idle.
Key points
- Mustard greens prefer cool weather and bolt in heat.
- Sow in early spring and late summer through fall.
- Stagger small sowings.
- Cut young leaves for milder flavor.
- Use row cover for flea beetles.
When do mustard greens grow best?
Mustard greens grow fastest in cool weather. Leaves are ready within weeks of sowing, and cool weather keeps them tender and milder. Heat and long days push plants to bolt, and leaves turn pungent and tough.
Because of this, the calendar centers on early spring and fall, with a gap in summer in most regions.
Because mustard grows so fast, it is a good test crop for a new bed. You can see how soil, moisture and pests behave within a month.
When do you sow in spring?
Sow seed a few weeks before the last frost, once soil can be worked. Seeds germinate in cool soil, and young plants tolerate light frost. Your state guide lists lead times for your area.
Sow short rows every week or two, and cut leaves young. Stop sowing when warm weather arrives, since later plantings bolt quickly.
Choose slower-bolting varieties for spring if your extension office recommends them. Thin seedlings once they are a couple of inches tall to the spacing in your guide. Thinnings are good in salads. Use a floating row cover immediately after sowing in spring, since flea beetles are active as soon as the weather warms. Leave edges buried, and check under the cover now and then.
How do you time fall sowings?
Count back from your first fall frost using days to maturity and a margin. Mustard matures quickly, so you can sow in late summer and continue into early fall in small batches. Plants tolerate light frost and many survive harder cold, though hard freezes damage leaves.
For example, if your first frost usually arrives in late October, you would plan sowings in the weeks beforehand, adjusting for your weather. That is an illustration only, so use your own frost records.
In mild-winter regions, mustard can be grown through the cool season. If your fall is short, start with the earliest workable date and rely on cover to stretch the season. Mustard handles cold better than many greens. Keep records of the date you sowed, the date you first cut and the date bolting began. Those three dates give you a calendar tuned to your own site within a couple of seasons.
- Find your first fall frost date.
- Sow in small batches every week or two.
- Cut leaves young for mild flavor.
- Cover plants during hard freezes.
How do you harvest for flavor?
Cut outer leaves when they reach a usable size, and let the plant keep growing. Young leaves are milder and good raw. Mature leaves are better cooked. Heat and drought increase the sharpness.
If you plan to preserve mustard greens, use only tested procedures from the National Center for Home Food Preservation or your extension office.
Cooking mellows the bite, and pairing mustard with milder greens balances the flavor. Smaller leaves are milder from the start. If leaves are too pungent, soak them briefly in cold water before cooking, or blanch and shock them. Leaves harvested young and cool are usually the mildest.
What soil and water do mustards need?
Fertile, well-drained soil with steady moisture keeps leaves tender. A soil test shows pH and nutrient levels, and your extension office can interpret results. Nutrient management rules vary by state, so follow local recommendations.
Mulch retains moisture and moderates soil temperature. Follow local rules on irrigation.
Weeds compete with the seedlings early on, so keep rows clean until the plants shade the soil. Water regularly, because dry soil intensifies the sharp taste and speeds bolting. A thin mulch helps hold moisture and keeps soil cool.
What problems should you expect?
Flea beetles, aphids and cabbage worms feed on mustards, as they do other brassicas. Floating row cover at planting is a common barrier. Rotation and removing crop debris reduce carryover.
Mustard is also used as a cover crop in some systems, so ask your extension office if you plan to use it that way, since management differs.
If a pesticide is ever considered, read the label, observe the pre-harvest interval, protect pollinators and check licensing rules. Ask your extension office what is active in your area. Do not let plants go to seed in the bed unless you want volunteers, since mustard readily reseeds. Because mustard is a brassica, rotate it with non-brassica crops for a few seasons to lower pest and disease pressure.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 2026. Educational information, ranges only. Confirm timing with your county extension office.