When to sow Mustard greens (oriental mustard) in the UK
Mustard greens (oriental mustard) is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Mustard greens (oriental mustard) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
| South Coast and Channel | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
| South East and Home Counties | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
| East Anglia | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
| Wales and West Coast | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
| Northern England | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
| Northern Ireland | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early April to late August | early May to mid September | mid May to late November |
Growing notes
The peppery heat builds as the leaves mature, so pick young for salads and leave larger leaves for stir-fries. Late sowings covered with a cloche or fleece will keep cropping well into winter in most of the UK.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 20 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 30 cm
- Plants per m²
- 25
- Days to maturity
- 45 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.2 kg
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 15 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 20 cm
- Balcony rating
- 5 out of 5
Succession sowing
Worth sowing in batches. Sow again every 21 days, up to about 6 sowings in a season, for a longer picking window rather than one glut.
What usually goes wrong
- flea beetle
- cabbage white caterpillars
- pigeons
- cabbage root fly
- downy mildew
Companion planting
Grows well near
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for mustard greens (oriental mustard).