Mustard Greens

I’ll be honest right from the start: I’m writing this column to myself. That means I’m not approaching the topic as “you should be growing mustard greens,” but rather, “why wasn’t I growing mustard greens until now?”

- Samantha Johnson

I planted three heirloom varieties of mustard greens last spring (Brassica juncea, for those interested in the specifics). I didn’t have any grandiose expectations for the plants. In my mind, mustard greens were just another cousin of kale and arugula, nutritious and good for you but not exactly exciting.

why grow?

Ah, but that’s where I was wrong. I didn’t expect the varieties I planted to be so pretty. The plants I’d offhandedly assumed were utilitarian and dull began producing the most gorgeous leaves.

What’s more, the mustard greens germinated well, grew fast and weren’t fussy about soil or water. They produced ample amounts of large leaves with a peppery flavor. As soon as the summer days grew warmer, the plants promptly bolted, but I didn’t mind because I wanted to see the whole process and to harvest the mustard seeds to save.