Grow Mustard Spinach Komatsuna – Spinach with a Peppery Twist

Komatsuna is one of those greens you end up using all the time once you’ve got it in the garden. It grows fast, you can cut it young or leave it to get bigger, and it keeps sending up new leaves after each pick. The taste sits somewhere between spinach and mustard—mild enough for salads but with just enough bite to hold its own in a stir-fry. If you let it flower, the little yellow blooms will also bring in pollinators.

Growing Komatsuna

It’s not fussy. Give it a patch of soil that stays moist but drains well, and it’ll be happy in sun or partial shade. Works just as well in a bed as it does in a pot or trough on the patio, so you don’t need a big garden to keep yourself in greens.

Sowing and Planting

Sowing Period: March to September outside, or under cover through the colder months.
Soil Preparation: Rake to a fine tilth, add some compost or well-rotted manure for extra feed, and keep the soil damp.
Sowing Depth: About 1 cm deep.
Spacing: 10 cm if you’re after baby leaves, 25 cm if you want full heads, with 30 cm between rows.
Germination: Usually 7–14 days.

Care and Maintenance

Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist. Dry soil makes the leaves tough and encourages the plant to bolt.
Feeding: In beds, it manages fine with the compost you dig in at the start. In pots, give it a light liquid feed every couple of weeks.
Protection/Pests: Flea beetles love young plants—netting or mesh helps. Watch for pigeons too; they’ll happily strip a row overnight.

Picking

Timing: Baby leaves are ready in about 3–4 weeks, larger plants in 6–8 weeks.
Method: Cut the outer leaves and leave the centre to regrow, or take the whole plant above the crown if you want a second flush.
Storage: Keep leaves in a bag in the fridge and use them within a few days while they’re still fresh.

Culinary and Garden Uses

• Quick to stir-fry with garlic, soy or sesame.
• Adds bite to a mixed salad.
• Works like spinach in soups or noodle dishes.
• Handy in small gardens as it grows well in pots.

Allergy Information

Komatsuna is part of the mustard family. Both the seeds and leaves may not be suitable for those with mustard allergies.