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Organic Gardening:

How to grow organic Mizuna

by Frann Leach

Mizuna is a recent addition to the Western diet
Photo by Bee Norman, with grateful thanks

Mizuna

Brassica rapa var. nipposinica

Family: Cruciferae (Group 2)

Mizuna is one of those strange oriental vegetables which arrived in the West in the last 20 years or so. However, even if we aren't sure what to do with them, at least mizuna greens are decorative, adaptable, very vigorous and cold tolerant. As they have a long growing season, they can be used as an attractive edging to vegetable or flower beds. Mizuna is also useful for undercropping sweet corn, or grown as a seedling crop for intercropping.

Mizuna can be grown to use either as mature plants or as a seedling crop. The first cut of seedlings can sometimes be made two or three weeks after sowing. Where mature plants are grown, forming clumps about 22cm (9") high, keep cutting regularly to produce a continuous crop of small young leaves.

Site and soil

Recommended cultivars

Mizuna Greens (Kyona)
Tokyo Beau F1 (productive hybrid with increased cold resistance)

Choose an open, unshaded site with fertile, well-drained and moisture retentive soil, which should be slightly acid (min pH 5.4, but see note on clubroot - add lime if necessary to adjust pH). Brassicas have a high nitrogen requirement and also need very firm soil. To ensure sufficient nutrient levels, it is best to topdress or apply a liquid feed such as seaweed fertiiser during growth.

Because brassicas are prone to soil infections, for example, Clubroot, it's important to use a minimum 3 year rotation plan.

For the mature and semi-mature crop sow successionally in rows 30cm (12") apart from mid June to the end of August (either direct or in modules). Mizuna can also be sown under cover in mid-September for winter use. Thin according to the eventual size of plant required: small plants 10cm (4") apart, medium plants 20-22cm (8-9"), large plants 30-45cm (12-18") apart.

Clumps can often be cut four or five times before they run to seed. Young leaves are used raw, older leaves are best lightly cooked.

Note on clubroot

Soil may remain infected for 20 years; steps to avoid introduction include:

good drainage
rotation
liming acid soils to a pH around 7
working in high levels of organic matter
ensuring clean plants are used - source must be known to be free of disease (best grown at home in sterile medium)
boots and tools used on infected land must be thoroughly cleaned before use on clean land

Once infected avoid growing any brassicas except fast maturing types such as Texsel greens or cut and come again oriental seedlings. If you have no other land available, and you must grow types with a lengthy growing season, you can try sowing seed in modules, and potting up until the plants reach a height of 10cm (4") before planting out. A root drench may also help.

If you're interested in healthy food, you may also be interested in our sister site, The Health Site, Your Online Health Channel.

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