How to grow mizuna in a raised bed

Mizuna is a feathery Japanese salad green with a gentle mustard tang — fast, pretty and generous, giving cut-and-come-again leaves for weeks from a single sowing.

Quick facts

• Position: full sun to part shade
• Spacing: 20 cm apart
• Tub depth: our 23 cm depth
• Time to harvest: 5–7 weeks

When to plant: Mizuna grows best in the cool but is more heat-tolerant than most Asian greens — sow autumn through spring, and a short row every few weeks. Our free planting calendar shows the right months for your postcode.

Growing it in a raised bed: Sow directly into moist, rich mix. Pick the outer leaves and it keeps producing. A brassica, so netting helps — though its speed usually wins.

Watering and feeding: Keep the mix evenly moist for tender, mild leaves.

Common pests: keep an eye out for caterpillars, aphids and slugs and snails. Most are easily managed — see our safe pest guide.

Common diseases: the main one is downy mildew, usually from damp, crowded conditions. Good airflow and morning watering prevent most.

Companion plants: A tidy, productive salad green among other quick crops. See our companion planting guide.

Harvest and storage: Harvest outer leaves young, or cut the whole plant a few centimetres above the base and it'll reshoot. Use fresh.

More growing guides: tatsoi, broccolini and mustard greens.

Plan your patch: our free planting calendar shows what to plant now where you live. Ready to grow? Browse our raised garden beds or build your own with the garden bed builder.

Image: NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.