When to Plant Mustard Greens
Sow mustard greens outside up to 4 weeks before your last frost, and again 5 to 9 weeks before your first fall frost for a fall crop.
Mustard greens at a glance
- Sow outside
- up to 4 weeks before your last frost
- Fall sowing
- 5 to 9 weeks before your first fall frost
- Time to harvest
- 30 to 45 days from sowing
- Harvest lasts
- about 5 weeks
- Spacing
- 4 per square foot
- Frost
- Takes hard frosts
Growing mustard greens
Mustard greens are quick and easy in cool weather. Sow the seeds shallow and thin, pick young leaves for salads within a few weeks, and let some plants grow bigger for cooking. Red and frilly varieties add color to a bed.
Dates by hardiness zone
Typical dates for each zone; your ZIP code gives your own.
| Zone | Sow | Sow for fall | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | Apr 30 – May 28 | Jul 13 – Aug 10 | May 30 – Jul 12 · Aug 12 – Sep 24 |
| Zone 3b | Apr 19 – May 17 | Jul 24 – Aug 21 | May 19 – Jul 1 · Aug 23 – Oct 5 |
| Zone 4a | Apr 14 – May 12 | Jul 27 – Aug 24 | May 14 – Jun 26 · Aug 26 – Oct 8 |
| Zone 4b | Apr 10 – May 8 | Jul 30 – Aug 27 | May 10 – Jun 22 · Aug 29 – Oct 11 |
| Zone 5a | Apr 5 – May 3 | Aug 3–31 | May 5 – Jun 17 · Sep 2 – Oct 15 |
| Zone 5b | Apr 3 – May 1 | Aug 8 – Sep 5 | May 3 – Jun 15 · Sep 7 – Oct 20 |
| Zone 6a | Apr 1–29 | Aug 14 – Sep 11 | May 1 – Jun 13 · Sep 13 – Oct 26 |
| Zone 6b | Mar 26 – Apr 23 | Aug 20 – Sep 17 | Apr 25 – Jun 7 · Sep 19 – Nov 1 |
| Zone 7a | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | Aug 23 – Sep 20 | Apr 18 – May 31 · Sep 22 – Nov 4 |
| Zone 7b | Mar 8 – Apr 5 | Aug 30 – Sep 27 | Apr 7 – May 20 · Sep 29 – Nov 11 |
| Zone 8a | Mar 1–29 | Sep 5 – Oct 3 | Mar 31 – May 13 · Oct 5 – Nov 17 |
| Zone 8b | Feb 17 – Mar 17 | Sep 11 – Oct 9 | Mar 19 – May 1 · Oct 11 – Nov 23 |
| Zone 9a | Feb 2 – Mar 2 | Sep 24 – Oct 22 | Mar 4 – Apr 16 · Oct 24 – Dec 6 |
| Zone 9b | Jan 4 – Feb 1 | Oct 13 – Nov 10 | Feb 3 – Mar 18 · Nov 12 – Dec 25 |
| Zone 10a | Dec 27 – Jan 24 | Oct 25 – Nov 22 | Jan 26 – Mar 10 · Nov 24 – Jan 6 |
| Zones 10b–11b | Frost is rare here, so grow mustard greens in the cooler months, from fall to early spring. | ||
Questions about mustard greens
Can I grow mustard greens in fall?
Yes, and fall is often best: the plants grow fast in cool weather and are slower to flower as the days get shorter.
How fast do mustard greens grow?
Quickly: baby leaves are ready in a few weeks. Sow small amounts often, since the plants flower soon once the days are hot and long.
