Very fast and genuinely mild-peppery, per the crop database's own description, and the most cold-hardy of this hub's three Brassica rapa Asian greens -- one of relatively few crops on this whole site with at least a challenging window in every zone it models. Good for cut-and-come-again picking, meaning repeated harvests from the same plants over several weeks.
Water need
Genuinely more forgiving of dry spells than pak choi -- part of what makes it such a tough, low-fuss cut-and-come-again green.
Calories at a glance
210 kcal/kg -- grown for its fast turnaround and distinctive peppery flavour rather than as a calorie crop (scale is log-based across all 55 core crops in the calculator).
Temperature Range by Month
Month on the bottom, temperature up the side. The pale green background is what the plant can survive at all -- fatal above or below it, labelled directly on the chart where that applies to your zone. The coral band is its ideal range, and only fades in during the months this zone would actually have the crop in the ground -- reusing the exact same sowing/harvesting data as the calendar further down the page. The blue line is real monthly climate data (not a modelled estimate) for a representative rural/agricultural location in this zone -- a small farming town or agricultural research station rather than a major city, to avoid the warmer bias city weather stations have. For the actual verdict on how well this crop does in your zone, see the badge at the top of the page -- that's based on the site's own researched yield figures, not this chart.
Quick Start: Sowing to Storage
- Sow direct in short rows. Sow direct in short rows or broadcast in a patch -- mizuna germinates fast and doesn't need starting indoors.
- Thin only if growing to full size. Thin seedlings if you want larger individual plants; leave them close together if you're growing for baby-leaf cut-and-come-again picking.
- Harvest outer leaves repeatedly. Cut outer leaves a few centimetres above the base, leaving the centre growing point intact -- new leaves regrow for repeated harvests over several weeks.
- Resow through the season. Because it's genuinely fast and cold-hardy, resow every few weeks through most of the growing season for a continuous supply rather than one large batch.
- Use fresh soon after cutting. Mizuna is a fresh salad and stir-fry green -- use it within a few days of cutting for the best texture and peppery bite.
Sowing & Harvesting Calendar
Pick your zone under "Temperature Range by Month" above and this updates too. Notice mizuna's sowing windows run genuinely wider than pak choi's in most zones -- a direct reflection of its greater cold tolerance.
Calories & Yield
Tropical gives the best yield here, and every zone shows at least a challenging window -- mizuna is genuinely viable across the whole site.
| Climate Zone | Yield per plant | Calories per plant | Viability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical / Humid | 2.5 kg | 525 kcal | Viable -- best yield |
| Subtropical | 2.0 kg | 420 kcal | Viable |
| Mediterranean | 2.0 kg | 420 kcal | Viable |
| Temperate Maritime | 1.8 kg | 378 kcal | Viable |
| Temperate Continental | 1.8 kg | 378 kcal | Viable |
| Cool / Boreal | 0.72 kg | 151.2 kcal | Challenging (60% yield) |
| Arid / Semi-Arid | 0.72 kg | 151.2 kcal | Challenging (60% yield) |
| Highland / Alpine | 0.72 kg | 151.2 kcal | Challenging (60% yield) |
Figures per plant sown, from the site's own crop database. Boreal, Arid and Alpine already reflect the 60% penalty applied to challenging zones.
Varieties Worth Knowing
Mizuna varieties mostly differ in leaf shape, colour and speed to maturity. All the varieties below are open-pollinated (OP), meaning seed saved from them breeds true and is worth keeping under this site's seed-saving approach; none are F1 hybrids.
Seed Saving -- Quick Guide
Mizuna crosses freely with pak choi, Chinese cabbage and turnip -- all one species (Brassica rapa), different from the cabbage/kale group. Leave a few plants uncut to bolt and flower rather than harvesting everything young.
SERVINGS, NOT DAILY CALORIES This works out plate-sized servings of mizuna from your seed during its fresh harvest window only, not your group's full daily calorie needs. For that, use the main calculator.
BIENNIAL FOR SEED Mizuna is grown as an annual for eating, but is biennial for seed -- most varieties need to overwinter before flowering and setting seed the following year. Plants grow through year one, a few overwintered plants flower and set seed in year two, and that seed is only ready to sow in year three. If you're starting from scratch with no ongoing seed supply, that means having enough seed on hand for both year one's and year two's sowing up front. Plan for roughly double the seed quantity below if that's your situation.
Estimated for your selected zone above, using this site's own germination, loss and yield figures for mizuna -- a helping is roughly what you'd put on a plate as part of a meal with other veg. Treat it as a planning estimate, not a promise.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh mizuna keeps for about a week refrigerated -- like pak choi, it's genuinely a fresh-eating crop rather than a storage one.
For longer-term preservation, it can be blanched and frozen for cooked dishes, though its real strength is the continuous fresh supply cut-and-come-again picking already provides through much of the year.
Growing Mizuna Without Bought Inputs
Genuinely one of the toughest, lowest-maintenance greens on this hub -- its cold-hardiness and drought tolerance mean it copes well with minimal attention once established.
Flea beetles are the main pest to watch for, the same risk faced by this hub's other brassicas.
Fine mesh over young plants until they're established is a simple, genuinely effective input-free defence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does mizuna cross-pollinate with pak choi and Chinese cabbage?
Yes, genuinely -- mizuna, pak choi and Chinese cabbage are all Brassica rapa, the same species, and so is turnip on the Root Vegetables & Tubers hub. All four will cross-pollinate with each other if left to flower nearby. It does NOT cross with mustard greens (a different species) or this hub's kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts or kohlrabi (all Brassica oleracea).
Is mizuna really viable in every climate zone this site models?
Yes -- mizuna is one of relatively few crops on this site with at least a challenging window in all eight zones. It's genuinely the most cold-hardy of the three Brassica rapa Asian greens on this hub, matching its reputation as an unusually tough winter salad crop.
What does "cut-and-come-again" mean for mizuna?
The crop database calls mizuna good for cut-and-come-again -- meaning you can harvest outer leaves repeatedly from the same plant over several weeks, rather than pulling the whole plant at once, and it keeps regrowing new leaves from the centre.