Chinese Cabbage Mizuna

Franchi - Chinese Cabbage Mizuna

The Japanese Feather: Chinese Cabbage Mizuna

Transform your salads from flat to fabulous with Chinese Cabbage Mizuna. While technically a member of the mustard family, this Japanese green is widely cherished for its elegant, deeply serrated leaves that look like feathers and taste like a milder, fresher version of rocket. If you are new to growing Asian greens, this is the perfect starting point. It is incredibly robust and tolerant of the damp Irish/UK climate, making it far easier to grow than spinach. It provides a continuous supply of fresh greens throughout the season, thriving even when other salad crops (like lettuce) are struggling with slugs or bolting in the summer heat.

• Texture & Loft: The feathery shape of the leaves adds amazing volume and "crunch" to a salad bowl, preventing it from looking flat.

• The "Cut-and-Come-Again" King: This is one of the most productive plants you can grow. You can harvest from a single sowing for months.

• Bolt Resistant: unlike spinach or coriander, Mizuna is slow to bolt (go to seed) in the summer, making it a reliable crop for the warmer months.

• Cold Hardy: It is exceptionally tough. With a little fleece protection, you can harvest fresh Mizuna right through the winter.

Master Gardener's Tip: The "Baby Leaf" Strategy

Don't feel you have to wait for full maturity—Mizuna is often best enjoyed using the "Baby Leaf" strategy. While the plant can grow into a large rosette, harvesting it early yields the best results. Simply sow seeds thickly in a wide drill or pot, and when the leaves are just 8–10 cm (3–4 inches) tall, give the whole row a "haircut" with a pair of scissors, leaving about 2 cm of stem. At this stage, the leaves are at their most tender and mildest, and the best part is that they will regrow completely within 2–3 weeks, ready for a second or even third harvest!

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