How to Grow Mizunas
On this page
Sow mizuna once soil temperature reaches 4°C.
The short answer
- Site
- soil pH 5.5–6.8
- Biggest risk
- White blister
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Mizuna (Brassica rapa subsp. nipposinica)
3 sources cited · Verified
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 5.5 - 6.8 |
| Germination temp | 4°C |
| Soil texture | chalk, clay, loam or sand (RHS) |
| Drainage | well-drained |
| Lifecycle | biennial, harvested in its first year as a fast-growing compact plant |
| Edible parts | leaves |
| Documented problems | 3 diseases, 3 pests |
At a Glance
Diseases
Pests
Soil & Growing Conditions
Water: moist but well-drained; prefers cooler conditions especially in summer (RHS)
Soil pH range
Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing | 0 | Sow in spring about two weeks after the last frost, or again near end of summer for autumn/winter harvest; germinates in 4-7 days at 45-85°F (Harvest to Table). |
| Establishment | 3 | Fast-growing compact rosette to about 20cm; full sun or part shade, moist well-drained soil (RHS). |
| Baby leaf harvest | 8 | Pick baby leaves 4-6 weeks after germination once 4-6in tall (Harvest to Table). |
| Mature harvest | 8 | Leave to 6-8 weeks for fuller heads; slow to bolt in hot weather, very cold-hardy into winter (Harvest to Table, RHS). |
Harvest & Storage
When to pick: Baby greens from 4-6 weeks after germination, once leaves reach 4-6in tall; fuller heads at 6-8 weeks (Harvest to Table). Very cold-hardy, harvestable well into winter under row covers or cold frames.
Plan your Mizunas planting
Timing for Mizunas follows soil temperature and frost, not the calendar date. The Global vegetable planting calendar explains the method. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Mizuna in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
Sources
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A secondary gardening reference rather than a university or horticultural authority, used only for sowing succession/germination-temperature detail RHS does not cover, not contradicted by it. Sow in spring as soon as soil can be worked, about two weeks after the last frost; germinates in soil as cool as 40°F (4°C), taking 4-7 days at 45-85°F (7-29°C). Sow every three weeks for succession harvests; grows from seed to maturity in about 40 days. Sow again near end of summer for an autumn/early winter harvest. Harvest begins 3-6 weeks after germination: baby greens at 4-6 weeks once leaves reach 4-6in tall, fuller heads at 6-8 weeks. Extremely cold-hardy, harvestable well into winter under row covers or cold frames; unprotected plants survive light frost to about -6°C (21°F), row-covered or cold-framed plants to -12°C (10°F). Grown in USDA zones 3-10. Slow to bolt in hot weather compared to many leafy greens.
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Mirrors FAO Ecocrop. Fetched and parsed directly for the numeric soil pH range.
These 2 sources are specific to this region. The full list of 3 sources behind this guide (Harvest to Table, Royal Horticultural Society, Useful Temperate Plants) is in the references of our UK guide to mizuna; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What soil pH does mizuna need?
A pH of about 5.5–6.8. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
What problems affect mizuna?
Our data links 3 diseases and 3 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.
Get the Global Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Works in either hemisphere
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against international horticultural research and extension sources. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Related Problem Guides
Last verified 2026-08-29
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Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.