When to plant Mustard Greens in Arid Australia

Arid zone — applies to Alice Springs, Mildura, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie, Port Augusta and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Subtropical · Tropical.

Sow mustard greens direct across a wide cool-season stretch, from January to November, setting seed around 5 mm deep into moist, well-worked soil. They germinate fast at 4–7 days and reach picking size in 40–60 days, giving quick, peppery leaves for salads and stir-fries. Space plants 15–25 cm apart with rows 30–40 cm across, or sow more thickly for cut-and-come-again baby leaves. Hardy to cold, mustard greens suit the mild winters and cold nights of Alice Springs and Broken Hill, but the deep heat of a desert summer will push them to bolt, so lean towards the cooler months for the best flavour.

Sowing calendar — arid zone

Green months are your sowing window: January to November.

Growing notes

Mustard greens are one of the more forgiving leaf crops for arid gardens, and the long January-to-November window reflects how readily they grow whenever the weather is not at its hottest. They are fast, hardy and generous, and the cold nights of a desert winter actually mellow their peppery bite. The trick is simply to avoid the peak of summer, when heat and dry air stress the plants.

Bolting is the failure mode to watch. A plant that dries out, cops a hot spell or is grown too far into summer will throw up a flower stalk, and once that happens the leaves turn coarse and fiercely hot. Head it off by keeping the soil consistently moist, which in the arid zone means mulching well and watering more often than you might expect, and by sowing small successions every few weeks so you always have tender young plants coming on.

A few extra pointers for desert success:

• In the warmer shoulders of the window, give plants light afternoon shade to slow bolting.
• Watch for flea beetle, which peppers the leaves with tiny holes; a fine mesh cover or a well-watered, unstressed plant usually rides it out.
• Harvest outer leaves as cut-and-come-again and the plant keeps cropping for weeks rather than being pulled all at once.

Grown in the cooler months and kept moist, mustard greens are close to a set-and-forget crop in the arid garden.

Mustard Greens at a glance

Common questions

When should I sow mustard greens in Alice Springs?

You have a long window, from January through November, but lean towards the cooler months for the best results. Mustard greens bolt in the peak of summer heat, so autumn, winter and early spring sowings give the sweetest, most tender leaves. The cold desert nights actually improve their flavour.

Why do my mustard greens taste so hot and bitter?

Heat and moisture stress are usually to blame. When plants dry out or are grown into hot weather they bolt, and the leaves turn coarse and intensely peppery. Keep the soil consistently moist, grow them in the cooler months and harvest the leaves young for a milder taste.

How do I keep mustard greens producing for longer?

Harvest the outer leaves as cut-and-come-again rather than pulling whole plants, and the centre keeps producing new leaves for weeks. Sowing small batches every few weeks also ensures you always have young, tender plants coming on rather than relying on an ageing patch.

What are the little holes in my mustard green leaves?

Those are usually from flea beetle, which chews tiny shot-holes in brassica leaves. A fine mesh cover keeps them off, and a well-watered, unstressed plant generally outgrows the damage. Keeping the soil moist in the dry desert air is the best defence.

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