Red Giant, Mustard Seed

Red Giant Mustard Seed

Huge purple-red leaves carry a wasabi-like bite
Cold and heat tolerance broaden the growing season
Baby foliage brings dramatic salad color
Mature plants double as edible ornamentals

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Brassica juncea

Days to maturity

45 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

1000 Seeds

About Red Giant, Mustard Seed, Mustard Seed

The Red Giant is a large mustard with an excellent, pungent flavor. This variety is a large purple-red leaf type. The Red Giant is great used as an ornamental or salad garnish. This variety's flavor has a slight hint of wasabi and grey poupon.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/8"

Days to Germination

3–10 days

In-row plant spacing

4-6"

Row Spacing

12-18"

Plant profile

Maturity

Spring, Fall

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

30 inches

Growth Habits

Rosette, Upright

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

12,000

Color

Red

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Growing Season

Cool-Season Crop

Before Planting

Reserve a full-sun location for Mustard during cool weather, or provide light afternoon shade in warmer conditions; the soil should be fertile, moisture-retentive, and well-drained. Work in compost and prepare a fine, level, weed-free seedbed. Plan dependable irrigation and avoid fresh manure or excessive nitrogen immediately before planting.

Planting

Plant mustard seed outdoors during cool weather, beginning when the soil is workable. Keep the upper soil evenly moist until emergence, and provide light shade if warm conditions threaten germination. Thin mustard to 1–2 inches for baby leaves or 6–12 inches for mature plants. Make small succession sowings every 1–3 weeks while temperatures remain suitable.

Watering

Maintain consistently moist soil so mustard leaves remain tender and mild. Water at the root zone whenever the upper soil begins drying, avoiding drought stress, saturation, and frequent wet foliage.

Fertilizer

Apply a light nitrogen-rich feeding after mustard establishes if growth is pale or slow. Follow soil-test guidance and avoid overfertilizing, which causes tender, weak, or bitter growth.

Harvesting

Harvest outer mustard leaves when tender and usable, leaving the growing center intact for regrowth. Pick during the cool morning and cut whole plants before bolting, toughness, or declining flavor.

Tips

Make small succession sowings of mustard and use shade cloth as weather warms. Harvest outer leaves often, and remove bolting plants before they become bitter or scatter unwanted seed.

AVG. Seeding Rate

Bunching: 1 oz./1,040', 1 lb./16,640', 1⅓ lb./acre at 15 seeds/ft.

Pests & Diseases

Black rot, downy mildew, Alternaria, clubroot, and white rust affect mustard greens. Use clean seed, rotate all brassicas together, and prevent contaminated soil from moving between beds. Remove plants with V-shaped lesions, swollen roots, or white pustules; eliminate mustard volunteers that can maintain disease.

Flea beetles and caterpillars can quickly mark mustard leaves, while aphids and root maggots may also appear. Use insect netting on young plants, check leaf undersides, handpick worms, and rotate brassicas.