GrowSabzHow to grow mustard greens in pots
Also called Leaf Mustard, Indian Mustard, sarson ka saag, mustard leaf · Brassica juncea
سرسوں کا ساگ
- ☀️ Sunlight
- 4–6hours daily
- 💧 Water
- 0.4 Levery 2 days, 5 L pot
- 🌡️ Ideal temp
- 10–24°C
- 🪴 Min pot
- 5 L15 cm deep
- 🧺 Harvest
- 30–45days from sowing
- ⚖️ Yield
- 1 kgper 20 L pot
Mustard Greens is one of the fastest things you can grow — roughly 40 days from sowing to harvest. That makes it forgiving of mistakes, because a failed sowing costs you weeks rather than a season, and it's a good crop to slot between slower ones.
Short answer
Grow mustard greens in a 5 litre container at least 15 cm deep, watering about 600 ml per 10 litres of soil every 2 days, and keep temperatures between 10 and 24 °C. First harvest comes 30–45 days after sowing.
Where to plant it
What size pot does mustard greens need?
5 litres and 15 cm deep is the realistic minimum for a single plant. Pick a container below to see what changes.
| Container | Minimum size | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pot | 5 L | 15 cm | Use pots with drainage |
| Grow bag | 5 L | 15 cm | Fabric breathes well |
| Open ground | — | 20 cm | Space well for good air circulation |
| Raised bed | 10 L | 20 cm | Good drainage and soil depth are beneficial |
Watering
How often should you water mustard greens?
Every 2 days through the growing season, at about 600 ml per 10 litres of soil — daily in hot weather, every 3 days when it turns cool. Water in the early morning. Drip irrigation or base watering works best.
Too little water
- wilting leaves
- bitter taste
- bolting
Too much water
- yellowing leaves
- stunted growth
- root rot
Avoid: water on leaves; standing water; letting soil dry out completely.
Climate
Can you grow mustard greens where you live?
No hardiness zone needed — compare your actual temperatures against the plant's own limits.
| Ideal range | 10 – 24 °C |
|---|---|
| Survives | -5 – 30 °C |
| Germinates above | 7 °C — best at 18 °C, about 7 days |
| Flowers drop | above 28 °C |
| Sunlight | 4–8 hrs/day, best 6 |
| Frost | Medium sensitivity |
The flower-drop thresholds matter more than the survival ones. A plant can be perfectly alive at 30 °C and still give you nothing.
How cold is too cold for mustard greens? Check your temperaturesEnter your night low and day high — see if it survives, and if it will cropTimeline
Mustard Greens growing stages, day by day
Click any stage to see what's happening. Durations shift with temperature — a warm season runs roughly a quarter faster than a cool one.
Feeding
Fertiliser schedule for mustard greens
Feed on the interval below, changing what you give as the plant shifts from making leaves to making fruit.
| Stage | What to use | Per 10 L | Every |
|---|
How to prepare each feed
Common mistakes
Why mustard greens fails, and how to avoid it
- A container that is too small
Below 5 litres the root run is too shallow. The plant grows, flowers late, and drops whatever it sets because it cannot support the crop.
- Watering too lightly
A daily splash wets the top few centimetres and nothing else. Mustard Greens wants about 600 ml per 10 litres of soil — one deep soak beats three shallow ones.
- Wetting the leaves
Overhead watering in the evening leaves foliage damp overnight, which is exactly the condition fungal disease needs. Water the soil, early in the day.
- Ignoring the flower-drop threshold
Above 28 °C flowers fall before setting. The plant can look perfectly healthy and still give you nothing — shade it through the hottest hours.
- Planting it beside Cabbage
All members of the Brassica family (cabbage, broccoli, kale) compete for similar nutrients and share common pests and diseases.
Companions
What to plant with mustard greens
Good neighbours
Deters common pests like aphids and flea beetles that target mustard greens.
Repels nematodes and other harmful insects, improving soil health and protecting roots.
Believed to improve the growth and flavor of nearby plants, acting as a 'nurse plant'.
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps, which prey on aphids and cabbage worms.
Acts as a trap crop, drawing aphids and cabbage worms away from mustard greens.
Keep apart from
All members of the Brassica family (cabbage, broccoli, kale) compete for similar nutrients and share common pests and diseases.
As another Brassica, it will compete for nutrients and attract the same pests like cabbage worms and flea beetles.
Can stunt the growth of mustard greens due to allelopathic effects or competition.
Can inhibit the growth of brassicas due to different nutrient requirements or allelopathic interactions.
Known to release allelopathic chemicals that can inhibit the growth of many other plants, including mustard greens.
Problems
Mustard Greens pests and diseases
Each lists the weather that brings it on, so you know when to start checking rather than reacting once it's established.
Flea Beetles humidity any · temp warm, dry
Tiny, jumping beetles that chew small, irregular holes (shot-hole appearance) in leaves, especially on young plants. Can severely stunt growth.
Aphids humidity any · temp 15-25
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new growth and the undersides of leaves, sucking sap and secreting sticky honeydew. Can cause distorted leaves.
Cabbage Worms humidity any · temp >20
Green caterpillars (larvae of white cabbage butterflies or cabbage loopers) that chew large, irregular holes in leaves, often near the central rib.
Downy Mildew humidity >80% · temp cool, wet
Causes yellowish spots on the upper surface of leaves, with fuzzy gray or purplish growth on the underside. Can lead to leaf decay.
Powdery Mildew humidity 50-70% · temp 20-27
White, powdery fungal spots appear mainly on the upper surface of leaves. Causes leaves to yellow and die off prematurely.
Clubroot humidity wet soil · temp 18-25
A soil-borne fungal disease causing swollen, distorted roots and stunted growth, often with wilting during the day. Favors acidic, wet soil.
White Rust humidity moist · temp cool
Causes white, blister-like pustules on the undersides of leaves, often leading to yellow spots on the upper surface. Can distort leaves and stems.
Slugs Snails humidity moist, humid · temp mild
Chew irregular holes in leaves, especially tender young growth. Silvery slime trails are a clear sign of their presence.
Alternaria Leaf Spot humidity >70% · temp warm, wet
Dark spots with concentric rings (target-like) often surrounded by a yellow halo, typically on older leaves. Can cause defoliation.
Bolting humidity any · temp sudden heat, long days
Plant prematurely sends up a flower stalk, causing leaves to become bitter and tough. Triggered by stress, especially sudden heat or long daylight hours.
Harvest
When to harvest mustard greens
First picking falls between day 30 and day 45, and the plant then keeps producing for about 60 days. Pick often — what you leave on the plant signals it to stop making more.
How to tell it's ready
- Leaves are 4-6 inches long for baby greens, or larger for mature leaves.
How much to expect
Storing it: Wash, thoroughly dry, and store in a plastic bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Can also be blanched and frozen.
Questions
Mustard Greens: common questions
How long does mustard greens take to grow?
About 40 days from sowing to the first harvest, with picking usually starting between day 30 and day 45. It then keeps producing for roughly 60 more days. Warm weather pulls that forward; cool weather pushes it back.
What size pot does mustard greens need?
At least 5 litres and 15 cm deep for one plant. A raised bed wants 10 litres of soil and 20 cm of depth.
How often should I water mustard greens?
About 600 ml per 10 litres of soil, every 2 days in normal weather — daily when it is hot and every 3 days when cool. Water in the early morning.
What temperature does mustard greens need?
It does best between 10 °C and 24 °C and survives from -5 °C to 30 °C. Seed needs soil above 7 °C to germinate, ideally around 18 °C.
Can I grow mustard greens in winter?
It tolerates cold better than most, down to about -5 °C, so a sheltered spot or a cold frame will often carry it through.
How do I know when mustard greens is ready to harvest?
Leaves are 4-6 inches long for baby greens, or larger for mature leaves.. Once picked: wash, thoroughly dry, and store in a plastic bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. can also be blanched and frozen.
How much does one mustard greens plant produce?
Roughly 1 kg from a 20 litre container, or about 2 kg in open ground. Larger containers give proportionally more, up to a point.