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Katie's Mustard Lettuce
Brassica juncea
Sweet, slightly pungent, elegant, and rare heirloom mustard from Australia grows 10-12" tall with crinkly, light green leaves. Add fresh to salads or saute with other greens.
In his book, 100 Vegetables and Where they Come From, William Woys Weaver explains that this tender mustard's ancestors originated in China, and that it likely traveled to Australia during the Gold Rush, which began in the mid 1800s. He also explains that in the 1970s an elderly gardener gave this rare heirloom mustard seed to Katie Hiller of Mount Glorious, Queensland who grew it in her nursery. Rose-Marie Lacherez subsequently named this variety for Katie, and shared it via Seed Savers Exchange. We received our seed stock originally from William Woys Weaver's Roughwood Seed Collection.
Days to maturity: 50-60
Seeds per pack: 100
Germination rate: 96% on 10/03/2023
Planting / harvesting notes
Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost, or seed every 1" in rows 8-12" apart, 1/4-1/2" deep. Keep watered until germination. Thin to every 8-12" for fuller heads, or treat as cut-and-come-again baby greens. Harvest baby greens after 25 days, or allow plant to mature in 50-60 days.
Seed keeping notes
Isolate by 1/2 mile from other flowering members of B. juncea, including turnips, napa cabbage, and bok choy to avoid unwanted cross-pollination. Allow seed pods to turn brown and dry before seed harvest. Protect from birds.
