When to Plant Mustard Greens in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Sow January to May and September to October. Right now in October you can sow.
Grow Mustard Greens in your space
- Planting window
- Frost hardy, so sow from late summer into autumn and again in early spring. Growth slows in midwinter and spring sowings bolt quickly, so...
- Days to harvest
- 25 days
- Sunlight
- Full sun in cool weather. Part shade in warm weather to reduce bolting and excessive pungency.
- Water needs
- Consistent moisture for tender, mild leaves. Drought stress increases pungency and...
- Spacing
- 25cm apart, 35cm between rows
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.5
Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Mustard Greens guide is written for the Cold / Highland zone, which takes in Canberra, Cooma and Bright. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
Mustard greens are fast-growing, peppery brassica greens available in a stunning range of leaf forms and colours, from the broad, purple-red 'Red Giant' to the lacy, golden 'Golden Frills'. They add spice and colour to salads and stir-fries. Faster than kale and more flavourful than mizuna, they fill the gap between mild Asian greens and spicy rocket.
See what grows now in your own postcode
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | S/T/D | S/T/D | S/T/D | T | - | - | - | S/D | T/D | - | - |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 13.6°C (optimal range: 10–35°C) ✓ Ready to plant
Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like
In October the Cold / Highland zone normally runs 20°C by day and 7°C overnight, with about 58 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -6.4°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 15 postcodes, SILO.
How to Grow Mustard Greens in Cold / Highland Australia
When to Plant
Frost hardy, so sow from late summer into autumn and again in early spring. Growth slows in midwinter and spring sowings bolt quickly, so pick leaves young.
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile soil with compost. Not fussy about soil type. Performs well in average garden soil.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun in cool weather. Part shade in warm weather to reduce bolting and excessive pungency.
- Spacing
- 25cm apart, 35cm between rows
- Watering
- Consistent moisture for tender, mild leaves. Drought stress increases pungency and toughness. Water deeply 2-3 times per week.
Companion plants: Lettuce, Celery, Onion, Peas, Marigold
Avoid planting near: Other brassicas if disease present
Grow before, grow after
Mustard Greens belong with the brassicas, the leafy greens and brassicas turn of a four turn bed rotation.
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before brassicas go back in. The cabbage family is hungry for nitrogen and shares club root and other soil diseases.
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Mustard Greens
Recommended Varieties
- Red Giant
- Green Wave
Key Challenges
- Short growing season
- Heavy frost damages leaves (plants recover from light frost)
Pro Tips
- Fast growth means 2-3 crops per season even in highlands
- Frost cloth extends season
- More cold-tolerant than lettuce
Harvesting Mustard Greens
When ready: Baby leaf: 10-15cm (3-4 weeks). Full size: 30-40cm (5-8 weeks). Leaves should be fresh and undamaged. Young leaves are milder.
How to harvest: Cut-and-come-again: cut 3cm above ground for regrowth. Or pick individual outer leaves. Harvest before flower stalk appears.
Preserving: pressure canning
1 tested pressure-canning recipe for Mustard greens: 1 where it is the crop being canned. Each one comes from published home canning guidelines. The conversion to Australian units is ours, with psi beside every kPa. Always follow your pressure canner's manual.
Common Mustard Greens Pests in Cold / Highland Zones
Caterpillars and Aphids, risk: LOW (score: 38/100)Organic prevention (Aphids): Avoid excess nitrogen. Encourage beneficial insects.
Where to next
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Open the planting dashboard Join GardenBuddy.auCommon Questions About Mustard Greens
When do you plant mustard greens in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jan to Nov
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Feb to Sep
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Feb to Sep
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Feb to May, Aug to Oct
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to May, Sep to Oct
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): all year
- Mediterranean (Perth): Feb to Sep
Does mustard greens grow all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Jan to May, Sep to Oct. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.