When to Plant Mustard greens in Cairns, Tropical Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Cairns), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Tropical
In October the Tropical zone normally runs 34°C by day and 23°C overnight, with about 53 mm of rain over 5 or 6 wet days. Averages 1991 to 2026, 37 postcodes, SILO.
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This Mustard greens guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Jan to Nov
- Days to harvest
- 25 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 25 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5
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'.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Tropical
- Jan S/T/D
- Feb S/T/D
- Mar S/T/D
- Apr S/T/D
- May S/T/D
- Jun S/T/D
- Jul S/T/D (likely to bolt)
- Aug S/T/D (likely to bolt)
- Sep S/T/D (likely to bolt)
- Oct S/T/D
- Nov S/T/D
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Amber = likely to bolt if sown this month, it matures into heat or long days.
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How to Grow Mustard greens in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile soil with compost. Not fussy about soil type. Performs well in average garden soil.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- 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.
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Dwarf Beans, Lettuce, Onion, Cucumber
- Keep away from
- Eggplant (Listed under 'keep apart from' for mustard greens; no reason is given.), Strawberry (Listed under 'keep apart from' for mustard greens; no reason is given.), Tomato (Listed under 'keep apart from' for mustard greens; no reason is given.)
- 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.
Tropical Growing Tips for Mustard greens
Recommended Varieties
- Red Giant (handles some heat)
- Green Wave
- Tendergreen
Key Challenges
- Bolts quickly in heat
- Pest pressure
- Pungency increases with heat stress
Pro Tips
- Harvest as baby leaf (3-4 weeks) for best flavour and to avoid bolting
- Provide afternoon shade
- Insect netting recommended
Pests and problems for Mustard greens in Tropical
- Caterpillars and Aphids Moderate
- Common Garden Snail Watch
- Slugs Watch
- Downy Mildew Avoid overhead watering. Space for airflow. Crop rotation. Watch
- White Rust Crop rotation. Good spacing. Avoid overhead watering. Watch
Organic prevention (Aphids): Avoid excess nitrogen. Encourage beneficial insects.
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.
Storing and preserving mustard greens
How to keep it
- Blanching and Freezing. Wash, remove stems. Blanch 2 minutes. Ice bath, drain, squeeze. Pack into freezer bags. Keeps: 8-12 months.
- Fermented Mustard Greens. Wilt leaves by salting heavily for 4-6 hours. Rinse lightly. Pack into jars. Press down until brine covers greens. Weight down. Ferment 7-14 days at room temperature. Refrigerate. Excellent in Asian cooking. Keeps: 3-6 months refrigerated.
- Dehydrating. Wash, remove stems. Blanch 1 minute. Drain, dry. Dehydrate at 55C for 4-8 hours. Store whole or crumble as seasoning. Keeps: 6-12 months.
- Pickled Mustard Greens. Wilt leaves by salting for 2 hours. Rinse. Pack into jars with vinegar brine (equal parts water and rice vinegar, 30g salt per litre, optional sugar and chilli). Process in water bath 15 minutes or refrigerate. Keeps: 6 months (processed); 2 months (refrigerated).
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common 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 Likely to bolt if sown in July, August and September.
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Feb to Sep Likely to bolt if sown in August and September.
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Feb to Sep
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Feb to May, Aug to Oct Likely to bolt if sown in September and October.
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to May, Sep to Oct Likely to bolt if sown in October.
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): all year Likely to bolt if sown in July, August, September, October, November and December.
- Mediterranean (Perth): Feb to Sep
Can you grow mustard greens all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Jan to Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather. Likely to bolt if sown in July, August and September.
When should I plant Mustard greens in Cairns?
Heat-tolerant Asian mustards (kai choy) can be sown most of the year and do well in the wet. Harvest young, as they bolt quickly in heat; European mustards are best kept to the dry season.
What soil temperature do Mustard greens need?
Mustard greens germinate best when soil temperature is between 10°C and 35°C.
How do I know when Mustard greens are ready to harvest?
Baby leaf: 10-15cm (3-4 weeks). Full size: 30-40cm (5-8 weeks). Leaves should be fresh and undamaged. Young leaves are milder.
What are the best Mustard greens varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Red Giant (handles some heat), Green Wave, Tendergreen.
What grows well with Mustard greens?
Good companion plants for Mustard greens include: Nasturtium, Dwarf Beans, Lettuce, Onion, Cucumber.
Are mustard greens salt tolerant?
Only a little. Mustard greens are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it 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 Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.