🥬 Great Wave Miike Mustard Greens

Brassica juncea ‘Great Wave Miike’
The Japanese pickling mustard, reselected: big, bold takana leaves for winter eating, baby leaf in about 21 days, mature in 40-50.
Sun
Full sun to part shade, 4-6 hours
Days to harvest
Baby leaf about 21 days; mature leaves 40-50 days
Spacing
12 inches apart for full plants; rows 18 inches apart
Soil pH
6.0-7.5, fertile and moisture-retentive
Zones
Cool-season annual; in Florida, fall through spring, winter in mild areas

What it looks like

Brassica juncea, the species
Brassica juncea, the species (no verified photo of ‘Great Wave Miike Mustard Greens’ itself exists). Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Brassica juncea, the species
Brassica juncea, the species (no verified photo of ‘Great Wave Miike Mustard Greens’ itself exists). Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Brassica juncea, the species
Brassica juncea, the species (no verified photo of ‘Great Wave Miike Mustard Greens’ itself exists). Photo: Comedora, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Why this variety

Great Wave Miike is a reselection of the traditional Japanese Miike Giant strain, rooted in the long takana tradition of Japan — bold mustard greens famously used for pickles and winter eating. The reselection, released as an Open Source Seed Initiative pledged variety, sharpens size and tenderness for organic systems while keeping the heirloom character: big plants, crisp midribs, and a strong, clean mustard bite that stands up to pickling, braising, and winter soups.

Seed listings describe it as a cool-season annual that performs best in warm climates from fall through early spring, with baby greens snippable from about 21 days and mature leaves or heads in roughly 40-50 days, plus strong cold tolerance. For a Florida garden, that is the ideal profile: sow in fall, pick baby leaves within a month, and let the big plants carry you through winter.

How to grow

Direct-sow in fall in Florida, aiming to sow 4-6 weeks before first frost in colder zones — here, that translates to fall sowing for a winter crop — at about half an inch deep, keeping the seedbed evenly moist for emergence in about 7-10 days. Thin to about 12 inches for full plants, and succession-sow every 2-3 weeks for baby greens.

Work compost and castings in at planting, mulch lightly, and keep water steady. Cooler weather improves texture and reduces bolting, so the best Great Wave Miike leaves are winter leaves: crisp midribs, bold flavor, and a plant that shrugs off light frost and keeps growing. Harvest outer leaves first for cut-and-come-again production, or take whole plants at maturity for pickling.

Water & feeding

Mustard greens need steady moisture, about an inch a week; drought makes leaves tough and extra-hot. Feed at planting with castings and compost; mustards are light feeders.

Common problems

  • Bolting — flower stalks from heat or long days; plant for fall-through-spring harvest and succession-sow.
  • Flea beetles — tiny shot-holes in leaves; use row cover on young plants.
  • Aphids — clusters on undersides; blast with water.
  • Downy mildew in humid weather — space for airflow and water at the base.

Harvest

Snip baby greens from about 21 days, pick outer leaves for continuous harvest, or harvest mature leaves and heads at roughly 40-50 days. For pickling, harvest whole plants at full size, when midribs are crisp and flavor is bold; for salads, pick young and tender.

Nerdy fact: Takana is the Japanese name for this family of pickled mustard greens, and a jar of takana pickles is a winter staple in parts of Japan the way a jar of pickled okra is a pantry staple in the American South. Great Wave Miike connects those two traditions in one plant: a Japanese pickling green, grown in a Florida winter, eaten like a Southern green.

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Saving seeds

Great Wave Miike is a reselection of the traditional Japanese Miike Giant strain, released as an Open Source Seed Initiative pledged variety, so saved seed comes true — let a plant bolt and the pods turn tan, and keep it from other flowering mustards, which cross freely. The full method is in the Saving seeds section of the Mustard Greens guide.