Kekkyu Takana Mustard is a Japanese heading mustard that brings a tightly wrapped, almost cabbage-like structure to your cool-season garden. This heirloom annual matures in 50-59 days and reaches 18-24 inches tall, making it substantial enough to command space but compact enough for most gardens. It thrives in zones 2-10 and demands full sun, but here's the catch: it's a temperature-sensitive plant that bolts quickly once warmth arrives, so timing your planting is everything.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-10
24in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
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The defining feature of Kekkyu Takana is its wrapped-heart structure, a distinctive head formation that bunches tightly like no other mustard. Frost-resistant and cool-loving, it's meant to be planted about a month before your last spring frost, rewarding early-season gardeners with tender, flavorful leaves before summer heat shuts it down. Harvest it slightly early, before the plant fully matures, and you'll capture its most delicious expression.
Kekkyu Takana mustard is eaten fresh as greens, with the entire wrapped head harvested and the leaves separated for salads or quick sautés. Its tender texture when harvested young makes it particularly suited to fresh preparations rather than long cooking.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Transplant hardened seedlings outdoors about a month before your last spring frost date. Space them 6 inches apart in rows spaced 24 inches apart in full sun.
Direct sow seeds outdoors in early spring about a month before the last frost, or in late summer for a fall harvest.
Harvest the entire wrapped head when it feels firm and the outer leaves are still tender, typically around 50-59 days after planting. For the best flavor, consider harvesting a bit early rather than waiting for full maturity. Pick in the morning when leaves are crisp.
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