Botanical Name: Brassica juncea
Days to Maturity: 40 days
Family: Brassicaceae
Native: Widespread, probably Asia
Hardiness: Frost-tolerant annual
Plant Dimensions: 12"–24" tall
Variety Information: Slightly savoyed, purplish-red, thick and tender leaves, in a loose head. Spicy, rich horseradish flavor intensifies with heat and as leaves get larger. 'Red Giant' can be used when very young and small, or more matured. If left to reseed, the volunteers revert to its strong-tasting, wild predecessor. It is particularly tolerant to cold and bolting, and has wide soil adaptability.
Attributes: Good for Containers, Heat Tolerant
When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, when soil temperature is at least 40°F, ideally 60°–75°F. Successive Sowings: Every 3 weeks until 10 to 12 weeks before your average first fall frost date for continuous harvest. Mild Climates: Sow in late fall through winter for cool–season harvest.
When to Start Inside: Not recommended; transplant stress can cause plants to bolt (prematurely flower).
Days to Emerge: 5–10 days
Seed Depth: ¼"
Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 4" – 6"
Row Spacing: 12"–18"
Thinning: When 3" tall, thin to 1 every 4" – 6"
Harvesting: Harvest in the morning if possible. You may start harvesting leaves when they are 2" tall, as needed; remove no more than 1/3 of the plant if regrowth is desired, or let plant grow to maturity and harvest entire plant. Late summer crops will last until the first hard freeze.
