How to Grow Mustard Microgreens

 

Mustard comes in several varieties.They come in bright green, light green, dark green, purple and flavors can range from being mild to very spicy. That is why you will find seed companies selling mustard seeds as a “Mustard Mix”. One of the popular varieties of mustard seeds is the Red Giant and Red Garnet Mustard.

Things you need to grow Mustard Microgreens

1. 50g tablespoons Mustard seeds
2. 10 x 20 Microgreens tray x 2 - without holes
3. 10 x 20 Microgreens tray x 1 - with holes
4. 6 cups of coco coir
5. Grow lights (or sunlight)

Steps to grow Mustard Microgreens

1. Stack a 10x20 tray with holes on top of the 10x20 tray that does not have holes.
2. Fill the tray (with holes) to the top with coco coir.
3. Spread the Mustard seeds as evenly as possible.
4. Mist water once or twice a day, keeping the soil damp but not soggy.
5. Stack another 10x20 tray on top for the first 3 Days for a Weighted Blackout. Add a 5 pound weight on top of the tray.
6. On Day 4, seeds will be germinated. Keep the 10x20 tray flipped on top for the next 3 Days like a Blackout Dome to just provide one more day of blackout so it can stretch for light a little bit more.
7. On day 5, introduce the Mustard microgreens to light. From now on, water via the bottom tray.
8. Harvest on day 10, when seedlings reach 3-4 inches.

 

 

Tips on growing Mustard microgreens

• There is nothing “red” about the Red Giant Mustard variety, but the Red Garnet variety has dark red leaves.
• You could add a scoop of some fertilizer with coco coir to give the seedlings a boost, but it is not required.

Mustard Harvest

Mustard microgreens start germinating from the first day itself, and are ready for harvest by day 14. A typical Mustard harvest is expected to be 14x times the weight of the seed. For example, if you use 50g of Mustard seeds, you can expect a harvest of about 700g.

 

Health Benefits of Mustard Microgreens

• Low in calories and rich in fiber and micronutrients.
• red varieties are rich in anthocyanins, linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes [source 1, source 2]
• Excellent source of Vitamin K which plays a vital role in blood clotting, heart and bone health. [source] 
• Could boost immunity as it has good amounts of Vitamin C. [source].
• Mustard greens are high in a group of beneficial plant compounds called glucosinolates which have been shown to help protect cells against DNA damage and prevent the growth of cancerous cells. [source]

Nutritional Profile:

One cup (56 grams) of chopped raw mustard greens provides: (source)

 

Calories: 15

Protein: 2 grams

Fat: less than 1 gram

Carbs: 3 grams

Fiber: 2 grams

Sugar: 1 gram

Vitamin A: 9% of the Daily Value (DV)

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): 6% of the DV

Vitamin C: 44% of the DV

Vitamin E: 8% of the DV

Vitamin K: 120% of the DV

Copper: 10% of the DV