Red Komatsuna, Hybrid Seeds

Red Komatsuna, Hybrid Seeds — The Heat-Tolerant All-Season Japanese Spinach Mustard With Striking Deep Purple Leaves, Sweet Spinach Flavor, Baby Greens in 20–38 Days, Microgreens to Full Heads

Red Komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. perviridis) is sorely underrated in the West — and this hybrid delivers everything that makes komatsuna exceptional, with the added advantage of heat tolerance and vibrant color retention. The leaf coloring is distinct and beautiful: deep purplish-red on top with green undersides and red veins threading through. The flavor is a happy medium between mild mustard green, tender spinach, and Chinese cabbage — satisfying at any stage from tiny microgreen to full leafy head. Unlike many purple greens, this hybrid retains its deep purple color even in warm weather. Suitable for year-round growing where temperatures allow. 20–38 days.

Why Grow Red Komatsuna Hybrid?

• Heat-tolerant hybrid — retains deep purple color even in warm conditions; grows well in all seasons
• Blazing fast — baby leaf in 20–38 days; microgreens even sooner
• Unique two-tone leaf color — deep purplish-red on top, green with red veins underneath; stunning in salads
• Sweet spinach flavor — a happy medium between mustard green, spinach, and Chinese cabbage; less bitter than most mustards
• Extraordinarily versatile — harvest at any stage from microgreens to full cabbage-like heads
• All-season capable — sow any time the ground is workable; avoid peak summer heat for best results
• Excellent for containers — compact rosette habit, ideal for pots and small-space gardens
• Perfect microgreens crop — vivid color and sweet flavor make it a standout in microgreen mixes

In the Kitchen

Consume komatsuna at any stage — from delicate microgreens to tender baby leaves to full leafy heads. Use in yosenabe (Japanese hot pot), sukiyaki, and ohitashi (blanched greens dressed with dashi and soy sauce). Enjoy raw in salad mixes with other greens, tucked into sandwiches, or very lightly sautéed — overcooked leaves will lose their striking purplish-red color, so keep cooking times short. Pickle lightly in rice vinegar for a quick tsukemono. Substitute freely for spinach, kale, Chinese cabbage, or other mustard greens in virtually any recipe.

Growing Notes

Sow seeds ¼–½ inch deep at any time of year the ground is workable, extending into autumn. Succession sow every 2–4 weeks for continuous harvest. For maximum yields of baby leaf, sow in 4-inch-wide shallow drills and harvest cut-and-come-again style. Thin seedlings once true leaves establish to desired spacing — 2–4 inches for baby leaf, up to 18 inches for full heads. Keep soil consistently moist; incorporate compost to improve fertility and moisture retention. Fertilize if leaves show pale color or poor venation. Tolerates full sun to full shade. Avoid peak summer heat for best color and flavor — part shade extends the season in warm weather. Outstanding for container growing. Harvest outer leaves when 8 inches tall for continuous production, or allow full head development and harvest like cabbage.

Packed and shipped by Box Garden Seeds LLC — heirloom seeds grown without GMOs, selected for flavor, resilience, and your garden’s success.