How to grow Komatsuna in Australia

A fast brassica green for full sun to part shade in fertile, moisture-holding soil. Sow direct and thin seedlings, keeping the soil evenly moist for quick, tender leaves.

At a glance

Difficulty: Beginner
Sun: Part shade
Water: 4 litres a week, watered every 2 days
Spacing: 20 cm
Time to harvest: 35 days
Time to germinate: 5 days
Soil pH: 6 to 7
Frost tolerance: Frost hardy

When to sow by region

Region	When to sow	Regional note
South East Queensland	February to September
Northern Rivers NSW	February to September
Sydney & Coastal NSW	February to September
Melbourne & Victoria	March to September	Sow Mar to Sep. Komatsuna shrugs off Melbourne frost and is ready in five weeks. Summer sowings bolt.
Adelaide & SA	March to September	Sow Mar to Sep. Komatsuna is quicker and more heat tolerant than most Asian greens, but still bolts from late spring.
Perth & WA	March to September	Sow Mar to Sep. Komatsuna is quicker and more heat tolerant than most Asian greens, but still bolts from late spring.
Tasmania	August to March	Sow Aug to Mar. Komatsuna shrugs off Tasmanian frost. Fast and dependable.
Canberra & ACT	February to April, September and October	Sow Feb to Apr for autumn and winter, or Sep to Oct for spring. Komatsuna is among the hardiest greens once established.
North Queensland	May to September	Dry season May to Sep. Komatsuna takes more heat than most Asian greens but still bolts in the build up.
Darwin & Top End	May to September	Dry season May to Sep. Komatsuna takes more heat than most Asian greens but still bolts in the build up.

Varieties

Komatsuna
Red Komatsuna

Companion planting

Good companions

Avoid planting near

Brassicas (rotation)

Harvest and storage

Harvest tip

Pick outer leaves once a good handful in size, or cut the whole plant young. Take leaves from the outside and the centre keeps pushing new growth.

Storage

Fridge in a sealed bag for 3 to 4 days.