Everything You Need to Know About Hydroponic Mustard Greens
Our spicy mustard greens, grown in our hydroponic vertical greenhouse in Texas.
Today’s agricultural landscape is changing and evolving at an astonishing rate. Farmers are looking for ways to be more sustainable, increase yields, feed underserved areas, and create safer products. While many AgTech innovations are working to improve all aspects of agriculture, hydroponic foods are taking the agricultural world by storm as an answer to all of these problems and more.
If you’re considering getting into the hydroponic farming commercial space, many crops are available to plant. Some, like romaine, are pretty common. Others are exotic and rare. Why not choose a classic leafy green that’s easy to grow, incredibly healthy, and a staple of many diets? Of course, we’re talking about mustard greens.
How to Grow Mustard Greens
Mustard greens are a perfect option for hydroponic farms. They’re incredibly easy to grow, versatile in their use, and a staple of the diet of several cultures.
In general, mustard greens take about 4-6 weeks from seed to harvest. This means, if appropriately managed, you can produce a dozen or more harvests per year in your hydroponic greenhouse. If you’re growing mustard microgreens, the time to harvest is even faster. If you’re aiming for a partial harvest, take about 30% of the plant at a time, leaving the rest to continue growing.
Optimal Growing Conditions for Mustard Greens
If you’re growing mustard greens, there are a wide variety of conditions that will work. While these plants will survive in most conditions above the freezing mark, certain circumstances will help you produce a healthier, thriving crop.
Water pH should be in the 6.0-6.5 range.
Keep the temperature anywhere between 50º F and 75º F.
The optimal temperature is in the range of 60-70º F.
Give your greens 14-18 hours of light per day.
There are minimal worries about pests attacking your mustard greens, especially in a controlled agriculture environment with strict IPM protocols, though cabbage loopers, cabbage worms, and flea beetles may infest these plants in rare circumstances. Keep an eye out for clubroot as well, though it is relatively uncommon.
Mustard Greens Nutrition Facts
Whether you’re looking to spice up your salad, add a pretty ruffled green to a sandwich, or do some good old-fashioned southern cooking, mustard greens are hard to beat. But did you know that these spicy leafy greens pack a nutritional punch too?
In a single cup of raw mustard greens, you’ll get only 15 calories and 3 grams of carbs. Yet that same cup of peppery greens offers 2 grams of fiber along with nutrients such as copper and vitamins A, B2, B6, C, E, and K. You’ll also enjoy a boost in calcium, iron, potassium, and thiamine.
Cooking your greens will produce a higher level of vitamins A and K and boost their copper content while diminishing the volume of vitamins C and E. Pickling mustard greens (as is popular in Japan and China) can also decrease vitamin content. However, it likely maintains their antioxidant properties.
Over the years, mustard greens have been added to diets for several benefits. They offer a boost in antioxidants that may boost your immune system. The vitamin K in both raw and cooked forms of mustard greens is beneficial for heart health and can also strengthen bones. Some have even claimed that these greens offer cancer-fighting compounds called glucosinolates. While the science is still out on the cancer question, the other benefits make them more than a good fit for almost any diet.
If you’re looking for a way to offer healthy, fresh food to your community year-round, a commercial hydroponic greenhouse might be the way to go. Contact Eden Green Technology to learn more about our turnkey hydroponic greenhouse systems .