Chinese Cabbage and Mustard

Dr. Joe Masabni
Patrick Lillard
Department of Horticulture
Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Description

Both vegetables are crucifies, related to cabbage and broccoli. The most common form of Chinese cabbage has a cylindrical tight head 4 inches thick and up to 18 inches long. Outer leaves are light green with a white midrib; inner leaves are creamy yellow. Chinese mustard has a loose head and rosette of dark green leaves which are oblong or oval with shiny dark green blades and thick white petioles.

Culture

Both are cool season crops. A spring crop can be grown from transplants set out in early spring. For the fall crop, sow Chinese cabbage seed 60 to 80 days before frost date and 50 to 60 days before frost for Chinese mustard. Well-drained, fertile, moist soil promotes the desirable rapid tender growth.

Chinese Cabbage Diseases and Common Name of Fungicidal Controls
DISEASE FUNGICIDE* OMRI LISTED FUNGICIDE**
Alternaria leaf spot neem oil, streptomyces lydicus,
Anthracnose potassium phosphite, pyraclostrobin, Bacillus subtillus, neem oil, potassium bicarbonate,
Black leg pyraclostrobin, potassium bicarbonate,
Black rot acibenzolar-s-methyl, copper sulfate, Bacillus subtillus, clove, rosemary and thyme oil,
Downy mildew acibenzolar-s-methyl, chlorothalonil, copper sulfate, fluopicolide, fosetyl-Al, hydrogen dioxide, maneb, mefenoxam, potassium phosphite, azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtillus, clove, rosemary and thyme oil, extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis, hydrogen peroxide, neem oil, potassium bicarbonate, streptomyces lydicus,
Nematode 1,3-dichloropropene, chloropicrin, metam-potassium, metam-sodium, sesame oil, azadirachtin,
Southern blight pyraclostrobin, Bacillus subtilis,

* The above is a partial listing of controls intended as examples. Some labels may have been revoked since the publication of this guide. Refer to product labels for specifics and use accordingly. Ensure that products with one of the listed active ingredients is registered for the crop it is to be used on. Failure to do the above may result in crop injury, death and/or citation for law violation. Humans, animals and the environment may also be adversely affected by misuse.
** As stated in §205.206 of the National Organic Standards, pest management decisions should follow a hierarchical approach, which should be defined in a farm’s organic systems plan. Please ensure that you have followed the appropriate steps and any product to be used in certified organic production systems has been approved by your certifying agent.

Selection

Harvest greens 5 to 6 weeks after sowing. As with most greens crops, young succulent leaves are preferred for eating. Greens are tied in bunches and sold in cartons by the bunch or by the pound. Keep amaranth greens refrigerated or iced during shipment or storage.

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