Great Wave Miike Mustard Greens

Brassica juncea 

Seeds per pack ~ 125

Germination: 80% Oct 2025 Packed for 2026

Origins and history
Great Wave Miike Mustard (Brassica juncea) is rooted in the long “takana” tradition of Japan—bold mustard greens famously used for pickles and winter eating. Japanese “Miike Takana” is described as having been developed by mixing a mustard green from Sichuan, China with a local Japanese variety, and its pickled form (“takana zuke”) was introduced to market during the Meiji Period; it has longstanding ties to the Chikugo district (including Setakamachi/Miyama) where it is still grown. In more recent seed history, Great Wave Miike is a reselection of the traditional “Miike Giant” strain by breeder Frank Morton (Wild Garden Seed), released and Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) pledged on 11/18/2015—keeping the heirloom-type character while sharpening size and tenderness traits for organic systems.

Appearance and characteristics
This is a “big-leaf” mustard with a dramatic, textured look: leaves are short and broad with smooth margins, wide midribs, and red veining over a light-green surface. It was specifically reselected for especially large, tender petioles and for tender bolted stems that can develop a distinctive undulating (“snaky”) growth habit—a fun visual cue that the plant is shifting toward flowering. Flavor is often described as very sweet and hot, and the variety is noted as fully frost hardy (excellent for shoulder-season and winter gardens).

Culinary uses
Great Wave Miike shines anywhere you want mustard “zip” without losing tenderness. Use baby leaves raw for a lively salad mix (peppery, sweet-hot bite), then cook larger leaves to mellow and sweeten them—think stir-fries, quick braises, soups, and sautés. Because the Miike/Takana lineage is historically tied to pickled greens, it’s also a natural for ferments and quick pickles (takana-style), where the thick midribs stay satisfyingly crisp.

Growing tips (vegetation zones and sow depth)
Great Wave Miike is a cool-season annual grown across most USDA zones as a spring/fall (and often winter) crop; in warm climates it typically performs best from fall through early spring, and in colder climates it excels in spring and fall. For seed sowing, plant ¼–½ inch deep (a commonly recommended depth for Miike-type mustards is ½ inch), and keep the seedbed evenly moist for quick emergence (often about 7–10 days under favorable conditions). Give plants room—Miike types can get large and “need a bit more space,” so thin to roughly 12–18 inches for full-size plants (tighter spacing is fine for baby-leaf harvests). For timing: you can sow “anytime” for baby salad greens, but for full, impressive heads, Great Wave Miike is at its best as a fall crop—aim to sow 4–6 weeks before first frost for big plants and crisp midribs, and enjoy its strong cold tolerance.

Harvesting guidance
For baby greens, start snipping when plants are well established and leaves are tender—many growers begin around 3–4 weeks (young-leaf harvest is often listed around ~21 days in some seed listings). For mature leaves/heads, expect roughly 40–50 days depending on temperature and your harvest size; cooler weather generally improves texture and reduces bolting. Harvest two ways: (1) cut-and-come-again by taking outer leaves first (leave the center to regrow), or (2) one-and-done by cutting the whole plant at the base once it reaches the size you want. If you see the plant starting to stretch or throw up an undulating flowering stem, harvest promptly—those bolted stems are still edible and were one of the traits selected for tenderness in Great Wave Miike.