Japanese mizuna cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. nipposinica var. laciniata) is a salad plant that is still considered a curiosity, but its delicate spicy taste is very pleasant and attracts the interest of gardeners. We are pleased to publish our reviews on the cultivation of this salad greens, since even a novice summer resident can grow Japanese cabbage.
Description
This crop tastes similar to arugula and is sold under the name mitsuna or mizuna, and is a bright green or reddish-brown peppery salad. It is part of the Brassica or Cruciferous family. Japan is considered its homeland.
Even though mitsuna is called cabbage, it does not form a head. Its delicate, showy leaves with a carved edge create a rather lush rosette. The flowers are small and colored in a light yellowish tint. The crop is early ripening and ready for consumption within 30-45 days after sowing.
Now they sell mainly red (Mitsuna Red) and green (Mitsuna Green) mizuna, there are also varieties Dude, Mermaid and Emerald Pattern. You may also see packages labeled “Mizuna mustard greens.”
Small seeds are slightly smaller in size than poppy seeds. They maintain good germination for about three years. This salad plant also forms a small root vegetable (about 15 cm long), the taste of which is somewhat reminiscent of rutabaga.
Mitsuna tolerates light frosts well, and germinates calmly even at 2-3 degrees below zero. In the garden beds in Middle lane In Russia it is grown from May to the end of September. IN winter period This plant is grown either in a greenhouse or on a windowsill.
Japanese mizuna cabbage: cultivation and care
For Mitsuna, nutritious soil with Not big amount clay. The growing location should be in full sun, but in extreme cases partial shade will do. This crop can be sown in beds after onions, peppers, beets, legumes and tomatoes. But after such crops as mustard, turnips, radishes, cabbage and radishes, it is not worth growing.
In open ground in central Russia, mitsuna can be sown several times per season: at the very beginning of May, in mid-summer and in August. In well-prepared, leveled organic beds with loose, nutritious soil, shallow furrows (up to 1 cm) are made across the entire width. The distance between the grooves is maintained from 25 to 30 cm.
Seeds are sown in furrows and sprinkled with a small layer of light soil (or compost) and watered well. It is also advisable to cover the beds non-woven material. After the first seedlings appear, it is removed. Since the distance between plants in a row should be from 10 to 15 cm, the seedlings need to be thinned out. The first time this is done after all the seeds have sprouted. Between the seedlings leave from 5 to 7 cm. The second time thinning is carried out after 2 weeks and then the distance between the bushes should remain 10 -15 cm.
Care
At the very beginning, small plants must be weeded. When they grow a little, they are mulched, and there will be no need for weeding, since the mitsuna itself displaces weeds.
This salad crop should be watered with plenty of water, but care must be taken not to let any drops fall on the leaves. The water starts to rot the greens.
For better growth and development, the plant needs to be fed once every 15 days. For this, small doses of wood ash are used. Before feeding, it is dissolved in water. It is worth remembering that you should not apply nitrogen fertilizers to mitsuna, since this crop quickly accumulates nitrates in its composition. It's better to just make do with organic mulch and sow legumes.
To combat various pests, bushes can be treated with herbal decoctions, as well as tobacco dust or ash.
For salads, the greens are cut off entirely, leaving a root stump in the garden. Soon greenery will grow again from the renewal buds.
Mizuna salad: beneficial properties
Various minerals (potassium, iron, phosphorus, copper, selenium), trace elements, vitamins B, PP, K, ascorbic acid, choline, beta-carotene were found in the chemical composition of mitsuna.
Regular consumption of this salad crop improves the functioning of the stomach, intestines, as well as the heart and blood vessels. It also helps in removing salts and cholesterol from the body, with anemia, strengthens the immune system and improves skin condition. Mitsuna is especially suitable for those who want to reduce their weight.
We first learned about this culture back in 2008, when we were in Israel. Beautiful carved leaves beautifully decorated salads. But we managed to grow Japanese cabbage only this year, and believe me, it’s worth it!
Mitsuna salad(mizuna) is a subspecies of green pepper salads, a representative of the Brassica family. In another way it is also called “Japanese cabbage”. The leaves of the plant have jagged edges and give the impression that they were specially cut with scissors (see photo). The taste of mitsuna salad is unlike other types of salad greens: it is both mild and spicy.
The birthplace of lettuce is Japan. The people of Japan are famous balanced and proper nutrition, and mizuna salad is no exception. The chemical composition of the plant is so rich that its regular use can replace many medications. Unfortunately, it is quite problematic to buy mitsuna salad here, but if you are planning to visit Japan, be sure to try dishes with this wonderful product. On the Pacific coast, Japanese cabbage has been cultivated since the 16th century. IN North America it is called "mustard green" or "Japanese green salad".
Growing
Mizuna lettuce can be grown in a greenhouse or in open ground. Mitsuna in greenhouse conditions grows well from early spring until autumn. The plant can be planted by seedlings or seeds. Cabbage seeds are very small, similar to poppy seeds. For Mitsuna, it is advisable to choose fertile soil. Japanese cabbage grows well after legumes, onions, carrots, tomatoes, beets, and peppers. Planting of seeds should occur at the end of April. In this case, the harvest of green leaves will be available throughout the season. Mizuna is a frost-resistant crop; only broccoli and Brussels sprouts can compare with it in this regard.
Mitsuna care consists of regular watering. When watering, cabbage leaves should not be overwatered, otherwise the mitsuna will begin to rot. Japanese cabbage tends to accumulate nitrates, which means that the plant should be fed with fertilizers with a low nitrogen content. Mitsuna grows green mass very quickly, so its leaves can be cut off until late autumn. Japanese cabbage can be harvested several times throughout the season.
Beneficial features
The beneficial properties of mitsuna salad are similar to those of Chinese cabbage. The plant strengthens the immune system, increases protective forces body. Mizuna is rich in carotene, which makes it an indispensable product for people with vision problems. Carotene is needed for healthy skin, it makes it elastic, clears it from rashes. Carotene is a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals. It should be remembered that even high doses of plant-based carotene cannot replace animal sources of this vitamin.
Mitsuna salad, like other types of salads, is considered an effective product for the prevention of neoplasms. Mitsuna leaves are rich in phosphorus, iron, potassium and calcium. The plant contains minerals necessary for humans. Potassium is good for of cardio-vascular system, its deficiency, or hypokalemia, is dangerous to health, it is accompanied by muscle cramps, increased fatigue, heart rhythm disturbances. Eating salads, including Japanese mitsuna cabbage, reduces the risk of developing hypokalemia and other health problems.
Use in cooking
In cooking, mitsuna lettuce is mainly used in Japanese cuisine. This salad tastes like arugula and can even replace it in salad mixtures. Matsuna has a spicy taste with a characteristic pungency, which makes it similar to freshly ground pepper. Due to the absence of mustard oils, it delicate taste, which sets Japanese cabbage apart from other types of lettuce.
Green mizuna leaves are used for decorative purposes to decorate salads and other dishes. Boiled leaves can be used instead of seaweed to make sushi. Salads with fish, vegetables, seafood - all these dishes go well with mitsuna leaves. Of course, Japanese cabbage is best used fresh (this way it will retain all beneficial features), but if desired, it can be stewed and even fried.
In Japan, mizuna salad is used to prepare National dish nabemono. The name of the dish consists of two components: “nabe” - pan and “mono” - things. The whole secret of cooking Japanese stew consists of a special design of the pan, which should be very low and wide. If you don't have a suitable pan, a regular frying pan will work well. A traditional nabemono pan is made of ceramic, which allows it to retain heat for a long time. The exotic dish is prepared right on the table; for this, a small tile is selected under the pan and nabemono is cooked on it in front of the guests. The Japanese often prepare this dish on New Year. All family members are sitting at festive table and eat nabemono from the same ceramic pan. Wash down the dish with green tea, hot sake, and beer.
Mitsuna salad is best consumed immediately after purchase, but if necessary, it can be stored in the refrigerator for a week. Openwork leaves can be used not only for preparing exotic dishes, but also for decorating them.
Mizuna salad benefits and treatment
Benefits of Japanese 
of cabbage lies in its biological composition. The low calorie content of mitsuna, as well as its high nutritional qualities, make it possible to classify it as a dietary product. Regular consumption of Japanese cabbage maintains normal blood cholesterol levels and helps remove salts from the body. Due to the presence of fiber, mitsuna salad improves the functioning of the digestive tract.
The healing properties of mizuna are known folk medicine Japan. At home, cabbage is considered effective means to regulate water metabolism in the body. The vitamin composition of the plant helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels and protects them from the formation of plaques.
Green leaves of Japanese cabbage should be used for vitamin deficiency, especially in spring-autumn period. It is recommended to use mitsuna for anemia, cancer, and to strengthen the immune system. It will not be superfluous to use mitsuna for diseases of the cardiovascular system. Japanese cabbage will appeal to everyone who watches their diet and loves experimenting with exotic products.
Harm of mitsuna salad and contraindications
Japanese cabbage can cause harm to the body due to individual intolerance or uncontrolled use. Since mitsuna, unfortunately, is not as popular here as in Japan, then side effects its use is also little known.
Japanese cabbage, which is more like a salad, is occasionally sold in supermarkets. Our family likes its taste. There were no problems purchasing seeds. Tell us more about this plant. We have a greenhouse, in which we grow tomatoes. Is it possible to grow Japanese cabbage as a compactor for tomatoes or should it be given a separate bed in open ground?
Japanese cabbage has been cultivated and actively used as food in Eastern countries since the 16th century. It is not yet popular in Russia; it is more often found on store shelves than on personal plots. But in vain, this plant is early ripening, unpretentious, productive, healthy and tasty.
Japanese mizuna cabbage in packaging found on store shelves has positive reviews from buyers
Benefit and taste
Let's tell you what beneficial properties mizuna has. The leaves of Japanese cabbage contain a significant amount of vitamin C, dry matter, carotene, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, etc. The leaves taste tender, slightly sweet, with a characteristic cabbage aroma. They can be used fresh for various salads, heat-treated for soups, stews, canned, dried, pickled, and prepared for kimchi.
This variety of cabbage is considered a dietary product; it is recommended to be used for the treatment and prevention of anemia, cardiovascular and cancer diseases, as well as to strengthen the immune system.
Description
Japanese cabbage (Brassica japonica) belongs to the cruciferous family. Numerous leaves (up to 40 pieces) form a spreading rosette up to 50 cm high and about 80 cm in diameter. The weight of one rosette can reach up to 1.5 kg. This plant is biennial. In the first year a powerful rosette of leaves is formed, and in the second (subject to overwintering) a peduncle with small yellow flowers and the seeds ripen.
Two forms are cultivated: mizuna and mibuna. In mizuna, the leaves are cut into lobes, the edges are jagged, and a white root vegetable up to 12 cm long and about 6 cm in diameter can be formed, similar in taste to rutabaga. Mibuna is distinguished by single, lanceolate-shaped leaves without jagged edges.
Growing and care
Japanese cabbage mizuna and mibuna can be grown in open ground and in greenhouses, from early spring to late autumn. We accept both direct sowing of seeds in the ground and the seedling method. Both forms can be used to compact tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, etc. until the main planting plants close in rows.
Japanese cabbage shoots
The period from germination to harvesting of rosettes is 80-85 days. Optimal temperature for the growing season it is about 20 °C, and seeds begin to germinate at 3-4 °C. The soil should be neutral, fertile, and breathable. Good predecessors are legumes, pumpkin, onions, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and beets.
IN open ground seeds can be sown from late April to mid-August to ensure fresh leaves are available throughout the season. The sowing depth is 1.5 cm. If there are too many seedlings, then it is necessary to thin out, using the excess plants for food. Optimal distance There are 30 cm between neighbors in a row, and seedlings are transplanted at the same interval.
Mizuna seedlings
Japanese cabbage is demanding when it comes to watering, but it should not be overwatered, otherwise lower leaves are starting to rot. It is necessary to feed with fertilizers with a low nitrogen content, because the crop is predisposed to the accumulation of nitrates. The rest of the care is standard: removing weeds, loosening the rows.
The advantages of Japanese cabbage are resistance to bolting and a lower susceptibility to clubroot disease compared to white cabbage. Leaves can be cut throughout the season; after this procedure, the crop quickly increases its leaf mass. Mizuna can be used as a border plant and in flower beds, because... its carved leaves can favorably highlight any neighbors.
We hope that Japanese cabbage will remain in your garden for a long time.
