Mibuna
Brassica rapa - subsp Nipposinca, Var laciniata
Story: This is an abundant salad crop that grows really well in the cooler months. It grows in vibrant clumps and has a lovely, mild flavour that is almost potato-y. We first came into contact with it from the wonderful grass roots seed company Real Seeds (we highly recommend browsing their website for heritage, open pollinated veg varieties).
Seed saved by: Omved Gardens
When to sow: February - April and again in August-September.
Requirements: Mibuna does best in full sun but tolerates partial shade. It is prone to bolt in hot, dry weather and prefers the cooler months.
When to harvest for eating: This is a fast cropping plant that is usualy ready within two months of sowing - harvest whole bunches by cutting 2-3cm above the root (under the right conditions, the plant will flush again from the centre) or just harvest the outer leaves for a cut and come again type salad crop.
When to harvest for seed saving: If sown early enough, mibuna can set seed in its first year, though it is generally regarded as a biennial meaning seeds are harvested in the second year of growth. Harvest for seed when as the seed heads begin to dry on the plant but before the seeds drop.
Saving Seed: Mibuna Brassica rapa subsp niposinica var laciniata) can cross pollinate with other Brassica rapa species - with the help of insects. Because of this, it is best to allow only one type of B. rapa to flower at any one time. When growing for seed saving, a large gene pool is needed. Allow at least 10 (preferably 20 - 30) healthy plants to flower if you plan to save seed - bear in mind, they do get big (around 1m tall with a 30-50cm spread) when in flower so allow plenty of space and thin any overcrowding if needed. Most B. rapus flower and set seed in their second year, though if sown early in the year they may flower in the first year of growth - be aware that bolting under stressful (hot and dry conditions) is not desirable - the plants should be big and healthy for seed saving. Allow the seed pods to form on the plant and begin to turn brown. Cut whole branches as they turn brown but before seeds start to drop and bring them inside to hang and dry fully. Processing: Once fully dry crumble the seeds from their casings and pick large pieces of chaff out, don't worry about cleaning them too thoroughly though, we have a seed cleaning machine here and can do the rest. From 10 - 20 plants, you should have TONNES of seed, so share with seed networks, family, friends and keep some back for growing, sprouting and microgreens. See this video on how to rogue brassicas for seed saving
Number of plants to save seeds from: 10-20 minimum, 20 - 30 or more is ideal
Pollination: Insect pollinated
How to send back seed: Please label all seed with variety, type, date and your contact. If you didn't get a chance to fill out our online data collection form, you can also send us a few lines about how it grew for you/flavour etc. Please aim to send back 1/3 cup of dried brassica seed or more so that we can continue to share with network members. Send to: The Seed Saving Network, Omved Gardens, 1 Townsend Yard, N6 5JF.
Please remember, if you’re an individual grower you can order up to 4 packets of seeds. If you order more than this, you will receive just four packs to begin with. This is to ensure we get plenty of data in return and to keep our stocks sustainable for years to come.*
*Community groups, seed guardians and Experienced Growers can order larger quantities, please email us at info@seedsaving.network if this is the case.
If an item is out of stock we will send a close alternative.
