A cold-hardy perennial brassica that produces abundant mustard-flavored leaves and edible flower shoots from early spring through summer with minimal care.
Bunias orientalis · also called warty cabbage, hill mustard
Windows are counted from the average date of your last spring frost.
One of the earliest greens to emerge in spring, often weeks before other crops are ready. As a perennial, an established clump returns reliably each year, reducing replanting effort and providing harvests over a long season.
A little history. Native to western Asia and eastern Europe, naturalized across much of temperate Europe and North America. A tap-rooted perennial that can persist in the same spot for many years once established.
Sow seeds ¼ inch (6 mm) deep, and aim for 18 inches (45 cm) between plants once thinned. Sow 0.25 inches deep; keep the seedbed evenly moist until sprouts appear — seeds are slow to emerge if the surface dries out repeatedly. Seedlings emerge in 7–21 days.
Water deeply once or twice a week during dry spells; established plants are drought-tolerant. Water when the top 2 inches of soil feel dry to the touch. Aim for about 1 inch per week including rain.
Top-dress (spread compost over the root zone and water in) once each spring as new growth emerges; no further feeding needed. What to use: 2–3 inches of well-rotted compost or a balanced organic granular fertilizer.
Pinch or cut flower stems back to the base as soon as they appear if you want to extend the leaf harvest; allow a few stems to flower if you want to collect seed or feed pollinators.
It's ready when harvest young leaves when they are 4–6 inches long and still tender; flower shoots are ready when buds are tight and green, before any yellow petals open. Cut individual outer leaves at the base with scissors or a sharp knife, leaving the growing center intact. Snap or cut flower shoots 4–6 inches below the bud cluster. Both regrow quickly.
Refrigerate unwashed leaves in a sealed bag with a damp paper towel for up to 5 days. Flower shoots keep 2–3 days refrigerated; use promptly.
As a perennial, succession sowing is unnecessary once a clump is established. Start a second clump in a different bed if you want a larger harvest or a backup planting.
The taproot crown is fully dormant and hardy through winter in most temperate climates. Cut back dead top growth in late fall; mulch lightly in regions with repeated freeze-thaw cycles to protect the crown.
Nasturtium
Aphids often settle on nasturtium stems in preference to nearby cabbage-family leaves, which can pull pressure off the rocket's tender new growth. It only helps if you pull or hose down the colonized nasturtium instead of letting it breed aphids all season.
Dill
Dill allowed to flower draws in hoverflies, lacewings, and tiny parasitic wasps that hunt aphids and cabbage white caterpillars, the two pests this crop sees most. Let a few heads open rather than cutting every stem for the kitchen.
Carrot
Gardeners have long paired carrots with mustard-family greens, though no mechanism has been demonstrated. Keep carrots at the bed's edge: this crop's deep taproot and wide leaves will shade and out-muscle them within a season or two.
Onion
The strong smell of onion foliage can help hide cabbage-family leaves from pests that locate hosts by scent, and trials show the effect is real but inconsistent. Treat it as a modest bonus under low pest pressure, not a substitute for row cover.
Strawberry
Old companion charts keep strawberries and cabbage-family crops apart, though no mechanism has ever been shown. The practical objection is real enough: a permanent clump of this crop shades and crowds a strawberry patch that wants open sun.
A perennial — it holds its spot for years, so it sits outside the annual rotation.
This crop stays put — it is a perennial with a deep taproot, so there is no rotation gap to respect and no bed handed on each year. It feeds moderately and leaves little behind. Only when you finally dig the crown out does rotation matter: follow with peas or beans.
Set your garden's location and every window above becomes a real date — then Verdie reminds you when it's time to sow, transplant, water, and pick.
