Southern Giant Curled Mustard Seeds

A remarkably long-lasting mustard green, Southern Giant Curled is a beloved classic known for big yields of spicy leaves. The bright green leaves are tinged with yellow at harvest, and the flavor is always pungent and full-bodied, with the authentic “mustard green” bite.

Southern Giant Curled was named an All-America Selection many years ago, and is still the standard among many home gardeners for true, richly flavored, utterly dependable greens. This open-pollinated variety will be the one to form the bedrock of your greens garden, never disappointing and always delicious.

Mustard greens tolerate light frost, but are not as cold-hardy as collards or kale, so will need to be picked in fall after light frost, before the killing frosts arrive. For spring crops, the cut-off point is warm weather, which can affect the greens’ flavor. This is where Southern Giant Curled really shines: it will hold in the field for an extra week or two without becoming bitter or tough! Gardeners in the south and west really appreciate this, but this mustard green is also a terrific performer in cooler climates, holding nicely in autumn when early frosts stop the production of other varieties.

Sow seed outdoors in early spring or, for fall crops, 6 to 8 weeks before first fall frost. The seeds can also be sown indoors and then transplanted. Space the seedlings about 12 inches apart; this is a tall, dense, foliage-packed plant that you will want to harvest every single leaf. Space rows at least 15 inches apart, or set into patio containers. Southern Giant Curled even makes a good companion in flower beds to cool-season bloomers such as pansies and snaps.