Are you growing mustard greens in New Mexico, but don’t know when the best time to harvest them is?

Harvesting mustard greens is not as easy as it seems.

Here’s why:

• Mustard Greens have a very short window when they can be harvested and still taste great.

So if you harvest them too early they may not be ready and taste bad. And if you harvest them too late they may become infected with mold, fungus, insects, etc., and become inedible.

Today, I’m going to teach you the ideal time to harvest mustard greens in New Mexico:

• To Learn More About HOW to Grow Mustard Greens, Check Out This GUIDE!

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When Do I Harvest Mustard Greens in New Mexico?

As you may have already guessed, there are two main factors that determine when you should harvest your mustard greens: the physical features of the mustard greens & weather (time).

Harvest Mustard Greens if They Look Like This!!!

The physical features of mustard greens are what most gardeners commonly rely on to determine if they are ready to be picked off the plant or not.

In general, you should harvest mustard greens if they have the following physical features:

• The entire mustard greens is a solid red color. If the mustard greens is a lighter shade of red, it is not ready to be harvested
• The mustard greens is slightly soft. Too hard means it is not ready. Too soft means it is overripe (but still edible)
• Easily able to be deattached from the the plant. This means it has absorbed all the nutrients it needs and is ready.

Harvest Your Mustard Greens During THIS Time of Year!!!

In general, you should harvest mustard greens:

• 65 to 85 days after starting mustard greens from seed
• 40 to 50 days after planting mustard greens in your garden
• 20 to 30 days after mustard greens first appear

And no matter what, you should ALWAYS harvest your mustard greens before the first frost of the year. Frost will immediately kill your mustard greens plant and make your mustard greens inedible.

For your reference, I have created this table for average frost dates for most major cities in New Mexico. If your city is not listed below you can find its Last & First Frost Dates HERE.

New Mexico Last & First Frost Dates

It should be noted that you should not overly rely on the first frost of the year. The average first frost of the year is only correct 30% of the time.

Instead, pay close attention to your local weather.

When you know a frost is coming you need to take action.

• If mustard greens are in pots, bring them inside
• If mustard greens are in the ground, cover them in burlap and hope they survive
• Pick all mustard greens. If they are not ready, place them in a brown paper bag and store them for approximately 1 to 2 weeks to see if they become edible.

If you want to learn WHEN to harvest ANY Vegetable in New Mexico, head over to HERE and just type in the vegetable you want to grow.