Growing Komatsuna: A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 10, 2026
Komatsuna is a fast, mild-flavored Asian brassica green, notably more heat- and cold-tolerant than spinach while offering a similar leaf texture and taste, which makes it a useful stand-in during the stretches of the season spinach won’t tolerate.
Direct-seed and succession sow
Direct-seed from spring through midsummer, extending into late fall in mild climates or a protected structure. Sow 15 seeds per foot a quarter inch deep, in rows 12 to 18 inches apart; most varieties don’t need thinning. Succession sow every 7 to 10 days for a steady supply through the season rather than one large planting that all matures at once.
A single-harvest crop
Unlike some Asian greens that regrow after cutting, komatsuna is classified as a heading type, harvested from medium to full size as a single cut rather than picked leaf by leaf over time. Plan the planting schedule around that: more, smaller successive sowings rather than fewer large ones that need repeated visits.
Komatsuna has no recorded companions or antagonists in our data. See the full companion guide for komatsuna for how it’s tracked. At 4 plants per square foot, it’s a reliable spinach substitute for the Garden Designer during the hottest and coldest stretches of the growing season.
Source: Asian Greens: Key Growing Information, Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
Companion planting guide for Komatsuna · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 2-11. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. Komatsuna doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many Komatsuna plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: 4 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 1-1.5 ft.
Varieties worth considering
- Straight-species komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. perviridis): Johnny's Selected Seeds sells this variety plain, without competing named cultivars; the mild flavor and fast growth are traits of the variety itself. (source)
Cited from the source shown next to each variety. We haven't grown these ourselves yet, so treat this as a research-backed starting point, not a personal endorsement.
Where to buy komatsuna seeds
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page also go to other retailers we may earn a commission from as an affiliate, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products with a genuine consensus of positive, independent reviews. See the sources cited on each item.
See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing komatsuna" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Komatsuna: A fast, mild-flavored Asian brassica green, more heat- and cold-tolerant than spinach while offering a similar leaf texture and taste.
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