Plant Finder

Other Names:  Brassica juncea, spoon mustard

Description:

This variety produces larger dark green spoon shaped leaves than regular Tatsoi; performs better in cooler temperatures, plant in the spring or late summer into fall; mild flavor profile make it great for salads and soups; similar taste to spinach

Edible Qualities

Black Knight Tatsoi is an annual vegetable plant that is typically grown for its edible qualities. The large crinkled oval dark green leaves are usually harvested from late spring to early fall. The leaves have a spicy taste.

The leaves are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Eating When Cooked/Prepared
• Cooking

Planting & Growing

Black Knight Tatsoi will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 16 inches. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 6 inches apart. This fast-growing vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop. Because of its relatively short time to maturity, it lends itself to a series of successive plantings each staggered by a week or two; this will prolong the effective harvest period.

This plant is typically grown in a designated vegetable garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and it is considered by many to be an heirloom variety.

Black Knight Tatsoi is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing the canvas against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.