Tatsoi: dark rosettes for a fresh autumn crop
Tatsoi forms low rosettes of dark green, spoon-shaped leaves. It is an attractive vegetable for a small leaf crop or a row of whole young plants. With suitable timing, it adds something new to your bed after the summer harvest.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
- Sowing
- Spring or summer–autumn; follow the growing instructions
- Harvesting
- Young leaves or a whole rosette
- Location
- Light and consistently moist soil
- Distance
- Approximately 20 × 20 cm for rosettes, according to De Bolster
This growing advice helps you choose. Your variety, growth stage, weather and conditions in your space determine the actual timing.
Sowing under cover and raising seedlings
Start under cover in cool conditions or sow directly · Tatsoi
July–August for a simple autumn routeStart briefly under cover in modules; provide light and avoid heat.
- Germination and temperature
- Raise in cool to mild conditions; avoid severe cold, heat and drying out.
- After emergence
- Keep emerged lettuce bright and well ventilated; prevent high greenhouse temperatures and drying out.
- Pricking out and potting on
- Sow in modules or prick out manageable seedlings into individual cells. Keep the root ball intact when planting out.
- Hardening off and planting out
- Gradually acclimatise indoor-raised plants to sun, wind and outdoor temperatures; shelter them again on cold nights. Plant out sturdy young plants; keep the growing point clear and protect against slugs and snails.
These leafy crops can bolt under stress or unsuitable day length. Use early sowing only with an appropriate cultivar.
Sources and use
RHS · sla ↗Britse teeltrichtlijn voor een gematigd klimaat; de genoemde perioden zijn richtlijnen voor Nederland en Vlaanderen.
De Bolster · De Bolster — Aziatische bladgewassen telen ↗Nederlandse producent of teeltbron; de rasinstructie blijft leidend.
University of Maryland Extension · UMD Extension — bladgroenten kweken ↗Soort- of productgebonden bron; buitenlandse perioden zijn geen vaste Nederlandse zaaidatum.
Guideline periods for the Netherlands and Flanders. Check the variety, available light, soil and measured temperatures. Greenhouse heating does not guarantee enough winter light.
A different flavour, a different harvest.
Choose by more than the name. Discover how these varieties and crop types taste, what you can use them for and what growing them involves.
1 of 1 choices · 0 named varieties
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Japans groen
Tatsoi Japans groen is a fast leafy vegetable with a low dark green rosette. This offering names a type without a further cultivar name.
Choose tatsoi for low-growing leaves in a bed or container. Its shape differs from tall mustard or a closed cabbage head.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
The product source describes mild, tender leaves. This concerns the type and is not converted into a unique variety aroma.
This flavour description applies to the crop; there is no separate tasting result for this variety.In the kitchen
Use young leaves in salad or briefly wilt larger leaves. The small rosette suits a modest, fresh portion.
A space in the garden
Sow directly and keep soil slightly moist. Thin for clearly formed rosettes rather than dense cutting leaves.
Harvesting
Pick young leaves or harvest a whole small rosette. Retain the heart for repeated picking and monitor flower formation.
Also listed as: Tatsoi.
Read the source notes →Choose your way to grow
From a garden bed to a suitable pot or support: give your plant a place that suits your garden and the care you can provide.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Short rows in a garden bed
A small tatsoi row makes care manageable. Choose the right season, keep weeds away and follow leaves. Plan another batch once you see how much you actually use.
- Prepare a fine soil surface and remove weeds.
- Sow or plant at the spacing for the chosen type.
- Keep the germination and root zones moist and harvest according to leaf quality.
For anyone with a small bed or a space available after another harvest.
Tick off your supplies →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Autumn leaves in a cold greenhouse
An unheated greenhouse or low tunnel shelters a late leaf crop. Day length still limits growth and sunny days need ventilation. Use the greenhouse for shelter without promising a quick winter harvest.
- Sow in time before days shorten.
- Plant with room for the rosette and water.
- Ventilate and harvest healthy plants as needed.
For limited space or a smaller, more accessible leaf crop.
Tick off your supplies →Choose by flavour, shape and use
Japans groen: Tatsoi Japans groen is a quick leaf vegetable with a low, dark green rosette. The offering names a type without further cultivar name. Use young leaves in salad or briefly wilt larger leaves. Small rosettes suit modest fresh portions.
The product source describes mild, tender leaves. This concerns the type and is not converted into a unique variety aroma.
Choose the type to suit your harvest
Tatsoi is an Asian leafy cabbage without a large closed head. Grow more densely for loose young leaves, or give individual plants room for whole rosettes. Use spacing for your variety and harvest aim.
A small, sound start
Starting in modules makes a neat rosette row straightforward. Keep seedlings light and moist and transplant promptly. Direct sowing can suit young leaves; avoid leaving a dense seedbed persistently wet and dark.
Light and soil that can drain
Choose a bright spot and prepare a fine enough surface for the small seeds or young rootballs. Water must be able to drain away after rain. In a pot, check that the drainage holes are clear; a layer of wet soil does not help produce a healthy leaf harvest.
Care for the young leaves
Do not let tatsoi dry after transplanting. Its low growth lets weeds overtop young rosettes easily. Remove competitors early and water at the base. Fine mesh can protect young cabbage leaves from feeding damage.
Harvest for quality
Cut a whole rosette just above soil or pick young leaves for a small portion. Remove damaged outer leaves when preparing. Do not automatically expect the same harvest after cutting a complete rosette; sow another small batch promptly.
Recognise what the leaves tell you
Holes in young leaves can come from flea beetles; other damage needs separate identification. Bolting calls for assessing timing, warmth and stress. Do not leave seedlings too long in small pots: root space helps smooth transitions.
Fresh leaves start with a small picking
Harvest at a cool time and keep the leaves cool after picking. Wash them before use and remove damaged parts. A small fresh portion wastes less than harvesting a whole container when you only need a handful.
Make room for the next round
Record sowing and the first harvest so you can compare what works in your space next season. Do not leave an empty row unplanned for long. A new batch within a suitable window gives a better spread than hoping overmature leaves will become young again.
What you need
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More background, sources and image information
SeedSteps editorial team · updated on 11 October 2026. The AI images illustrate species and practical growing situations; they do not prove an exact cultivar, observations from your own garden or yield.
Britse gewasadviezen worden gecombineerd met Nederlandse en Vlaamse informatie waar beschikbaar. Amerikaanse Extension-bronnen ondersteunen plantprincipes en herkenning; hun kalenderdata, lokale plaagdruk, bestrijdingsmiddelen en mestdoseringen worden niet rechtstreeks op Nederland of Vlaanderen toegepast. Vorst, bodemwarmte, standplaats en expliciete rasinformatie blijven de lokale controle. Commerciële bronnen onderbouwen uitsluitend benoemde ras- en plantkenmerken; zij zijn geen affiliate-aanbeveling.
- World Checklist of Vascular Plants — 4 juni 2026Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · accessed 2026-10-07
- Tatsoi japans groen – biologische groentezaden (mals blad)Feggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- De Bolster — Aziatische bladgewassen telenDe Bolster · accessed 2026-10-10
- UMD Extension — bladgroenten kwekenUniversity of Maryland Extension · accessed 2026-10-10
Supporting evidence by chapter: Choose by flavour, shape and use: Feggies. Choose the type to suit your harvest: De Bolster, University of Maryland Extension. A small, sound start: De Bolster, University of Maryland Extension. Light and soil that can drain: De Bolster, University of Maryland Extension. Care for the young leaves: De Bolster, University of Maryland Extension. Harvest for quality: De Bolster, University of Maryland Extension. Recognise what the leaves tell you: De Bolster, University of Maryland Extension. Fresh leaves start with a small picking: De Bolster, University of Maryland Extension. Make room for the next round: De Bolster, University of Maryland Extension.