From One Mustard Plant to 1,000 Seeds

Our last Old Tokyo mustard plant of the season has gone to flower and formed seed pods, which is the final stage of the plant’s life cycle. Instead of harvesting the leaves, we let this plant grow to maturity so we could collect seeds for future planting.

Frequently, we select premium quality plants from our microgreens supply and grow them to full maturity specifically so they will bolt and produce seeds like this. By doing this, we can keep growing from our own seed stock and slowly improve our plants by selecting the strongest and healthiest plants each season.

When mustard plants go to seed, they produce long, thin pods along the stems. Each of these pods usually contains about 5 to 7 seeds, though occasionally you’ll find pods with fewer.

Not every pod on the plant will be usable. Some pods are immature, some may not be fully pollinated, and some are lost during drying and harvesting. A realistic estimate for a plant like this is about 100 to 200 usable seed pods.

With 5 to 7 seeds per pod, that gives roughly 600 to 1,200 seeds from a single plant.

That’s a lot of seeds from just one plant. From one season to the next, a small amount of seed saving can grow into a large garden. Over time, saving seeds also creates plants that are adapted to our soil, our weather, and our growing conditions.

Seed saving is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do in a garden. One plant today can become hundreds of plants next season.

At Wilshires Organics, we don’t just sell microgreens. We cultivate real food, real connection, and real purpose.

That healthy food comes from living soil, honest work, and faith in the One who makes things grow.

Every tray we raise is more than a product, it’s a statement. A quiet declaration that good things really do grow where love is sown. Love for God, each other, the soil and the community.

Each seed we plant is part of that story, one of love, care, creation, and community.

We’re dedicated staying grounded in that - one seed, one tray, one community at a time.

We’re slowly building something special out here. Thanks for being part of the journey with us. If you’d like to order fresh microgreens or see what we’re growing, visit: order.wilshiresorganics.com