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Red Giant is a large, tender mustard green with deep red-burgundy leaves and a milder, slightly sweet flavour compared to other mustard varieties. It is primarily grown for fresh culinary use in salads, stir-fries, and cooked greens, and also valued for its ornamental purple-red foliage in garden displays. Gardeners grow it for fast production, cold hardiness, and the appealing colour it adds to both plate and bed.

Mustard seeds germinate best at soil temperatures of 50–75°F, with germination occurring in 3–7 days. Seeds do not require pre-treatment. They can be sown directly outdoors as soon as soil can be worked in spring, or started indoors 4–6 weeks before the last frost. Seeds germinate readily in light and do not require darkness.

Direct sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in rows spaced 12–15 inches apart, thinning seedlings to 6–8 inches once they are 2 inches tall. For continuous harvest, succession sow every 2–3 weeks from early spring through late summer. Red Giant can also be started indoors under lights 4–6 weeks before transplanting, hardened off, and set out after the last frost date. Space transplants 6–8 inches apart. In zone 7 Maryland, late summer sowings (July–August) often produce the best quality as plants mature in cool autumn weather.

Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged; mustard greens bolt quickly in heat and drought stress. Apply 1–2 inches of mulch to retain moisture and cool the soil. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer or compost tea every 3–4 weeks, or work compost into the soil before planting. Red Giant is relatively pest- and disease-resistant, but watch for flea beetles on young plants; use row covers if needed. This variety is cold-hardy and can tolerate light frosts, extending the harvest season.

Begin harvesting outer leaves when plants are 6–8 inches tall, pinching or cutting them at the base; this encourages continued leaf production for 4–6 weeks. For maximum tenderness and mild flavour, harvest in cool weather (spring or autumn) and before plants bolt. Whole plants can also be cut at soil level. Red Giant leaves store for 5–7 days in a plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer.