Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Tat Soi 'Yukina Savoy' (Brassica rapa var. narinosa 'Yukina Savoy')— schedule & NPK
Also called Yukina Savoy, savoy tatsoi, Japanese savoy mustard.
More about tat soi 'yukina savoy'
About Tat Soi 'Yukina Savoy'
Brassica rapa var. narinosa 'Yukina Savoy' · also called Yukina Savoy, savoy tatsoi · edible
'Yukina Savoy' is an upright, cold-hardy Asian green, a heat-tolerant tatsoi type with thick, blistered (savoyed) dark-green leaves on pale stems. Mild and slightly mustardy, it crops fast in cool weather, resists bolting better than flat tatsoi, and sweetens after light frost. Harvest as cut-and-come-again baby leaf or as full rosettes.
Growth habit: Upright, semi-erect rosette of spoon-shaped, savoyed leaves on stout pale petioles; more vase-shaped than the ground-hugging flat tatsoi.
What fertiliser tat soi 'yukina savoy' actually wants — and why
Tat Soi 'Yukina Savoy' is grown entirely for its leaves, so nitrogen is the priority — steady, nitrogen-leaning feeding keeps it growing fast, tender and unbolted.
A nitrogen-leaning feed (higher first number) or compost-rich soil — nitrogen drives the fast, tender leafy growth this crop is grown for. Phosphorus and potassium matter far less here than for fruiting crops.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for tat soi 'yukina savoy': match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed tat soi 'yukina savoy', and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For tat soi 'yukina savoy':
Side-dress with a balanced or nitrogen-leaning fertiliser 2-3 weeks after sowing, or feed every 2-3 weeks with diluted liquid feed for cut-and-come-again harvests. Avoid excess nitrogen, which can make leaves soft and aphid-prone. In practice: a balanced or compost-rich start, then a nitrogen side-dress or liquid feed every 3-4 weeks through the cropping period in the main season (spring through early autumn).
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when tat soi 'yukina savoy' is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for tat soi 'yukina savoy'
Use the vegetable-feed label rate for tat soi 'yukina savoy'. Steady availability matters more than a strong dose — a check in growth makes leaves tough and can trigger bolting.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water tat soi 'yukina savoy' first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the tat soi 'yukina savoy' watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding tat soi 'yukina savoy'
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for tat soi 'yukina savoy':
- Very soft, floppy, dark-green growth that attracts aphids.
- Excess leafy growth at the expense of hearts/heads in cabbage and the like.
- Salt crust and scorched leaf edges in containers; nitrate-heavy leaves.
Signs you are under-feeding tat soi 'yukina savoy'
- Pale, yellow-green leaves, oldest first, and slow growth.
- Small, tough, bitter leaves and premature bolting.
- Weak, stunted heads in cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full tat soi 'yukina savoy' care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
For container-grown tat soi 'yukina savoy', water until it drains freely each time and flush pots monthly with plain water to stop nitrogen salts accumulating; in the ground, good compost levels naturally buffer this.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for tat soi 'yukina savoy'
Organic options
Well-rotted manure or compost dug in, plus nitrogen-rich liquid feeds like diluted chicken-manure pellets or nettle feed. UK: pelleted chicken manure or Westland; US: Espoma Garden-tone or blood meal. Steady and soil-building.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A balanced feed at planting then a high-nitrogen liquid or granular side-dress — UK: Growmore then a nitrogen feed or Phostrogen; US: a 10-10-10 then a high-N (e.g. 21-0-0) side-dress or Miracle-Gro.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising tat soi 'yukina savoy' — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does tat soi 'yukina savoy' need?
A nitrogen-leaning feed (higher first number) or compost-rich soil — nitrogen drives the fast, tender leafy growth this crop is grown for. Phosphorus and potassium matter far less here than for fruiting crops. Tat Soi 'Yukina Savoy' is grown entirely for its leaves, so nitrogen is the priority — steady, nitrogen-leaning feeding keeps it growing fast, tender and unbolted.
How often should I feed tat soi 'yukina savoy'?
Side-dress with a balanced or nitrogen-leaning fertiliser 2-3 weeks after sowing, or feed every 2-3 weeks with diluted liquid feed for cut-and-come-again harvests. Avoid excess nitrogen, which can make leaves soft and aphid-prone. Side-dress with a balanced or nitrogen-leaning fertiliser 2-3 weeks after sowing, or feed every 2-3 weeks with diluted liquid feed for cut-and-come-again harvests. Avoid excess nitrogen, which can make leaves soft and aphid-prone. In practice: a balanced or compost-rich start, then a nitrogen side-dress or liquid feed every 3-4 weeks through the cropping period in the main season (spring through early autumn).
What strength of feed for tat soi 'yukina savoy'?
Use the vegetable-feed label rate for tat soi 'yukina savoy'. Steady availability matters more than a strong dose — a check in growth makes leaves tough and can trigger bolting.
What does over-feeding tat soi 'yukina savoy' look like?
Very soft, floppy, dark-green growth that attracts aphids. Excess leafy growth at the expense of hearts/heads in cabbage and the like. Salt crust and scorched leaf edges in containers; nitrate-heavy leaves. Letting tat soi 'yukina savoy' run short of nitrogen mid-crop is the main mistake — growth checks, leaves toughen and brassicas/leafy greens bolt or turn bitter. Keep nitrogen steadily available.
Should I flush the soil of tat soi 'yukina savoy'?
For container-grown tat soi 'yukina savoy', water until it drains freely each time and flush pots monthly with plain water to stop nitrogen salts accumulating; in the ground, good compost levels naturally buffer this.
Keep reading
- Tat Soi 'Yukina Savoy' care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water tat soi 'yukina savoy' — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise tomato
- How to fertilise pepper
- How to fertilise cucumber
- All 5561 fertilising guides in the Growli library