Mustard

Mustard leaves grow fast and most tender in moist, rich soil. Sun is ideal, but because they make only leaves and not fruit, they are a little more tolerant of shade than fruiting vegetables like tomatoes. Enrich the soil by spreading 3 to 6 inches of compost over the area you plan to plant. Then turn it into the ground or raised bed with a digging fork.

For pots, use a premium quality potting mix. It always seems early when it’s time to plant mustard, but it pays to plan ahead. For fall harvests, set plants in the garden 4 to 6 weeks before the first expected frost. In spring, you can start about 4 weeks ahead of the last frost date and continue planting a little after. Our plants are thickly seeded in their pot. You may set them out as they are, but they will grow faster and give you more if you take a little time to separate the seedlings.

Gently tease the seedlings apart into 3 to 6 clumps. Be careful not to tear up the roots. If they don’t tease apart gently, you can cut the clump in half with a knife and in half again. Space clumps 12 to 18 inches apart. Mustard grows fast, so you can begin picking leaves in 2 to 3 weeks when the leaves are 6 to 10 inches long. Left alone, leaves reach their full size of about 18 inches long in a month or so.

To maintain the rapid leafy growth, the plant needs fertilizer. Feed with liquid Bonnie Herb & Vegetable Plant Food weekly if you are harvesting often, or bi-weekly otherwise.

Product Type: Seeds