Persia, now Iran, is where mustard trees originated. Because of this, the tree grows best in hot, arid climates with well-draining sandy soil. Other areas where mustard trees are found include the Orient, East Indies and northern Africa.
Mustard trees can be grown in the United States but only within hardiness zones 7 through 11 mainly in the south. Mustard trees cannot grow well in humid climates where the tree may become stunted and have problems with mold. Mustard trees have a variety of uses. Toothbrushes are made from the branches in rural communities because they contain properties that resist bacteria and plaque. The fruit is eaten for nutrition as well as the seeds; the Punjab region uses the fruit as a dried sweet similar to currants.
Yellow mustard matures more quickly than brown and oriental mustard. Yellow mustard has a life cycle of 80 to 85 days. Brown mustard matures in 90 to 95 days. Because brown and oriental mustard varieties shatter more easily than yellow mustard, they should be harvested before the pods are fully dry. Harvesting them early means they will require a longer drying period than yellow varieties. Home Guides Garden Gardening. By Susan Peterson Updated December 29, Mustard grown in hot weather or long days will bolt and go to seed.
Planting and spacing. Container growing. Mustard can easily be grown in a container. Broadcast seeds over the soil surface and cover lightly with soil. Thinnings can be eaten. Water and feeding. Keep soil evenly moist to keep leaves growing quickly. Do not allow the soil to dry out. Add aged compost to planting beds before sowing.
Side dress plants with aged compost at midseason. Keep planting beds weed-free. Pull mustard from the garden as soon as it goes to seed to avoid prolific self-seeding. Mustard can be attacked by flea beetles and aphids. Wash these pests away with a blast of water. Mustard is susceptible to white rust. Remove leaves that have white rust. Water plants at the base of the stem keeping moisture off the leaves.
Pick individual leaves when they are young and tender, 3 to 4 inches cm long, or cut and use the entire plant. Complete the harvest before the weather grows hot; hot weather will cause leaves to become tough and strong flavored. Complete the harvest before the plant goes to seed. Storing and preserving. Mustard will keep in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. Mustard leaves can be frozen or dried.
Within 30 days of germination, mustard will will develop a mature canopy. Within 35 to 40 days of germination, it will begin to bud. The flowering period lasts around seven to 15 days, sometimes more. Pods develop from the flowers over the course of the next 35 to 45 days. Though it is the smallest of all seeds , yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree , so that the birds come and perch in its branches.
Some will not grow at all and others will grow just a little. Mustard bushes reach an average mature height of between 6 and 20 feet with a foot spread, although exceptional plants can reach 30 feet tall under ideal conditions. They have a spreading, multistemmed growth habit with a drooping or weeping branch structure. Mustard is a cool season crop that can be grown in a short growing season. Varieties of yellow mustard usually mature in 80 to 85 days whereas brown and oriental types require 90 to 95 days.
Seedlings are usually somewhat tolerant to mild frosts after emergence, but severe frosts can destroy the crop. As it occurs, the leaves diminish in size and grow bitter.
Leaves grow inedible as energy flows to flowers and stalks. In the case of collard greens , bolting occurs when it is planted too early in spring, when temperatures are too cold. Most mustard greens are ready to harvest as baby greens 20 to 30 days after sowing.
That said, I prefer to let mine reach maturity, when their large, velvety leaves have reached peak flavor. Baby greens can be harvested with a sharp pair of shears, snipping off the whole plant just above the crown. Faith the size of a mustard seed.
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