How to sow white mustard from weeds. When can you start planting mustard seeds from weeds

Even the most fertile soil garden plot sooner or later will require fertilization. It is best if it is organic: humus, peat. However, such top dressing is inevitably followed by rapid growth of weeds. For this reason, many gardeners opt for sowing green manure plants, which are a complete green fertilizer. These are cereals (rye, oats), legumes (peas, clover, alfalfa, vetch), cruciferous crops (rapeseed, colza, oil radish, mustard). Each plant has advantages and disadvantages, so their choice must be approached wisely.

What is good mustard

I must say that all types of mustard (white, black, leafy) have the right to be classified as green manure. At the same time, leaf can be successfully used in cooking, cutting succulent leaves 2 weeks after sowing. Black mustard is little used as a green manure. This is due to her love of warmth.

White mustard, unlike its relative, withstands spring frosts up to - 5оС. She is unpretentious to soils, because her root system is able to penetrate to a depth of 2 meters, breaking even the heaviest soil. Mustard extracts to the surface nutrients and transforms them into an easily digestible form, making them available to their cultural followers. Mustard saturates the soil especially well with phosphorus, sulfur and nitrogen.

The value of mustard, which is often sown as a compactor to keep weeds from growing, is rapid growth. Moreover, cold weather does not slow down this process at all. Mustard seedlings appear already on the 3rd-4th day, and the highest rate of growth and development of the plant occurs precisely at the beginning of the growing season. Literally in 1.5 months, mustard is able to rise to a height of 20 cm. Although it can reach 80 cm, such achievements are unacceptable for the use of mustard as a fertilizer. You should not wait for the phase of its active flowering in order to bury the crushed green mass in the ground.

All green manure plants are used to control weeds, but their action is different. If rye itself is aggressive to any kind of vegetation and lets only cornflowers into its territory, then mustard is much more “accommodating” in this regard. With rare sowing, weeds will still break through, therefore, if mustard is supposed to be propagated not only to saturate the soil with minerals, but also from weeds, then you need to take care of sufficient planting density.

Rules for sowing white mustard from a weed

On average, 2.5 g of seeds per square meter. To get rid of weeds and some diseases and pests in the soil (and mustard is effective in the fight against wireworm, nematode, late blight, scab), the number of seeds increases to 4-6 g. Since mustard is an early ripening crop, its crops can be produced starting from mid-April and ending in mid-August, occupying areas not yet planted or already freed from vegetables.

Sowing mustard from a weed does not require any special agricultural practices. Seeds can be distributed in the furrows or scattered by hand, planting to a depth of 1.5–2 cm with a rake. It all depends on the size of the sown area. It should be noted that watering is required for friendly shoots. Mustard is a moisture-loving crop, but excessive moisture, like drought, can be harmful.

Using mustard crops as green manure, you need to consider that it cannot be sown where cruciferous plants have grown or will be planted, since it itself belongs to this family and may be susceptible to the same diseases. Since mustard is supposed to be embedded in the soil after 1.5 months from the moment of planting, one more rule must be strictly followed: other crops can be planted in the place where the green mass of green manure is dug up, only 2-3 weeks after this action.

Following this recommendation, it is good to plant mustard in early spring in the place where tomatoes will grow. In Siberia, for example, these vegetables are planted in open ground only by mid-June. Mustard sown in mid-April will not allow weeds to flood the area that has been empty for so long and will create a favorable environment for the nutrition of future plants.

Related article

Sources:

• The benefits of mustard as green manure
• Growing mustard: its benefits and harms
• Growing white mustard as green manure
• When to sow mustard

Lettuce, or leaf, mustard was first cultivated in the Mediterranean. It also grows wild in China, Transcaucasia and Central Asia. Leaf mustard is very useful plant, which is used in many recipes for dishes intended for the diet of sick people.

Benefits of mustard leaf

young leafy mustard is a rich source of carotene, protein, vitamins C, B, PP, as well as salts of iron, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, glycosides and essential oils. It has anti-inflammatory properties, improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system, and with regular use reduces cholesterol levels. Also in the sheet is a large number of folic acid.

The main difference between leaf mustard and its other analogues is that all useful material operate in combination, not in isolation.

In addition, leafy mustard protects against the development of cancer - the risk of their occurrence is reduced if consumed regularly. given plant. The composition contains antioxidants and vitamins, but besides them, leaf mustard is known for such important phytonutrients for the body as quercetin, kaempferol, hydroxycinnamic acids and isorhamnetin. The stems and leaves of this mustard improve appetite and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Use of mustard leaf

Mustard leaves are ideal for meat dishes, salads and sandwiches. Juicy young shoots of the plant are salted and preserved, and mustard powder, mustard plasters and mustard alcohol are prepared from its seeds, effective for radiculitis and rheumatism. Cooks use the tender young leaves of leaf mustard, adding them to various salads and soups, or making them (fried, pickled, canned) as a side dish.

The leaves of this mustard have a bitter taste and a rather strong smell, which makes them very much appreciated in Chinese cuisine.

The most popular snacks with leafy mustard are sandwiches and cheese spread. To prepare the pasta, you need to grate 100 grams of cheese or hard cheese, add 50 grams of chopped mustard leaf and 1 tablespoon of butter to the cheese mass. The paste must be thoroughly mixed and can be spread on bread.

For mustard sandwiches you will need:
- 1 cup finely chopped mustard leaves;
- 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise;
- 4 slices of black bread;
- butter to taste.

Mustard leaves should be mixed with mayonnaise, put on two slices of bread, and the remaining two pieces should be spread butter and put them on top of the mustard slices. The remaining mustard mixture is placed on top of the finished sandwiches and gently smeared with a spoon.

Plant white mustard can be the entire garden season. It can be sown in rows, buried in the soil to a depth of 1.5-2 cm, or you can evenly scatter the seeds in the right place and level them with a rake from above. Water if necessary.

White mustard is an annual oil plant with deep roots and a large green mass, the height of which varies from 30 to 80 cm. It blooms with yellow flowers collected in a brush, emitting a strong honey smell. Subsequently, fruits are formed from the flowers - long pods with seeds. White mustard is used as a green manure or fertilizer.

Why is it useful

Due to the roots deeply penetrating into the ground, mustard is able to loosen, structure and drain the soil well. The substance secreted by the root system has a detrimental effect on. The pest avoids areas planted with white mustard.

During the mowing period, when the green mass of the plant enters the soil, a large number of microorganisms flock to its processing, which enrich the earth. White mustard is able to suppress the growth of weeds.

The culture also contributes to the easier assimilation of sparingly soluble nutrients - phosphates by other plants. The dense shell of mustard prevents wind and water erosion in spring and autumn periods. In winter, mustard peels do not allow the soil to freeze much. Essential oils contained in all parts of the plant, prevent the accumulation of pests and fungi in the soil.

How and when to plant

Preparation for sowing includes the same activities as when sowing early spring cereals. You can sow this crop throughout the garden season, that is, with the arrival of spring and until the beginning of September. In the southern regions and until mid-late September. Some gardeners sow before winter, but in this case, you need to wait for cold weather so that the crop does not have time to sprout. As a fertilizer, mustard is sown twice a year: 30 days before planting any vegetable crop and in early autumn, when the harvest will be done.

Seeding after harvest helps retain moisture in the soil. You can do this in one of two ways:
- in rows with a distance of 15 cm, while the seeds are embedded in the soil to a depth of 1.5-2 cm;
- Spread the seeds evenly on the prepared area and level with a rake on top.

Mustard does not require special care, if the earth is very dry, then you need to water it and that's it. After a month and a half, when the plant reaches a height of 20 cm, it must be mowed, chopped and embedded in the soil. Experienced gardeners water the sealed leaves of the plant with preparations such as Baikal, Radiance and Revival, and cover it with a black film or roofing material on top. Thus, by autumn, you can get a loose, healthy and enriched soil with all the substances necessary for plant growth.

Salad mustard is an annual, early ripening, cold-resistant plant. It got its name for the slightly sharp taste of the leaves, reminiscent of the taste of table mustard. Salad mustard contains a lot of potassium, vitamin C, provitamin A, as well as calcium, phosphorus and iron salts. All varieties salad mustard early ripening (20-30 days pass from sowing to harvesting). It can be sown at any time.

Instruction

The soil for sowing lettuce mustard is prepared in the fall: they dig it up, planting compost, superphosphate, and potassium chloride in it. Before sowing in the spring, a plot on heavy soils is dug up, on light soils they are loosened. Sowing should be carried out every 10-12 days until mid-August. It is necessary to sow in rows with a row spacing of 25-30 cm. The mustard is thinned out, leaving a gap of up to 5 cm in a row, then up to 10 cm.

Salad mustard is also grown in, sowing in shallow boxes with a light soil mixture. After 10-12 days, the leaves are ready for use. Mustard is popular not only for its taste and useful qualities, but also for the soil. It enriches the soil with organic matter, phosphorus and sulfur, and also disinfects it.

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White mustard is an excellent green manure. It is undemanding to air temperature, but will not grow well on all soils. This crop is planted several times during the season, but after some plants it cannot be sown.

Why you should plant mustard

On light, nutrient-rich soil, any crop will feel great. White mustard will help make the land like this. It is able to raise moisture, trace elements from a depth of 2-3 meters. All this powerful plant will accumulate in itself. Then it will be enough to mow the plantation and leave the culture right in the garden. Overheating, it will give its nutrients to the topsoil, which is valuable for crops that will grow after it.

Another excellent quality of this crop is weed suppression. mustard grows solid wall and the unwanted guests of the garden simply will not have a chance to break through to the light to grow.

White mustard - the orderly of the site. In the place where it grew, the number of slugs, wireworms, and pea codling moth will significantly decrease. Fungal infections such as potato scab, root rot, rhizoctoriosis will not occur on the ridges where this natural disinfectant grew.

When and where to plant

After the expediency of breeding this culture has become obvious, it is important to decide where, when and mustard. The plant belongs to the cabbage family, therefore, it is not sown on the territory where such crops grew.

White mustard is a cold-resistant crop. She will bear return frosts up to - 5оС. Therefore, in the spring sow it in early dates- as soon as the snow melts and the soil thaws a little. The plant loves sandy, cultivated peat, sod-podzolic soils. On loam, it will be capricious, and on heavy clay it will grow very poorly. Therefore, plant it in a previously cultivated area.

Landing Tricks

Loosen the soil with a flat cutter to a depth of 5 cm. There are 2 main planting methods:

In furrows;
- in bulk.

If the first method is chosen, make furrows 2 cm deep. The distance between them is 15-17 cm. If you like the second method, then simply scatter the mustard seeds on the area dug in advance and cover them with a rake. The first one is more economical - 120-150 g of seeds are needed per hundred square meters. In the second case, the costs for the same site will be 300-400 g, but there will be more green mass.

Soon the seeds will germinate. Water them periodically. Then the culture will grow rapidly. In mid-May, cut it off with a flat cutter, leave it right on the ridges. It must be cut before flowering. Plant after it, for example, potatoes, tomatoes.

You can sow mustard several times a season. In order for it to give a lot of green mass, do it for the last time before August 10. If you did it later, the plant will show its disinfecting properties, but it will give less green fertilizer.

Advice 6: How many days after sowing mustard sprouts

Gardeners who prefer organic care for crops often use green manure as fertilizers. Planting these plants in the beds, followed by planting the green part of the seedlings in the ground, significantly increases the nutritional value of the soil, and some types of green manure also inhibit the growth of fungi.

Mustard is a favorite green manure of many gardeners, as the plant solves several problems with the soil at once (repels pests, inhibits the development of fungi, saturates the earth with nutrients) and is suitable for planting under any crops. If you plant green manure at the right time for this and plant the green part of the plants in the soil in time, then on such soil you can safely plant even weak seedlings of crops that need special care.

Do I need to plant mustard in the garden

To sow mustard or not, each gardener decides for himself. However, if you want to remove pests from the soil (for example, wireworms from potato beds, slugs from cabbage beds, codling moths from apple trees), feed the soil with all kinds of microelements and saturate it with oxygen without using industrial chemicals, then you should think about planting this plant. If every year for three years to sow free beds in the garden with mustard mixed with other green manure, then the composition and properties of the soil can be significantly improved.

How long does it take for mustard to germinate after sowing?

From the day of sowing until the first shoots appear, it usually takes five days, but at temperatures above 20 degrees, the sprouts may appear as early as the fourth day. If the weather is rather cool, and at night the thermometer mark drops below zero degrees, then you can wait for the germination of mustard only after a week.

Should mustard be watered after sowing?

Mustard is a picky culture, it does not need special care. Proper landing it is enough that the plants reach a size suitable for mowing or embedding in the ground.

As for the nuances of sowing, mustard, like other crops, requires water to germinate, so if sowing takes place in dry soil, then after completion of work, the bed must be thoroughly shed from a watering can with a diffuser. In the future, watering can not be done.

There are many ways to improve fertility, but in my opinion, one of the most effective is to sow the area with white mustard. I constantly use this method, it perfectly enriches the soil, makes it loose, breathable, and this, in turn, increases the yield several times. How to sow green manure correctly, why white mustard is preferable to other helper plants, this will be discussed in this article.

White mustard has a lot of advantages compared to other types of green manure: this spicy plant quickly builds up green mass and can make soil in just a few years. rich in vitamins, trace elements and other components useful for plants.

This crop has many varieties, but it is most often used as a soil conditioner. white look. This annual plant belongs to the cruciferous family and is also widely used in the field of cooking and as a folk doctor. Among her relatives, the most “close relatives” can be distinguished: cabbage, horseradish, radish, turnip.

In one summer, green manure grows up to a meter in height, and this is the best thing, it affects fertility, because all this green mass, after being embedded in the ground, perfectly nourishes the structure of the earth, in addition, white mustard is an excellent honey plant, which undoubtedly has a positive effect on fruiting.

Flowering occurs from mid-summer, but it is not necessary to wait for siderat to bloom, usually gardeners mow bright and useful greens and use it either as a fertilizer or as a mulch.

What happens to the soil after the incorporation of green manure

Protecting the soil from weeds is far from the last important purpose of a green manure plant. Under reliable protection greenery, the sun does not destroy the structure of the earth, the roots of the plant serve as an excellent natural leavening agent for the soil, and the plant itself enriches the soil with substances indispensable for it: nitrogen and phosphorus. During the growth of mustard, sparingly soluble organic substances and vitamins are absorbed from the earth, this processing process is very important for plants, because in the end, they receive an easily digestible form of elements.

The spice plant does not allow valuable minerals to be washed out of the soil during rainstorms, it retains them and at the same time prevents the spread of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. For example: if you plant white mustard after potatoes, then subsequent vegetable crops will not suffer from various fungal diseases, they will not be affected by rot.

Pay attention! The roots of white mustard can grow up to three meters deep into the ground, which means that it is at this distance that the soil is able to receive nutrition. This happens from the very surface to deep layers. Even when the plant is mowed, the root sitting in the soil continues to carry out air exchange processes.

White mustard repels harmful insects and serves as protection against diseases, so grow it next to vegetable crops becomes quite profitable. There are known examples of getting rid of the wireworm on the site in just 2-3 years of planting white mustard. This plant is not welcomed by the pest, and he leaves this area forever.

Is it possible to plant white mustard in spring before tomatoes? Of course, but only if before that radish, cabbage or any other representatives of this family did not grow in the garden.

Agrotechnical features

This plant is able to grow on any soil, however, mustard grows worse on sandy soil, so for these areas it is better to choose a different type of green manure.

Cold resistance is good, the sprouts can withstand temperatures up to -7 degrees, so many gardeners plant the plant themselves. in early spring to get a full mass of greenery by June. In addition, before planting other crops, the soil will have time to receive a dose of nutrition and enrich it with oxygen.

Planting in the spring

For the successful cultivation of white mustard on the site, it is absolutely not necessary to dig it up. To plant seeds in the ground, you can only slightly loosen the ground, add seeds, and then level the soil with a rake, of course, if the size of the plot allows it.

Planting material is quite small, so deep embedding is not required. Seeds are densely scattered over the surface and then harrowed. If it is necessary to plant in rows, the seeds are planted in rows with a distance of at least 15 cm between them.

Approximately 45 days pass from the planting date to the moment of flowering, but you should not wait until this period, the mustard is mowed 14 days before the peduncles are thrown out and dug up with the ground. After that, you can plant vegetables.

the only negative point sowing is that the birds often peck out the seeds from the soil, so before the seedlings appear, it is necessary to cover the ridge nonwoven fabric. And yet, in the beds where the cruciferous grew before, better mustard do not plant, as diseases are transmitted "by inheritance". Other types of green manure are suitable here: for example, buckwheat, alfalfa, phacelia, rye or oats.

Watering the culture is not required, since the long root is able to make its way to moisture on its own. In general, this plant is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and speed dial green mass for any favorable conditions, therefore, all farmers, without exception, like to plant it, from inexperienced gardeners to experienced gardeners.

Many use the plant throughout the summer, and also make winter sowing. Then in early spring you can get the first shoots. Seeds winter well and germinate as soon as the snow melts. In any case, this reliable and inexpensive tool will help in enriching the soil, supplying it with all the necessary substances, vitamins and microelements. White mustard is that simple fertility remedy that can be used almost all year round.

Greetings, dear readers! You already know what green manure is and why they are needed, but you also know that each green fertilizer has its own specifics. Mustard, as a fertilizer, is also a special plant. It has many advantages over other green manure crops, but there are also disadvantages. Mustard, like green manure, will be discussed today.

So, mustard is a plant from the cruciferous (cabbage) family. Its close cultural relatives are cabbages of all kinds, radishes, watercress, rutabaga, radishes, turnips, and mustard greens. She also has “relatives” among green manure: oil radish, colza, winter and spring rapeseed. This is important to consider when crop rotation. Oilseed flax, sunflower, beet and millet are also bad predecessors for mustard.

Mustard, as a fertilizer, cannot be used before and after other cruciferous crops. Otherwise, you are more likely to develop clubbing disease (Plasmodiophora brassicae).

As green fertilizers () they use white mustard (it is also English mustard) and Sarepta (it is also Russian or gray mustard).

The main differences between white and Sarepta mustard

The benefits of mustard as a fertilizer , is that it:

• clears the area of ​​weeds. This effect is especially pronounced on cultivated soils;
• has chic phytosanitary properties: it allows you to get rid of, pea codling moth and slugs; contributes to the suppression of plant diseases: late blight and potato scab. It turns out that for the development of late blight, the presence of iron in the soil is necessary, and mustard binds this iron, which contributes to the improvement of the soil;
• rapidly increasing biomass. Due to the large biomass, the soil is replenished with useful organic substances that are easily recycled " underground inhabitants» for humus;
• improves soil structure. Long roots (can penetrate from 1.5 to 3 meters) perfectly loosen, drain and structure the soil. This also contributes to the moisture and air capacity of the soil;
• promotes the retention of nitrogen in the soil, that is, prevents its leaching. Note: if legumes fix nitrogen from the air and convert it into a form suitable for other plants, then mustard only retains nitrogen (prevents it from being washed out). Also, this green manure absorbs other nutrients from the soil, converts them into an organic form and thereby prevents them from going into deeper layers;
• given the not strong winter hardiness, after frost and under the influence of snow, mustard plants lie on the soil and from green manure they gradually turn into mulch. This property is used in autumn and winter to protect the soil from freezing.

In addition, mustard is a honey plant and its flowers attract many pollinating insects.

And mustard is a good companion for many crops. For example, it stimulates the growth of beans, fruit trees, grapes. Only as a companion you need significantly less seeds than when grown as green manure.

Mustard is good in crop rotation with cereals. It is an ideal precursor plant for potatoes (as it fights wireworm, late blight, scab), for tomatoes and other nightshades.

To the disadvantages of mustard may include the following:

• its plants suffer from the same pests and diseases as other cruciferous plants. That is why it is worth considering the rules of crop rotation when sowing this green fertilizer;
• sometimes birds enjoy eating seeds and even mustard greens. On the other hand, what kind of seeds do birds not like? And the benefits of birds are usually higher than the harm. In extreme cases, you can cover the mustard seeds after sowing with mulch.

Growing mustard as green manure

Growing mustard as green manure is not the same as growing mustard for seeds. So, for example, we don't have to wait for seeds to ripen. That is why its sowing is possible from March-April to August-September. When sowing mustard around the middle of August, we will only get phytosanitary tillage, that is, from the same wireworm, scab, phytophthora. Since mid-August, not much green mass will grow, respectively, soil fertilization will be less.

Seeding rate of mustard on green manure

From spring to mid-August, about 200-300 g per hundred square meters are sown. From the second half of August - the number of seeds is increased to 300-400 g per hundred square meters. Please note that this seed density is for the use of mustard as a fertilizer. If you want to grow it for honey collection, then the number of seeds decreases and the plants themselves do not need to be sown so densely.

Sowing seeds is recommended to a depth of 2-3 cm, after which the soil should be compacted (it is better that the seeds are in contact with the ground). If you simply scatter the seeds over a compacted surface, then you should cover them with a small layer of mulch. In any case, seeds need at least some moisture and contact with the ground to germinate.

Mustard usually starts flowering 4-6 weeks after sowing. You can cut it either with a cultivator (swift or other) during the budding or flowering period (it is advisable to prevent the formation of seeds). Before cutting, it is recommended to water the plants with a solution with effective microorganisms, as this contributes to better processing green fertilizers. Also note that in dry weather, green manure will be processed by worms and microorganisms for a long time, so in this case, you need to water the area with mowed green manure from time to time.

If you wish to collect your seeds, then keep in mind that white mustard pods hardly crack, so they can be harvested at any time of the day. But the pods of Sarepta mustard are more prone to cracking. That is why the seeds of this species must be collected early in the morning, in the evening or even at night. In addition, such a dense sowing is not needed to obtain seeds, and it is necessary to sow in the spring, in this case. Summer sowing is unlikely to provide you with seeds.

That's all for today. I hope you enjoy the mustard plant as a fertilizer. It is far from universal, but it can still help in many ways.

Have a healthy garden and vegetable garden!

I advise, dear readers, not to miss the publication of new materials on this blog.

Mustard is a favorite green manure among adherents of eco-farming. It is able to replace fungicides, insecticides, free you from the laborious digging of the earth, and the site - from many weeds. And all because mustard has unique properties, which have already been discovered by many gardeners.

Mustard is a useful green manure

There are many types of mustard in nature. The most popular of them are: Sarepta (Russian, gray), black (French, real) and white (English). The latter is just used as a green manure.

Yellow mustard is the common name for white mustard. Its seeds are white and its flowers are yellow.

Mustard is called white because of the color of the seeds, in other species they are black or brown.

All types of mustard have similar properties, are used in cooking and medicine, have a burning taste and pungent aroma, and have an antiseptic and antifungal effect. Apparently, white mustard is more common and inexpensive in Russia, which is why it is precisely its seeds that are sold as green manure in large volumes.

Mustard has a beneficial effect not only on human body but also on the ground. She fights viruses and fungi there, repels many pests. That is why it is often alternated with potatoes. The earth is freed from late blight and wireworm. In addition, crop rotation is carried out.

Mustard belongs to the Cabbage family, therefore it attracts cruciferous fleas. Do not sow it before cabbages, turnips, radishes and other cruciferous plants. And do not alternate these cultures in one area. In addition to common pests, they share the same diseases.

Video: mustard grew

The early maturity and frost resistance of mustard make it possible to grow it in spring, before heat-loving crops, and at the end of summer - in autumn, after harvesting early vegetables. Seeds are sown before winter. In young plants there are no coarse fibers. Mowed before flowering, they quickly rot and turn into humus - food for plants. The roots are fibrous and thin, they are left in the ground. Penetrating the upper layer, like capillaries, they make the soil breathable, loose.

Mustard roots penetrate the earth, making it loose

Mustard, sown thickly and very early in the spring, is a strong competitor for weeds that are just starting to break out of the ground. She suppresses them with her large leaves and succulent stems, preventing them from reaching the sun, taking away food and water.

Even in a whole field of mustard you will not find a single weed

Mustard is the first green manure that I tested on my site and was incredibly pleased. My potatoes stopped hurting. Two years with mustard, and the worst weed leaves my garden - loach, which entwined everything that it came across. Now only occasionally there are single copies. And one more thing: my acquaintance with mustard was the beginning of a heavenly life. I haven't dug the ground for two years, and everything is growing great!
In addition to mustard, I grow phacelia, vetch, rye, oats, and clover. Cereals have a powerful root, I sow them along the fence so as not to let weeds into the garden. Vetch and clover with the help of nodules on the roots concentrate nitrogen in the arable layer. I sow phacelia in front of cabbage, it does not attract fleas, it grows in lush low bushes and serves as a living mulch, retains moisture. Each siderat is good in its own way. You can't say which one is better. And you can’t grow mustard in one place every year. Siderates also need crop rotation.

Video: mustard and phacelia in one area

Application technology

As soon as the earth thaws and dries, I loosen upper layer with a flat cutter, I also cut rows with a depth of 2–3 cm. I pour seeds thickly and level the area. No return frosts are terrible for mustard, even here in Siberia. If it is very cold, it will wait in the ground and rise later. I don't water, I don't care. It's time to plant the main crop, the mustard is still low, I make holes right in its rows. I cut it off when the green manure is gaining color, and immediately leave it as a mulch. Everything! As you can see, there was no need to dig the ground. For mustard, I plant potatoes, they grow well: the bushes are healthy, the tubers are large.

Rules for sowing and using mustard:

• Sowing dates: early spring, after harvesting early vegetables and before winter.
• Sowing scheme: scattered or in rows every 10–15 cm.
• Seed consumption: 150–300 g per hundred square meters.
• Mowing time: when the plants grow to 20–30 cm. It is necessary to have time until the mustard greens have coarsened and seeds have not formed.

If you wait for the formation of pods, then the mustard will turn into a weed: the seeds will spread throughout the area with tops or wind

Ways to use:

• Cut with a flat cutter, deepening it 2–3 cm into the ground, and leave mustard greens in place. In the heat, it will dry out and replace the mulch for some time, and in wet weather it will rot immediately and enrich the earth with organic matter.

  Siderat is cut with a flat cutter just below ground level.

• Sow mustard 1.5–2 months before the onset of cold weather and leave uncut. In winter, it will serve as a snow retention, in the spring it will protect against the formation of a crust on the ground and erosion. Before planting the main crop, rake and compost or use as mulch.

  If mustard is left until spring, it will, of course, freeze and dry up, and in spring it will lie on the ground like hay.

• Cut and use with other herbs to make green manure.

  Mustard continues to play the role of a phytosanitary even in the composition of green manure

• Lay the green mass under warm beds.

  Siderates are laid in warm beds

• Mow with a trimmer that will chop the greens, and plant it in the soil with a shovel, flat cutter or motor cultivator.

  For mowing and planting mustard, mechanisms are often used: trimmers and cultivators

However, supporters natural farming categorically against digging the earth, and hence the incorporation of green manure into it.

When growing green manure, the main thing is not to dig up the soil and not get carried away with one type of plant. Green manure must be changed every season, then the soil will become more fertile.

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On the own experience I know that mustard roots make the earth loose, and this frees them from digging. But if you still dig up the ground, you think that without this agricultural method nothing will grow, then in the fall you can bury green manure. Once, when all the cultures were removed, I conducted an experiment. Decided to improve small plot earth. To do this, they dug trenches deep on a bayonet, laid tops, weeds and green manure there. Near parallel dug the next. The excavated earth covered the previous one, already filled with grass. As a result, the area became higher. In the spring, I leveled it with a rake and planted potatoes. It was there that he turned out to be the most fruitful. So this method of planting green manure has already been tested, but it is too time-consuming, like plowing greenery into the ground. Therefore, I no longer lay trenches, I don’t dig the ground and I don’t close green manure, but only cut it off. They improve the soil even without any digging.

White mustard Sinapis alba is an annual herb from the cruciferous family. It is grown from seed, as a fodder crop or as green manure. Moreover, the use of mustard is popular in agriculture many countries of the world, though, originated in the Mediterranean region.

The plant reaches a height of about 70 cm, has a decent leaf mass of feathery leaves, blooms very profusely and forms pods filled with yellow seeds, about 10-15 pieces per pod, seed size 1-1.5 mm. White mustard blooms from June to August, the flowers are bisexual and pollinated by bees, flies, wind.

Seeds ripen from July to September. They have a slightly spicy taste and are used as a seasoning for marinades or sauces.

The leaves of white mustard are edible; in the Mediterranean countries, young growing leaves are used in fresh in salads - when the plants are several centimeters tall and the first pair of true leaves has appeared.

But sometimes it's easier to buy ready-made seasonings, and use mustard seeds with maximum efficiency- sow them to get green manure.

What is useful mustard

• restores poor soils - quickly produces organic matter, which is incorporated into the soil (after 30-50 days from sowing) and enriches it with nitrogen and phosphorus
• absorbs sparingly soluble minerals and converts them into easily accessible forms
• excellent loosening agent for heavy soils, improves soil structure
• suppresses the growth of weeds before sowing the main crop or after harvesting
• prevents valuable nutrients from being washed away during heavy rains
• substances released by mustard prevent the growth of mold and bacteria, therefore planting mustard after tomatoes, potatoes and other vegetables significantly reduces the number of pathogens phytophthora, scab, and putrefactive microorganisms in the soil
• allows you to reduce crop rotation and return the main crop to its original place ahead of the required time for a year or two
• on soils where white mustard is grown, the number of wireworm and slugs is sharply reduced
• at late boarding uncut mustard remains as a mulch, performs the function of snow retention
• white mustard sown in spring during flowering is a good honey plant
• sown next to the main crop, white mustard can act as a companion plant: for example, mustard root secretions stimulate the growth of peas, beans, grapes, and next to fruit trees repel codling moth and aphids

Add to this that mustard cultivation does not require much labor, and the seeds are inexpensive, sold in every garden store or market.

For all positive qualities of this culture, mustard is not perfect. Mainly due to the fact that diseases and pests can also affect it: white rust, alternariosis (leaf spot), powdery mildew, kila.

Sowing mustard in spring

White mustard can be sown at any time from March to August on any type of soil and dug up in the same year. In the southern regions can be sown with early spring and from the end of February (after the 20th).

But for greater efficiency, mustard is sown in the spring a month before the sowing date of the main crop, and these are almost any vegetables, berries (especially strawberries) and salad greens.

Important: mustard should not be sown after cruciferous plants (cabbage, radish, radish) - they have common pests and diseases. And turnips do not even tolerate mustard.

It is possible and even necessary to sow mustard before laying out flower beds and flower beds, until bulbous or rhizomatous flowers are planted and stored away.

Important: rotting green manure can inhibit plant growth, so wait at least 1-1.5 weeks after mustard mowing and digging before sowing or planting vegetables and berries.

Sowing mustard to fertilize the soil in autumn

IN central regions Russian mustard is sown in August-September, leaving to winter, and close up next year. If the mustard has time to grow enough, you can mow it and plant it in the soil in the fall.

In the southern regions, fast-growing white mustard is sown until mid-September and even in October-November, as it sprouts easily even when low temperatures– friendly seedlings at temperatures from 5 to 10°C, partial germination at temperatures of +2-3°C. And if the seedlings have already sprouted, the young mustard greens continue to grow and are preserved at sub-zero temperatures(withstands down to -5°C). In a long warm autumn, even mustard sown in October manages to grow 10 cm tall.

It is important to sow mustard in the fall immediately after harvesting, it is advisable not to delay this work for longer than 3 days so that weeds do not have time to germinate.

An example of the use of mustard

At the end of August we harvest tomatoes open ground, at this time we sow mustard around the bushes. After harvesting the tomato, around mid-September, a vetch-oat mixture can be sown to the mustard. All siderates remain to grow before winter, as long as the temperature allows. In spring, the entire area is plowed with a cultivator.

If the mustard has grown strongly since autumn, you can not plow it, leave it as a mulch, and after the strait of the entire area with phytosporin (twice a week), plant seedlings of tomatoes again.

How to sow mustard

Sow mustard for better efficiency in pre-prepared beds:

• after harvesting the main crop, the ridges must be cleaned of weeds and vegetable residues
• fertilize with humus, about 1-2 buckets per 1 sq. m beds
• if necessary, add dolomite flour
• dig and harrow (level with a rake, breaking large clods of earth)

The technique for sowing mustard as green manure is simple: you don’t need to make rows and measure distances - the seeds are sown thickly, sprinkling the soil from a handful, just like we salt soup or salad with a pinch, or 5 g of seeds per 1 m² of land. Don't be afraid of dense crops - carpet seedlings delay the leaching of nutrients from the soil with rain, preventing soil erosion.

The technique for sowing mustard as a seasoning, or a companion plant, is different: in a row way, about 10 cm between seeds, and no more than 20 cm between rows. The bushes grow strong, the rows close. Subsequently, you can thin out the seedlings.

When sowing with any technique, it is important not to deepen the seeds too much, otherwise germination will be delayed, and this is completely unprofitable for us. The maximum sowing depth is 1 cm; when sowing green manure with a carpet, it is acceptable if some of the seeds remain on the soil surface - after watering loose earth they themselves will settle and take their place in the soil.

white mustard care

The plant is suitable for light (sandy), medium (loamy), prefers well-drained areas and on dense black soil, clay (heavy soil) grows with difficulty - it needs a looser structure. Any soil acidity - grows on acidic, neutral and alkaline soil types pH from 4.5 to 8.2, but optimally 6.5. Mustard can grow in partial shade or full sun, but only quickly in long daylight conditions.

Mustard sprouts very quickly - under favorable conditions (temperature above 10 ° C), sprouts appear in 3-5 days. But then, as a rule, grow slowly. Plants cover the ground in 4-5 weeks. Buds are visible about five weeks after emergence. Yellow flowers appear in another week, and the flowering is long, attracting bees, bumblebees and other pollinating insects.

Mustard requires a lot of moisture for optimal growth - it has a shallow root system, so it does not grow as well during dry periods without watering (the soil should not dry out too much). Additional dressings not required.

When to cut mustard

The growth rate of mustard depends on temperature and regular watering, on average, plants reach a height of 15-20 cm per month. But the height is not a guideline, it is important to mow the mustard just before flowering.

Why you need to mow mustard before flowering

• Firstly, with the formation of peduncles, the stems coarsen, the petioles of the leaves become stiffer - all this greatly slows down the process of processing green mass in the soil (stems and peduncles rot for a very long time). The more tender the leaves going for digging, the faster they will be decomposed by soil microorganisms and the faster they will turn into green manure.
• Secondly, during flowering, mustard spends nutrients from the soil for its “personal” needs, loses the function of green manure, and we need food to remain for vegetables and berries.
• Thirdly, the mustard that has formed seeds propagates by self-sowing and turns into a weed.

After mowing, the green mass is dug up, planted in the soil with a shovel on heavy soils and a chopper and flat cutter on light ones. If the weather is dry, the rains are rare, the treated area needs to be watered periodically - worms and microorganisms that “work” on a wet substrate are involved in the decomposition of organic matter.

Many gardeners are trying to accelerate the formation of biohumus and increase soil fertility by adding Baikal EM-1. It's really a good product, however, if the soil is very poor, depleted perennial cultivation vegetables or berries, and organic matter (humus, compost) was not introduced during sowing, then you should not rely on mustard and Baikal. In this case, the saying is true: "No manure - no harvest." Humus should be applied every 4-5 years at least.

Even if you sow mustard 2-3 times over the summer, mow and plant the greens into the soil, this will not improve the soil structure much - on sandy or clay soils the humus layer will form too slowly, and the next cycle of growing vegetables will take it out. Therefore, sowing mustard for digging cannot completely replace the improvement of the soil of an unprepared site - it is only useful in alternating crops on already developed lands.

If the mustard has overgrown, but has not yet formed seeds, it can be left before winter, not mowed, and in the spring the old tops, dug up with a cultivator, chopper or flat cutter, or left as mulch. But you should not strive for this method - it is more expedient to use straw, sawdust and other materials as mulch.

Video - sowing white mustard, like green manure

White mustard in cooking

Did you know that young white mustard leaves are delicious salad greens?

Just cut off the growing leaves (up to cotyledons) with scissors. Do not try to cut off - they will pull out of the ground with roots. Mustard leaves are fragrant, but not spicy, they can replace leaf lettuce in recipes, heat treatment they are not subjected. Store in the refrigerator in a jar of water or in a bag, like other greens.