Organic Mustard Seed

• Catch crop.
• Mustard is a fast growing green manure that can be sown from March September.
• Will be killed by frost making it easy to incorporate.
• It has a growing period of 1-2 months and can reach 60-90cm tall.
• This half-hardy annual grows on most soil types but particularly likes fertile ones. 
• Flowers attract a large range of beneficial insect.
• Mustard produces large volumes of green matter and residual fibre which when chopped up and dug in is particularly good for soil that lacks organic matter as it helps to improve soil texture and moisture retention.
• After 4-8 weeks of growth chop down the plants and cultivate into the top few inches of your soil.

How to sow green manures:

• Prepare a reasonable seed bed.
• Broadcast you seeds.  If you have a large area to cover it is a good idea to divide the seed and the land into 4 parts to avoid running out of seed.
• Rake in and water if soil is dry.

Did you know:

• It is also thought that mustard may reduce the population of wireworms by stimulating the pest to complete their life cycle much quicker.
• Mustard is a member of the Brassica family and should be treated as such for crop rotation purposes.