White mustard is an annual plant belonging to the Cabbage family. She is also called yellow mustard because of the color of the flowers. This culture is grown as animal feed, as well as siderate. White mustard has a number of useful properties, with which we will introduce you in this article.
Description
White mustard is a herbaceous plant with a deep root system and a lush green part, the height of which reaches 80 centimeters. During the flowering period, brushes collected in 25-100 pieces are covered with bright yellow flowers of a small size, having the smell of honey. The fruits of white mustard are long xiphoid pods with five or six seeds. The ripened pod is covered with small fibers and is not subject to cracking. Very light seeds (1000 pcs. Weighs no more than 5 grams) have a spherical shape and a pale yellow color.
The plant is considered moisture-loving and cold-resistant, and also has a fairly short vegetative period. From one and a half to two months passes from the time of sowing to flowering and another 5-7 weeks until the seeds fully ripen.
Mustard seeds are rich in fatty oil, the percentage of which reaches 16.5-38.5. In addition, they contain Sinalbin glycoside (approximately 2.5%), about 1% mustard essential oil, up to 10% minerals, mirosine, and proteins.
Application
White mustard is an excellent medicine. Its seeds are used in the treatment of sclerosis, hypertension, problems with the digestive and urinary systems, rheumatism and skin diseases. Freshly used as a means of increasing appetite and relieving pain. A well-known mustard-based remedy is warming mustard plasters for external use.
Ripe white mustard seeds are actively used in cooking as a burning spice. They are added to vegetable, meat and mushroom marinades, as well as to hot meat and fish dishes. Fresh leaves are used in salads and soups. Mustard powder is the basis of many sauces and gravy, and also goes well with various meat dishes.
In addition, white mustard is an excellent honey plant. From one hectare you can collect at least 100 kilograms of fragrant, delicate and very tasty honey, which has a pale yellowish tint. However, such honey crystallizes quickly enough, so it is not suitable for organizing wintering of bees.
White mustard in gardening
The most important function of this crop is fertilizer and soil disinfection. The plant’s roots contain rare organic acids that interact with the soil, which makes it easier to assimilate and activate the action of various organic and mineral fertilizing. Also, the roots contain certain substances that have a powerful phytosanitary effect. Root secretions prevent the accumulation of pathogens of diseases such as late blight, rhizoctoniosis, scab and fusarium rot. After growing white mustard on the site, the risk of infection of potatoes and other vegetable crops with the above diseases is significantly reduced. Due to its rapid growth and rapid ripening, mustard actively suppresses the development of weeds, which also protects vegetables and crops from the development of many diseases and the appearance of pests.
Positive results were also noted in the fight against such a pest as wireworm and other harmful insects. Autumn digging of mustard leads to their death, due to the violation of comfortable wintering conditions. Actively used white mustard as a siderate. In a short time, it is able to develop a sufficient amount of greenery, which is used as an organic fertilizer. This culture is an amazing source of valuable trace elements. Moreover, the rapid decomposition process and the optimal ratio of nitrogen, carbon and coarse fiber have a positive effect on the development of the crop subjected to mustard dressing.
Mustard growers and those gardeners whose sites are located on the slopes, which leads to wind or water erosion of the soil. This culture significantly helps to reduce, and sometimes completely prevent, the development of these processes. Mustard especially saves after harvesting the main crop, when the soil is not protected by anything.
Crop rotation
The technology of growing white mustard provides for the selection of sites where legumes and crops were previously cultivated, as well as clean soil that was not previously used. But after cruciferous crops, as well as after sunflower and millet, mustard should not be sown, since they are susceptible to infection by the same infections.
After white mustard, it is best to sow crops. It not only releases the field early, but also drains the soil well. The remains of roots in the soil contribute to its disinfection and enrichment with nutrients.
Soil preparation
The preparation of the soil for planting directly depends on what crops were grown on the site before. However, any processing is reduced to the following objectives:
- ensuring the accumulation of moisture;
- weed control;
- leveling the topsoil for friendly seedlings.
A mandatory measure for soil care is peeling, that is, surface loosening to a depth of about 20-25 centimeters. Presowing preparation begins after the physiological readiness of the soil. First, harrowing is carried out for 3-4 centimeters, followed by cultivation work and soil rolling.
When and how to sow
White mustard, like green manure, is sown not only in autumn but also in spring. In warm regions, sowing in October is permissible, since a temperature of -10 ° C is considered quite acceptable for overwintering mustard. Spring planting is carried out a month earlier than the main crops that are planned to be grown on this site. Such terms are considered the most effective for enrichment and disinfection of soil. Not too high soil temperature contributes to better development of the root system and leaf mustard, which is a significant advantage over weeds. In addition, early spring sowing prevents the mass appearance of cruciferous fleas.
Sowing of white mustard is carried out by the lowercase method, in which the row spacing varies from 15 to 30 centimeters. When choosing an early planting period, seeds should be buried no more than 3-4 centimeters. When planting mustard later, the seeds should be buried a little harder - by 8-9 centimeters. The sowing rate of white mustard is from 10 to 18 kilograms of seeds per hectare of land. These indicators depend on the row spacing.
Care
As a rule, white mustard takes root on almost any soil. For its cultivation, you can give preference to both light and heavy soils. However, an important condition is the availability of good drainage. The acidity of the soil also does not particularly affect the quality of the plant, but it grows best at pH = 6.5. Mustard blooms both in the shade and in open sunny areas. Under favorable conditions, the first seedlings can be seen within 2-3 days after sowing. Plant care consists in abundant and regular watering. Such measures are due to the surface location of a well-developed root system. Especially plentiful watering should be in arid conditions. There is no need to feed mustard.
Digging and Harvesting
If you plan to prepare green fertilizer from mustard, then the harvest is carried out in the flowering process. The plant is mowed and ground, after which it is plowed into the green mass of cultivated plantings.
In some cases, the flowering period does not wait, because the stems coarsen, and the duration of decomposition of the plant increases. Immediately after the green part is beveled, digging and thorough watering are carried out.
Harvesting of seeds is carried out after their full maturation. The maturity stage of the pods is determined by their color - fully ripened specimens have a brownish-yellow hue. The collected material is stored in a dry and well-ventilated area. From one hectare you can collect at least one and a half tons of seeds.