The first vegetable is mustard greens.

Mustard is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family. It can reach a height of 150 cm. Its young stems and leaves have stinging hairs and a spicy taste. The stems are upright and the petiole has small lobes. The leaves on the lower part of the stem are Smaller, with notches or teeth on the edges. The leaves on the upper part of the stem are narrow and lanceolate, with inconspicuous sparse teeth or entire edges.

The racemes are terminal and extended after flowering; the flowers are yellow, the sepals are light yellow, oblong-oval, and spread upright; the petals are obovate, the siliques are linear, and the seeds are spherical and purple-brown. It blooms from March to May and bears fruit from May to June.

Cultivated throughout China. The leaves are salted for consumption; the seeds and the whole plant are used for medicinal purposes, which can resolve phlegm and asthma, reduce swelling and relieve pain; the seeds are ground into powder and are called mustard, which is used as seasoning; the extracted oil is called mustard oil; this species is an excellent nectar plant.

Extended information

Mustard growth habits: Mustard likes a cool and humid environment, avoids heat and drought, and is not frost tolerant. It needs strong light conditions to produce buds, vines, flowering and fruiting. It requires low temperature vernalization and long daylight conditions. Its root system is well developed, with main and lateral roots distributed in about 30cm soil layer. It likes fertilizer and has a large demand for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.

Mustard has a short growth period, about 30 days from sowing to harvesting, and can be harvested when it has 10-12 leaves. The suitable temperature for growth is 15-22°C. When the temperature is higher than 25°C, growth will be retarded and affect the quality of the dishes; when the temperature is lower than 12°C, plant growth will be inhibited. Within the appropriate temperature range, the higher the temperature, the faster the growth and the shorter the growth period, and vice versa.

Mustard does not have very strict requirements on soil conditions, but it is suitable for planting in neutral loam soil with fertile soil, deep soil layer, good irrigation and drainage conditions, sufficient light, good permeability, and water and fertilizer retention.

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