Agrotechnics of cultivation
Leaf mustard is not very demanding on the soil, but it grows better on loose, sufficiently moist, fertile neutral soils. It is grown in open ground, in film greenhouses and at home on the windowsill. Good predecessors for her are potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, legumes. It should not be grown after vegetable crops of the cruciferous family.
The soil begins to be prepared in the fall immediately after harvesting the predecessor. The site is first harrowed with a rake to cause the germination of weed seeds, and after 10–12 days they are dug up to the depth of a shovel bayonet.
Pre-applied to the soil per 1 sq. meter for half a bucket of rotted compost, 1 tbsp. spoon of superphosphate and 1 teaspoon of chloride fertilizers. If the soil is heavy, clayey, then additionally add 1-2 liter cans sawdust and 1 bucket of coarse river sand.
In the spring, as soon as the soil allows, it is dug up to a depth of 10–12 cm, adding 1 teaspoon of ammonium nitrate. Then the soil is carefully loosened. If the soil is heavy, then it is better to form beds 10–12 cm high; it is better not to make a bed on light soils.
Salad mustard is grown as an independent crop and as a compactor or as a beacon crop when growing crops that develop slowly in the first half of summer (carrots, beets, etc.). In order to always have fresh greens on the table, it is enough to have a bed of 1–1.5 sq.m on the plot and re-sow it as the land becomes free.
It is necessary to sow lettuce mustard as early as possible, because. she is a plant of long daylight hours, i.e. in summer quickly forms flower stalks. But if it is sown early, then it manages to give an excellent rosette before the onset of long days. In addition, in this case, it can be saved from the cruciferous flea.
Lettuce mustard is sown many times both in open ground and in greenhouses, from early spring to late autumn with an interval of 10–12 days, but it gives the best results when sown in April–May and July–August. But it is especially good as salad greens in September-October, when all plants wither. At this time, it is the decoration of both your table and your site.
In gardens and orchards, it is sown in an ordinary way with row spacing 20 cm wide to a depth of 0.5–1 cm. It is useful to mulch crops with humus or compost. But you can sow the seeds directly on the surface, without sprinkling soil on top, and then cover with a film on top. And in order to get an earlier harvest, the bed where lettuce mustard is sown must be covered with covering material until the seeds germinate.
The seeds of lettuce mustard germinate at a temperature of 1–3°C; its seedlings can tolerate short-term frosts. At a temperature of 18–20°C, seedlings appear after 3 days, and above - even faster, but the seedlings are strongly elongated. These seedlings need watering, but this must be done very carefully so as not to wash the seedlings off with water, because. they are superficial.
The soil in the garden is kept in a loose and weed-free state. Thinning is done in the phase of the first true leaf, leaving the plants in a row after 3–4 cm. They are thinned out again after 12–14 days through the plant so that there is at least 10–12 cm between them. If the salad mustard grows densely, then the plants will grow very quickly shoot themselves.
If, after thinning, lettuce mustard grows weakly, then it can be fed with mullein infusion or herbal infusion. At the same time, it is advisable not to use urea, so as not to increase the concentration of nitrates in the leaves of lettuce mustard.
Already when shoots appear, leaf mustard is applied great harm cruciferous fleas. Therefore, immediately after sowing, the bed must be powdered with sifted ash or done later on wet cotyledon leaves when the first pests appear.
Mustard is very demanding on moisture. Therefore, in summer, due to the superficial location of the roots at high air temperatures, the plants are watered 3–4 times, moistening the topsoil to a depth of at least 15–20 cm, because with a lack of moisture, the plants develop poorly and quickly go to the arrow.
It is better to water from a watering can with a strainer or a hose with a sprayer, doing this in the morning. Without watering, the leaves coarsen, their taste deteriorates, instead of tender and juicy salad coarse flower stalks are obtained.
Lettuce mustard leaves are harvested at a height of 12-15 cm, but you can, of course, pick them as needed. The entire plant is finally harvested before the formation of flower stalks (after the leaves become coarser), 30–35 days after emergence.
To lengthen the terms of consumption of greens, plants are pulled out by the roots, placed in containers with their roots down and placed in a cold cellar, where they retain their qualities for some time. And the greens packed in plastic bags are stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0–1 ° C for up to 15–20 days, i.e. much longer than a regular salad.
It must be removed when there is no dew on the leaves. Like all green crops, it can be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator.
It is possible to return the crops of lettuce mustard to its original place no earlier than after 3–4 years, since it is susceptible, like all cruciferous crops, to clubroot disease.
Salad mustard is one of the few green crops that works great on the windowsill and balcony. And for winter crops in the room - this is just a godsend. After all, it can be grown on a windowsill in bowls on sawdust, earth and even on cotton wool ..
In our country, its leaves are very rarely eaten. It's a pity! They are tasty and healthy, rich in ascorbic acid (up to 400 mg per 100 g of green mass). Mustard is a 1-year-old plant of the cabbage family, early ripening, cold-resistant, moisture-loving. Stem 50-150 cm tall, branched. Basal leaves forming a rosette are petiolate, lyre-shaped; upper-sessile, solid. The flowers are small, golden yellow, collected in spike-shaped inflorescence. The fruit is a pod (opening), the seeds are dark brown or yellow. Weight of 1000 seeds is 1-2 g. Seeds germinate at 1-2°C. The most common varieties are Saladnaya 54, Non-falling 2, Krasnolistnaya, Zheltosemyannaya 230, Yuzhanka 15, Skorospelka. Japanese and Chinese varieties are also grown. Grows well in fertile, organic-rich soils.
Sowing at the earliest possible time in the spring or before winter in the ordinary (at a distance of 25-30 cm) or two-line tape method, with a distance between the tapes of 50, between the lines in the tape - 20 cm. Seeding rate - 0.4-0.5 g / m2, incorporation - by 2-3 cm. During the entire summer period, crops are repeated every 10-15 days. The short day of autumn does not contribute to the shooting of plants, a powerful rosette of rather large leaves develops. The soil is kept loose and free from weeds. In the phase of 2-3 true leaves, the plants are thinned out at a distance of 6-8 cm, in the summer they are watered 3-4 times, moistening the topsoil to a depth of 20-25 cm. With a lack of moisture, they develop poorly and quickly go to the arrow.
Leaf mustard is grown as an independent crop and as a compactor of late vegetable crops in open and protected ground. Can grow indoors. Mustard is removed with the appearance of a rosette of leaves before the formation of a stem, when the plants reach 5 cm in height. To get seeds, you need early spring sowing. The plants are thinned out at a distance of 15-20 cm. The seed plants are harvested at the beginning of the wax ripeness of the seeds, when their moisture content is 30-40%, and the color is greenish-yellow, and ripen under a canopy. Seeds should be stored in a dry, cool place. Spatial isolation of at least 2000 m from other varieties, from Chinese cabbage, turnips, swedes, radishes in the open, 600 m in a sheltered area.
Rosettes of young mustard plants (before shoots appear) have delicate taste and can replace liquid mustard. Mustard leaves taste good when used raw as a salad (alone or in combination with other herbs), boiled or stewed as a side dish for fish and meat dishes. They are also salted and dried. Dried leaves, ground into powder, are used as a seasoning for many dishes. Molo-. these shoots are dried in the sun, salted and eaten with hot and spicy seasonings. It can also be fresh as a salad - finely cut into slices, sprinkled with sugar and poured with oil or soaked in a vinegar and sugar marinade for 2-3 days, then fried in masya. In mustard seeds - 35-40% fatty mass, 20-25 proteins, mucus 15%, glycoside sinigrin and enzyme myrosin.
In crushed form, they can serve as a seasoning for meat dishes, as well as for canning certain dishes (herring), pickling vegetables, inhibiting the processes of fermentation and decay. Mustard prepared by the food industry is seasoned with gastronomic products, soups. Mustard oil, obtained from the seed of the plant, is used in the baking, confectionery, canning and perfume industries.
Mustard not only stimulates the appetite, it significantly enhances the secretion of gastric juice, has an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effect. Mustard alcohol (2 percent) is used to rub against rheumatism, sciatica, sometimes neuritis, colds. With bronchitis, pleurisy, bronchopneumonia and after severe cooling in order to prevent these diseases, mustard plasters are effective, which can be quite simply made from mustard powder at home. Children are recommended mustard foot baths, mustard wraps for inflammation of the respiratory system. In patients with hypertension, the use of mustard plasters in the neck area leads to a decrease in headache.
The first mention of mustard can be found in the Bible, where it is said that a tree grows from its tiny seed. Since then, people have learned about beneficial features mustard. It is difficult to call leaf mustard a tree - the plant rarely reaches one meter. Rather, it is grass. It blooms with yellow flowers, similar to other flowers of the cabbage (cruciferous) genus, to which it belongs, by definition, by botanists. After flowering, it forms brown seeds. Mustard flowers are a wonderful honey plant. Honey obtained by bees on mustard plantations is highly valued for its medicinal properties. The plant is cultivated both for green fodder (before flowering) and for obtaining seeds from which oil is pressed. After pressing the oil, the resulting cake is used to prepare well-known mustard plasters. Powder from ground seeds is used as a flavoring agent for fish and meat dishes. Young mustard leaves are used fresh in salads: they are fragrant, serve as a good source of vitamin C. They add it to Russian cabbage soup instead of cabbage. Prepare mustard and for the future (dry for the winter). 
Every housewife knows that you can enhance the aroma and taste of a dish with the help of spices and seasonings. You will do the right thing and you will never regret if you stock up on mustard for the winter. And you don’t have to immediately imagine the bombarded mustard powder socks or hot foot baths. It will certainly come in handy in your cooking. Add spice to meat dishes, add spice to rolled vegetables, vegetable salads and assorted - this is not a complete list of possibilities for using mustard. How to prepare mustard at home and where it is better to apply it, you can find out about this in the recipes below.
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This quick recipe sauerkraut I was told when I was visiting and tasted it. I liked it so much that I decided to pickle one too. It turned out that the usual white cabbage very quickly you can make very tasty and crispy.
