White Mustard - Green Manure - 10 m²

White Mustard is a fast-growing annual plant that is mainly grown as a fodder crop or green manure, although its seeds can also be used as a condiment. It produces masses of dense leaves on 50 to 80 cm high plants. Sow from March to September.

White Mustard, sometimes called Yellow mustard (Sinapis alba), is native to North Africa, Europe and the Middle East. It belongs to the Brassicaceae family and has been cultivated in France since the 14th century. Its seeds are cracked or ground to make mustard; they can also be used whole for pickling or adding to cooked dishes. They are said to have anti-carcinogenic properties. Unlike Oriental mustard, white mustard leaves are not edible.

Farmers often grow white mustard as a cover crop or fodder crop. In the vegetable garden, it can be useful as green manure. The plants prevent the soil from losing nutrients. They produce lots of vegetative material that is then mown and incorporated back into the soil, thus releasing nitrogen for the following crop. Mustard is also very useful for smothering weeds.

Green manures are widely used in permaculture and offer many advantages. They enrich the soil and improve its structure whilst supressing weed growth; they also act as cover crops which prevent leaching and soil erosion. Green manures can be sown all year round. Plants are generally mown before they go to seed then incorporated into the soil or used as mulch.

Good to know: Growing mustard is great way of cleaning a vegetable plot of soil-borne pests and diseases. It is particularly effective against nematodes. Avoid growing mustard before a crop of Brassicas such as cabbages.