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Jessie Keith
Brassicaceae
BRASSICA juncea 'Osaka Purple'
India Mustard, Osaka Purple Mustard
Bearing pungently flavored leaves that add zest and color to salads and cooked dishes, 'Osaka Purple' is a cultivar of India mustard, a cool-season annual that originates from Asia. Its rosettes of broad, oval, crinkled leaves grow from a taproot. The purple-hued leaves are ready for harvest in about 45 days after sowing. 'Osaka Purple' is more compact and has broader leaves than the comparable selection, 'Red Giant'. Hot weather causes plants to "bolt", or produce flower stalks. The flowers clusters are comprised of many small, four-petaled, pale yellow flowers that rise from waist-high stems. This variety is relatively cold-hardy. Crescent-shaped green pods filled with dark red-brown seeds follow the flowers. The dried pods split to disperse the seeds.
Grow India mustard in full sun and well-drained neutral to alkaline soil. It will not tolerate severe heat or cold. Cool nights produce flavorful leaves, whereas hot weather causes bitter foliage and early bolting. Plant it in early spring, late summer or late fall where winters are mild. It makes an excellent winter vegetable for areas with mild climates. To prevent self-sowing, cut off the emerging flower stem once bolting occurs.
8 - 1
8 - 10
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vegetable
Full Sun, Partial Sun
12"-14" / 30.5cm - 35.6cm
12"-18" / 30.5cm - 45.7cm
Summer
Asia
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Average
Clay, Loam, Sand
Fast
Average Water
Rosette/Stemless
Spring, Fall, Winter
Showy
Yellow, Light Yellow
Green
Green, Purple
No
Single
Yes
Coarse
Matte
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Sometimes
Butterflies
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