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Brassicaceae
BRASSICA juncea
India Mustard
A pungently flavored green, India mustard is a fast growing, cool season annual or biennial that originates from Asia but has been introduced as a weed in many other parts of the world. Its greens add zest to salads and stir-fries and its pungent seeds are used to make brown mustard.
India mustard produces rosettes of large, oval, lobed leaves. The leaves are thin, lightly hairy and have wavy edges. Purple or red-leaved selections are common. It also produces a large, turnip-like taproot but this is rarely eaten. Warm weather causes plants to "bolt", or produce flowers. The clusters of four-petaled, pale yellow flowers appear atop waist-high stems. Crescent-shaped green pods filled with dark red-brown seeds follow the flowers. The dried pods split open 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. The leaves are most flavorful when nights are cool. Warm weather causes bitter tasting foliage and early bolting. The best planting times are early spring or late summer for a fall crop. Where year round temperatures are mild, it makes a great winter crop. It is very fast growing and generally takes between 30 to 60 days, depending on the variety. The leaves can be harvested individually or the whole plant can be harvested. Self-sowing will not occur if the whole plant is removed before it bolts.
Cultivars have been selected for various attributes including colorful foliage, edible stems and roots, and flavorful seeds or leaves. Some more notable selections include the compact, purple-leaved 'Osaka Purple' and large, green-leaved 'Southern Giant Curled.'
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
1'-4' / 0.3m - 1.2m
1'-2' / 0.3m - 0.6m
Indeterminate
Asia
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Well Drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Fast
Average Water
Rosette/Stemless
Spring, Fall, Winter
Showy
Yellow, Light Yellow
Green
Green, Purple, Burgundy, Dark Red
Green, Purple
No
Single
Yes
Coarse
Matte
Semi-Evergreen
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Sometimes
Butterflies
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