How to Grow Mustard Greens: A Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and Techniques

Mustard greens are cultivated in various regions. The leaves are salted for consumption; the seeds and the whole plant are used medicinally, able to resolve phlegm and relieve asthma, reduce swelling and relieve pain. The seeds ground into powder are called mustard, used as a seasoning. It can be said that the whole plant is a treasure. So how do you grow mustard greens?

1. Site Selection

Choosing the planting field: mustard greens should be planted on sandy loam soil with relatively high fertility, good aeration, relatively loose soil texture, good drainage and irrigation capacity, and slightly more humus.

2. Soil Preparation

After choosing the planting field, use farm machinery to deep-plow the soil once, with a plowing depth of 30 cm-34 cm. After deep plowing is completed, apply 4500 jin-5000 jin of fermented barnyard manure per mu, then turn the soil once more to plow the barnyard manure underground, in order to increase soil fertility.

After soil preparation, make beds with a width of 1.3 m-1.5 m, and the width of the bed furrows should be about 25 cm-30 cm.

3. Sowing

On the bed surface, dig holes and sow at a spacing of 18 cm-20 cm between plants and 20 cm-30 cm between rows, sowing 2-3 seeds in each hole. After sowing the seeds, cover with soil, then water thoroughly once, and finally cover with a layer of straw or plastic film. After the mustard green seedlings emerge, remove the covering.

Mustard greens can be sown in spring and autumn. The best time for spring sowing is from early March to early April, and the best time for autumn sowing is from late September to early October. The climate conditions in these two periods are very suitable for the growth of mustard greens.

4. Field Management

1. Checking seedlings, thinning seedlings, and filling gaps: When the seedlings begin to emerge, frequently check the emergence situation. After more than 80 percent of the mustard green seedlings have emerged, thin the seedlings, pulling out the weak and diseased seedlings in each hole and keeping only one strong seedling. If some sowing holes have no seedlings growing, transplant the extra seedlings from other sowing holes into the holes lacking seedlings. When transplanting, dig out the soil around the root system of the mustard green seedlings together and plant them into the sowing holes lacking seedlings. Be careful not to damage the roots of the mustard green seedlings when moving them. After transplanting, water once promptly to settle the roots. In this way, after planting, the seedling root system can combine tightly with the soil, which can improve the survival rate of the seedlings.

2. Fertilizing: When mustard greens grow to 10 cm tall, carry out the first topdressing, applying 40 jin-60 jin of superphosphate per mu. When mustard greens grow to 20 cm tall, carry out the second topdressing, applying 90 jin-120 jin of superphosphate per mu. Note: When mustard greens grow to 20 cm tall, before topdressing, part of the leaves can be harvested.

3. Watering: After thinning the seedlings is completed, water once to strengthen the seedlings. After each topdressing, water once to prevent the plants from being burned to death by fertilizer. When it does not rain for several consecutive days, water more, otherwise the mustard greens will wilt due to lack of water.

4. Weeding: After thinning the seedlings, while watering, carry out one cultivation and weeding. Cultivation should be shallow to avoid damaging the root system of the seedlings, and weeding should be thorough to avoid nutrients being absorbed by weeds. After the first cultivation and weeding, carry out shallow cultivation about every 10 days. No matter when, as long as weeds are found in the field, remove them promptly.

5. Harvesting: Mustard greens sown in autumn can be harvested after 35 days-40 days, while mustard greens sown in spring can be harvested only after 50 days-60 days. Regardless of whether mustard greens are spring-sown or autumn-sown, they should be harvested when 10-12 leaves have grown.

Mustard greens are rich in nutritional value, abundant in trace elements, vitamins, dietary fiber and other nutrients. They can resolve phlegm and relieve asthma, and reduce swelling and relieve pain. They are a very good vegetable.