How to Grow Mustard Well? A Full Analysis of the Latest Cultivation Techniques
Different people have different views on mustard, because mustard has a rather unique flavor. The two most common types of mustard we see are green mustard and yellow mustard. To a certain extent, they can lower blood pressure and blood lipids and help prevent heart disease. At present, mustard cultivation in our country is still not very widespread, mainly in the southwestern region of our country. So today let us look at the cultivation methods for mustard and how to grow mustard better.
1. Site Selection and Land Preparation
Mustard is generally grown in areas with higher altitude, so the planting site is best chosen in mountainous land with a certain slope. Next, forest land or shrub land can be used for planting, because mustard's growth has certain requirements for light: it likes light but cannot tolerate direct sunlight, so forest land is the best possible choice for growing mustard. Then choose sandy soil and forest land with plenty of rainfall and a strong surface water-holding capacity for planting. When preparing the land, plow the soil deeply, at least about 35 cm, remove the weeds in the field, then open trenches and form ridges at a spacing of 1 m, which helps with drainage, and then spread a sufficient amount of base fertilizer and wait for sowing.
2. Sowing at the Right Time
For transplanting, mustard can generally be grown in two seasons in our country, respectively in March and April in spring and September and October in autumn. At these times, the temperature, light and rainfall all better match mustard's growth needs. Mustard planted at these times is easier to manage, and both yield and quality are much higher than at other times. There are two planting methods, namely direct sowing and transplanting. Direct sowing is mainly done by drilling in rows 20 cm apart with 15 cm between plants, then covering the seed with soil and waiting for seedlings to emerge. Transplanting, however, requires first raising mustard seedlings, and when the seedlings are about 15 cm tall, they can be transplanted.
3. Field Management
For mustard field management, the most important things are water management and fertilizer management, followed by weeding and removing flower stalks. After planting, one watering is needed. Usually, if there is no rainfall for a week after planting, a second watering is needed. When the seedlings after planting grow back to 15 cm, carry out the first fertilization, mainly with nitrogen fertilizer and potassium fertilizer, about 50 jin per mu. When mustard grows to about 25 cm, carry out the second fertilization. This time the amount of fertilizer should be fairly sufficient, about 100 jin per mu, and part of the mustard leaves should be harvested. Finally, when mustard has grown to a certain extent, use an appropriate amount of compound fertilizer for supplementary fertilizing, and after another ten days to half a month or so, it can be harvested. Each fertilization needs to be done together with intertillage, which can enhance the plants' resistance and help the full absorption of nutrients.
4. Pest and Disease Control
The most common diseases of mustard are mainly downy mildew and white rust. These two diseases mainly harm mustard's stems and leaves, and have a considerable impact on mustard's yield and quality. Of course, for these diseases we mainly focus on prevention, but after they occur, zineb wettable powder plus 800-fold solution of new high-fat film, and chlorothalonil wettable powder, can be used respectively for control.