Can I Use Mustard Greens As A Cover Crop?

Along with a little plot of mustard greens grown for use in the kitchen, I also use mustard as a late-season cover crop to suppress weeds and soil-borne diseases. Fast and easy to grow, mustard dresses up the fall garden with its frilly or colourful leaves.

Is mustard greens a good cover crop?

Mustards are a good cover crop for a variety of reasons. One of the main benefits is that they have high levels of glucosinolates. According to Cornell University: The practice of using mustard cover crops to manage soil-borne pathogens is known as biofumigation.

Why is mustard a good cover crop?

Mustard cover crops have been extremely effective at suppressing winter weeds in tillage intensive, high value vegetable production systems in Salinas, California. Mustards work well in tillage intensive systems because they are relatively easy to incorporate into the soil prior to planting vegetables.

Are mustard greens good for the soil?

The method involves planting selected strains of mustard bred to produce high levels of glucosinolates in spring, and quickly chopping them up and turning them under in summer, when they reach full bloom. Used this way, mustard has a cleansing effect on soils that are carrying heavy pathogen loads.

Is mustard a nitrogen fixer?

Does Mighty Mustard® fix nitrogen? No. Mighty Mustard^® excels at recycling nitrogen from deep in the soil.

Will mustard greens survive a freeze?

Mustard greens tolerate frosts and brief temperature dips into the 20’s, but succumb to hard freezes. Like other greens, cold sweetens their flavor.

What is the best time to plant mustard greens?

Plant mustard greens during the cool temperatures of spring and fall. These tasty greens grow well in raised beds, containers, and in-ground gardens. Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart in an area that gets plenty of sunlight and has fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8.

What do you plant after mustard greens?

9 of the Best Companion Plants for Mustard Greens

• Celery.
• Chamomile.
• Corn.
• Dill.
• Garlic.
• Mint.
• Onions.
• Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme.

What does mustard do to soil?

Brassicas, such as mustard, have high amounts of glucosinolates. When the mustard plant is incorporated in the ground and decomposition starts glucosinolates are released into the soil. This release is what triggers the biofumigant response. The use of these plants may reduce the amount of pesticides used.

When should mustard cover crops be terminated?

Killing. Brassica cover crops that do not winter-kill can be terminated in spring by mowing, and/or incorporating above-ground biomass by tillage before the cover crop has reached full flower. Rolling may also be used to kill these covers if they are in flower.

Can you eat mustard greens after they flower?

All wild mustards are edible, but some are tastier than others. Greens are most succulent when young and tender. Older leaves may be a bit too strong for some palates. Seeds and flowers are also edible.

What can you not plant near mustard greens?

Never plant mustard greens near sunflower, soybeans and dried beans as all of these plants can suffer from the same disease problems, such as downy mildew, white rust, leaf spots and mosaic virus. These plants can pass diseases back and forth between each other, infecting your entire crop.

Do slugs eat mustard greens?

Plant things that slugs like to eat and you don’t want because it preserves the plants or vegetables you are growing. Slugs are naturally lazy and will always go for the easy option. Plants like yellow mustard and cress planted between vegetables will act as magnets for the slugs.

Are mustard plants invasive?

Black mustard is an invasive plant that can reach up to 6 feet tall in a single growing season. In California, it is common in coastal areas at lower elevations.

What is the best cover crop for nitrogen?

Nitrogen is necessary for all plant growth. Legumes have the ability to “fix” nitrogen from the air and store it in nodules in their roots. This nitrogen can be released or use by subsequent crops.
Cover crops as nitrogen source.

Cover Crop	Lb./A *
Cowpea	100-150
Crimson Clover	70-130
Field Pea	90-150
Hairy Vetch	90-200

How do you dig in mustard green manure?

To dig them in, simply turn the plants back into the soil, using a sharp spade. Chop up tough clumps as you go. Aim to bury the plants no more than 15 cm deep on heavy soils, 18 cm on light ground. Mustard and buckwheat can simply be hoed off when young, leaving the foliage in situ, or added to the compost heap.

Is mustard a winter crop?

Ideal time for sowing Mustard crop is from September to October.

What temp kills mustard greens?

Normally, most varieties of mustard greens can tolerate temperatures down into the low- to mid-20s or even lower, as long as they have had time to become hardened off.

Is it OK to eat mustard greens raw?

You can eat mustard greens raw or cooked, but how you prepare them may alter the vegetable’s nutritional content. Cooked mustard greens have higher levels of vitamin K, vitamin A, and copper, but the amount of vitamin C and E is reduced. Add these leafy greens to your diet by: Mixing mustard greens into a chopped salad.

Do you have to blanch mustard greens before freezing?

Yes, you can freeze mustard greens. Mustard greens can be frozen for between 8 and 12 months. You do need to blanch them before freezing or they won’t survive the process. Blanching before freezing will help mustard greens retain their colour, flavour and nutrients.

How often should I water mustard greens?

Mustard greens need 2 inches (5 cm.) of water a week. If you are not getting this much rainfall a week while growing mustards, then you can do additional watering. Keep your mustard greens bed weed free, especially when they are small seedlings.