Mustard: use and sowing characteristics at different times of the year. White mustard as green manure; when to sow the crop? Is it necessary to sow mustard after harvesting?

Material prepared by: Nadezhda Zimina, gardener with 24 years of experience, industrial engineer

Mustard is a well-known spice that is widely used in cooking. But few people know that she has other advantages. Mustard as a fertilizer has long been used in many Balkan countries, where the climate is similar to ours. middle zone, for the improvement and nutrition of the soil.

The Latin name for mustard is Sinapis. There are several varieties of this representative of the cruciferous family, and the most useful for the garden is the subspecies Sinapis alba (white mustard), which has unique feature– release sparingly soluble phosphates from the soil and accumulate them. Also, its stems, roots and leaves contain a large number of nitrogen, which makes mustard an excellent green manure.

In our country, this useful plant has not received wide recognition among gardeners. Public opinion classifies it as a heat-loving crop; it is believed that the climate of the middle zone is not very comfortable for it. In fact, this is not true. Mustard is very unpretentious, and if it is not collected in a timely manner, it can even become a very tenacious weed. The most interesting thing is that in nature it grows throughout Russia, except for permafrost zones. It is also distributed throughout the world. She can be found in North America, in India, and even in Japan.

How is mustard beneficial for plants?

Sowing mustard to fertilize the soil used to enrich the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus. The green mass embedded in the soil actively gives these useful microelements to the plant followers, nourishing them on the most important, initial stage growth. It should be noted that mustard is not only green manure; it has many other useful qualities. She:

• Cleans the soil from late blight, scab, putrefactive microorganisms, fights wireworms, slugs and moths;
• Due to its rapid growth, it does not allow other weeds to develop;
• Improves soil structure;
• Prevents leaching of garden and vegetable soils due to its ability to retain nitrogen;
• After frost, it turns into a mulching shelter, protecting the soil from freezing and, accordingly, retaining more moisture in it until spring;
• Is a good honey plant;
• Can be a companion plant for various garden and garden crops, for example, for , beans, grapes, fruit trees, as it stimulates their growth and protects them from pests.

How to grow green manure?

It's actually very easy. Mustard is adapted to any soil and conditions. Having planted its seeds, you can forget about the plot for 2-3 weeks. It will sprout and grow in any case. She doesn’t even mind frosts - young seedlings can withstand frosts down to -5°C, without much damage to the green mass.

The size of the seeds of this plant is small, but since they have some volume (they look like very small beans), it is convenient to grab them when planting. That's why mustard is usually planted, not sown, in rows, keeping a distance between seeds of 10-15 cm, and between rows - 20 cm. Under favorable conditions, this plant forms spreading bushes that need space. deepen deeply planting material there is no need, it will slow down germination and weaken the plants. Maximum planting depth on loose, sandy soils–1 – 1.5 cm; on clayey ones - 1 cm. Shoots will appear in 3-5 days.

If time is short, you can organize sowing mustard to fertilize the soil. The result, of course, can be expected to be worse than with uniform planting, but it will still be there. With this “accelerated” method, you can simply scatter the seeds over a previously prepared loose soil surface and bury them with a rake. In this case, the consumption rate seed material– 4-5 g per 1 m².

When to plant mustard to improve the soil?

in spring

The first planting of white mustard, which is most often used as fertilizer, is carried out in April. As soon as the constant night frosts stop and the air temperature rises above 10°C, sow this undemanding plant. It will take about 4-7 weeks for it to reach its conditioned form, that is, if you sow mustard in the spring, in April, you can have time to fertilize its area before planting the main garden plants.

But it should be taken into account that Not all vegetable crops can be planted after mustard. Cabbage, radish, radishes, lettuce and other plants from the cruciferous family are bad neighbors, successors and predecessors for it, since they are all affected by the same diseases.

in autumn

After harvesting crops occupying large areas, there is still sufficient quantity warm days, which can be used for planting green manure in this plot.

In autumn, mustard is planted after potatoes and cereals., thus improving large areas of land. Sometimes this green manure is sown before winter so that the mustard sprouts in the spring. The most important thing in this case is not to make a mistake with the landing time. The seeds must be placed in cold, but previously loosened soil. They need to remain in a dormant state until spring comes, and, at the same time, not freeze. Therefore, the embedment depth can be slightly increased, since melt water they'll wash away anyway upper layer soil.

How to use Sinapis alba for feeding?

According to gardeners, mustard is a very convenient green fertilizer that does not require much labor when using the application. It is embedded in the soil immediately, in the place where it grew, which is very convenient - no effort is required to carry and transport. For example, if mustard is used as a weed suppressant for potatoes, then when weeding it is simply incorporated into the soil with a hoe or hoe.

Mustard in the garden should be cut before flowering., otherwise the stems will become coarser and it will be difficult to process. But at the age of 5-7 weeks it is soft like grass. Now is the time to remove it, after watering it with a solution containing effective microorganisms (for example,). This will speed up the processing of green manure. But do not forget that in a dry state the decomposition process is slow, so the area where mustard is sown to fertilize the soil must be periodically moistened.

If the land that is planned to be “revitalized” with green manure long years was in intensive exploitation mode, then most likely there are too few microorganisms left in it, and there will be no one to decompose the green mass. That's why vermicultured compost must be added along with the mowed mustard, rich in fast-reproducing earthworms.

When using green manure for nutrition and soil health, it should be taken into account that each plant absorbs, and subsequently gives to its followers, a certain set of macro- and microelements, and white mustard alone will not be able to provide the correct balance of the nutrient medium. To fully fertilize the site, it is necessary to use a mixture of green manure crops.

Video: Green manure - green fertilizers on our site

Mustard is a favorite green manure among adherents of eco-farming. It can replace fungicides, insecticides, free you from labor-intensive digging of soil, and free your site from many weeds. And all because mustard has unique properties, which many gardeners have already discovered.

Mustard is a healthy green manure

There are many types of mustard in nature. The most popular of them: Sarepta (Russian, gray), black (French, real) and white (English). The latter is precisely used as green manure.

Yellow mustard is a common name for white mustard. Its seeds are white and its flowers are yellow.

Mustard is called white because of the color of the seeds; in other species they are black or brown.

All types of mustard have similar properties, are used in cooking and medicine, have a burning taste and pungent aroma, and have antiseptic and antifungal effects. Apparently, white mustard is more widespread and inexpensive in Russia, which is why its seeds are sold as green manure in large volumes.

Mustard has a beneficial effect not only on human body, but also on the soil. It also fights viruses and fungi and repels many pests. That is why it is often alternated with potatoes. The earth is freed from late blight and wireworm. In addition, crop rotation is carried out.

Mustard belongs to the Brassica family, so it attracts cruciferous flea beetles. Do not sow it in front of cabbage, turnips, radishes and other cruciferous vegetables. And do not alternate these crops in one area. In addition to common pests, they have the same diseases.

Video: mustard has grown

The early maturity and frost resistance of mustard allow it to be grown in the spring, before heat-loving crops, and at the end of summer - in the fall, after harvesting early vegetables. Seeds are sown before winter. Young plants do not have coarse fibers. Mowed before flowering, they quickly rot and turn into humus - food for plants. The roots are fibrous and thin; they are left in the ground. Penetrating the upper layer like capillaries, they make the soil breathable and loose.

Mustard roots penetrate the soil, making it loose

Mustard, sown thickly and very early in the spring, is a strong competitor for weeds that are just beginning to emerge from the ground. It suppresses them with its large leaves and succulent stems, preventing them from reaching the sun, taking away food and water.

Even in a whole field of mustard you will not find a single weed.

Mustard is the first green manure that I tested on my site and was incredibly pleased. My potatoes stopped hurting. Two years with mustard, and the worst weed, the loach, which entwined everything it came across, is leaving my garden. Nowadays only rare specimens are found. And also: my acquaintance with mustard was the beginning of a heavenly life. I haven’t dug the soil for two years, and everything is growing great!
In addition to mustard, I grow phacelia, vetch, rye, oats, and clover. Cereals have powerful roots; I sow them along the fence so as not to introduce weeds into the garden. Vetch and clover use nodules on their roots to concentrate nitrogen in the arable layer. I sow phacelia in front of cabbage; it does not attract flea beetles, grows in lush, low bushes and serves as a living mulch, retaining moisture. Each green manure is good in its own way. It's impossible to say that one is better. And you can’t grow mustard in one place every year. Green manure also needs crop rotation.

Video: mustard and phacelia in one area

Application technology

As soon as the soil thaws and dries, I loosen the top layer with a flat cutter and use it to cut rows 2–3 cm deep. I sprinkle the seeds thickly and level the area. Mustard is not afraid of any return frosts, even here in Siberia. If it’s really cold, it will wait in the ground and emerge later. I don’t water it, I don’t take care of it in any way. The time has come to plant the main crop, the mustard is still low, so I make holes right in its rows. I cut it when the green manure gains color, and immediately leave it as mulch. All! As you can see: there was no need to dig the ground. I plant potatoes for mustard, they grow beautifully: the bushes are healthy, the tubers are large.

Rules for sowing and using mustard:

• Sowing time: early spring, after harvesting early vegetables and before winter.
• Sowing scheme: scattered or in rows every 10–15 cm.
• Seed consumption: 150–300 g per hundred square meters.
• Mowing time: when the plants grow to 20–30 cm. You need to do it before the mustard greens become coarse and seeds form.

If you wait until the pods form, the mustard will turn into a weed: the seeds will spread throughout the area with tops or the wind

How to use:

• Cut it with a flat cutter, burying it 2-3 cm into the ground, and leave the mustard greens in place. In hot weather it will dry out and replace mulch for a while, and in damp weather it will rot immediately and enrich the soil with organic matter.

  Green manure is cut with a flat cutter just below ground level

• Sow mustard 1.5–2 months before the onset of cold weather and leave unmown. In winter it will serve as snow retention, and in spring it will protect against the formation of crust on the ground and erosion. Before planting the main crop, rake and compost or use as mulch.

  If you leave the mustard until spring, it will, of course, freeze and dry out, and in the spring it will lie on the ground like hay

• Cut it and use it together with other grass to prepare green fertilizer.

  Mustard continues to play the role of phytosanitary even as part of green fertilizer

• Place the green mass under warm beds.

  Green manure is placed in warm beds

• Mow with a trimmer, which will chop up the greens, and embed into the soil with a shovel, flat cutter or motor cultivator.

  Mechanisms such as trimmers and cultivators are often used for mowing and cultivating mustard.

However, supporters natural farming I am categorically against digging up the earth, and therefore putting green manure into it.

When growing green manure, the main thing is not to dig up the soil and not to get carried away with one type of plant. Green manure needs to be changed every season, then the soil will become more fertile.

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On own experience I know that mustard roots make the soil loose, and this frees me from digging. But if you dig up the ground anyway, and think that without this agricultural technique nothing will grow, then in the fall you can bury the green manure. One day, when all the crops were harvested, I conducted an experiment. I decided to improve small area land. To do this, I dug trenches bayonet deep and placed tops, weeds and green manure there. Nearby, in parallel, she was digging the next one. The excavated soil was used to cover the previous one, already filled with grass. As a result, the area became higher. In the spring I leveled it with a rake and planted potatoes. It was there that it turned out to be the most fruitful. So this method of planting green manure has already been tested, but it is too labor-intensive, just like plowing greenery into the ground. That’s why I no longer lay trenches, I don’t dig the ground, and I don’t cover green manure, I just cut it off. They improve the soil without any digging.

Green manures, or green manure crops, mean fresh plant matter used as feed. fertile soils. Green manure has a high concentration of organic elements and transports them from deep soils to the upper layers, thereby improving the properties of humus. The absorption of such elements occurs much faster than other substances. One of the plants suitable for such soil fertilizing is mustard.

As a fertilizer, this crop is twice as effective as manure, has a low price and labor intensity, and reduces the use of herbicides and the amount of weeding. The advantage of a plant is its function in crop rotation. The root secretions of mustard contain organic acids, which, when interacting with the soil, transform a number of nutrients from inaccessible to easily digestible.

How do green manures affect the soil?

Green manures have high level useful elements, they create obstacles to the leaching of nutrient mixtures beyond the boundaries of the root layer. Also, this type of crop transfers useful substances from deep soil to the upper layers, thereby promoting the process of accumulation of humus, which improves the properties of the soil.

It is known that the higher the concentration of humus, the lower the thermal conductivity and the greater its heat capacity. As a result, the physical evaporation of water is reduced, which means that cultivated plants begin to use moisture more productively.

Beneficial microflora develops intensively due to the high humus content, since green fertilizers in the soil rot faster than other organic substances with a high fiber content.

Description of white mustard

Mustard as a fertilizer is a honey plant belonging to the Cruciferous family, an annual oilseed species. This culture is characterized by the ability to release sparingly soluble phosphates.

The height of the plant ranges from 25 to 80 cm. The stem is erect, branched upward, with a hard fiber structure. Mustard leaves are composed of lobes with sharp edges. Flowers of white or pale yellow color are collected in inflorescences, of which there can be up to a hundred, have honey aroma. Plants are pollinated by insects.

The flowering period for this type of crop is June-July. Mustard ripens in August. The fruit looks like a white pod with round light yellow seeds. Ripe fruits do not crack, so the ripe plant is harvested with a combine after the pods acquire a brownish-yellow color.

The characteristic features of the culture are light and moisture-loving, although it is quite unpretentious - it germinates and grows at cool temperatures, and is undemanding to the soil.

Homeland and distribution of the plant

White mustard spread to Europe, India, America and Japan from the Mediterranean. As a weed, it is found throughout Russia, with the exception of northern regions. Its main habitat is fields and roadsides.

Mustard sprouts and grows on any soil (acidic, alkaline). Crops can withstand light frosts down to -5 degrees Celsius, and at -3 the seeds begin to germinate.

Growing mustard for fertilizer

To fertilize the soil, mustard is sown, germinates and mowed while in the green mass, before flowering, since during the ripening period its organic value decreases, and the seeds can only clog the garden.

Sowing a plant as a green manure and planting it take a period of 55 to 70 days or up to ten weeks. In order for the crop to rot, it is better to dispose of it in the ground and bury it by autumn.

The soil cover for sowing mustard is only loosened to a depth of 15 cm (depending on the type of soil) using a rake. Moreover, the base for planting the plant should have a fine-grained structure.

Before digging up the fertilizer, it is recommended to treat the crop with the Baikal-EM1 solution in a ratio of one to five hundred. To form humus - a fertile layer of soil - a sufficient amount of moisture is necessary. In this case, mustard quickly rots in the soil, as it has a good ratio of nitrogen and carbon compounds and a low level of coarse fiber.

Phytosanitary characteristics of mustard

Mustard as a fertilizer has phytosanitary properties, which reduce infection cultivated plants the following diseases: late blight, fusarium rot, club scab and rhizoctonia. These diseases are especially destructive for potatoes.

If you plant mustard later in the fall, then the death and decrease in the number of a pest such as wireworm occurs due to violation of its wintering conditions.

Plant seeding rates

The sowing rate of mustard for green manure is from 2.5 to 4 g/sq.m. At the same time, the depth of soil loosening is 8-15 cm.

Sowing is done using a rake, with which the fruits of the plant are lightly embedded in the soil.

In order to increase the efficiency of eliminating wireworms, the rate of use of mustard seeds is increased to 5 g/sq.m.

The next crop should be planted no earlier than three to four weeks after planting the green manure crop.

Periods for sowing mustard for fertilizer

Many gardeners are interested in the question: “When to plant mustard as a fertilizer?” The plant is sown and planted in the ground two to three times per season. The last sowing occurs in the fall, about a month and a half before frost. Moreover, mustard as a fertilizer is planted after harvesting or in early spring, about a month before planting potatoes and other vegetables. Although the most favorable moment for sowing a crop is considered to be immediately after harvesting in the presence of moist soil, then the seeds germinate quite quickly.

Seeds are sown to a depth of two centimeters in rows or completely. Shoots are observed already on the third or fourth day.

After the period (up to one and a half months) the plant grows to a height of 15-20 cm. It is then that it is pruned (mowed) and the soil is fertilized.

Features of growing mustard as green manure

The main rule of organic farming is that the land should not be without vegetation cover.

Mustard seeds are available in 250 g packages. This quantity designed for sowing one hundred square meters of vegetable garden.

Mustard is especially useful for inconvenient gardening, summer cottages located on slopes, since in such places wind and water erosion of the soil is disturbed. Mustard as a green manure significantly reduces and prevents these harmful phenomena, especially during the period when harvesting is completed and the soil remains open to erosion processes.

You should know that sowing mustard to fertilize the soil excludes its alternation with other vegetables belonging to the Cruciferous family. For example, you cannot sow this crop after cabbage, radishes, turnips, radishes, etc. or before them. The ban is justified by the fact that plants of the same species are susceptible to common diseases and pests.

In order for green manure to bring the expected effect, the soil must contain enough beneficial microflora. If the soil on the site is depleted, then before using green fertilizers, biological products for processing crops should be added to it.

It is the green ones that play a big role, since they allow the soil to rest, retain a sufficient amount of moisture for the subsequent crop and at the same time improve the phytosanitary condition of the soil. Mustard as a green manure attracts gardeners due to its large vegetative mass, unpretentiousness of the plant and phytosanitary qualities.

Benefits of mustard as a fertilizer

For subsequent planting, plants with a short growing season are usually selected, which have time to develop good above-ground mass and a deeply penetrating root system. Often, herbal mixtures are prepared from legumes (vetch, peas) and mustard. In its pure form, the latter has the following features:

• This annual representative of the Cruciferous family has the ability to convert phosphates into easily accessible compounds and prevent the leaching of nitrogen from the soil. In addition, the nutrients that the plant uses for growth and development are converted inside it into organic, quickly digestible compounds and returned back along with a large biomass.
• How to culture mustard quite unpretentious plant. It tolerates both slightly acidic and slightly alkaline soil solutions and easily tolerates low positive temperatures. Thus, it germinates already at 3°C ​​above zero, which allows it to be sown for fertilizer even in the spring a month before planting the main crop.
• Due to the early start of the growing season, mustard as a green manure very well cleans the area from weeds, because manages to develop before their mass germination and subsequently inhibits them.
• Plant secretions repel wireworms, slugs, and pea moths. In addition, the binding of iron in the soil helps reduce the risk of nightshade late blight. Also, after mustard, there was less scab damage to potato tubers.
• Rod root system Cruciferous plants are very good at structuring the soil, because... penetrates to a depth of 3 m and this crop demonstrates this very clearly, which is why it is valuable on compacted soils. Plants planted after it are provided with required quantity oxygen and moisture. At the same time, loosening the soil promotes better absorption of rainwater.

Comparative assessment of mustard species

Of the types of mustard for green manure, white (or yellow) and gray (Sarepta) are used. They belong different kinds same family and differ in the following characteristics:

1. White mustard tolerates acidic and waterlogged soils less well. Otherwise, the low level of fertility does not prevent it from forming a normally developed vegetative mass. It is less drought-resistant and, therefore, more demanding in terms of substrate moisture.
2. Plants of the Sarepta variety have a taller and more branched above-ground mass, which is so important when using the crop as a green manure fertilizer, but its relationship to temperature conditions does not contribute to widespread advancement into the northern regions, which cannot be said about the first.
3. Yellow mustard is more cold-resistant. Its seeds germinate even at +1°C, while gray requires an average of +3°C. Also, seedlings of the first type are able to tolerate short-term drops in temperature down to -6°C, and of the second - only 3°C below zero.
4. White mustard seeds are larger and heavier than Sarepta mustard, therefore, its seeding weight rate is higher.

When to sow mustard as green manure

As organic fertilizer mustard is even superior in value because it does not require such a large investment of time, money and labor. In addition, green mass is processed by microorganisms much faster than any other dry plant residues. Another advantage over manure is that the latter is applied exclusively in the fall before winter, and green manure is also perfectly used for spring sowing.

When is the best time to sow this crop depends on the local climate and the conditions of a particular year. Available autumn sowing after harvesting. In this case, it is necessary to take into account that daylight hours during this period are significantly less than in spring, which means that plants will spend less energy on the formation of a branched mass, i.e. with the usual seeding rate it will not be possible to obtain the same amount of green fertilizer. Therefore, seed consumption increases by 1.5 times.

Spring sowing performs well in conditions of sufficient moisture, otherwise the main crop may not have enough natural moisture supply. If the soil on your site is poor, it is better to grow mustard as green manure at least twice (in autumn and spring). At the beginning of the dacha season, it is sown immediately after the onset of physiological ripeness of the soil. This usually corresponds to the first half of April. Mowing of the above-ground mass is carried out approximately 5 weeks after germination, the signal is the beginning of flowering (when 30% of the flowers open), but this can be done earlier if the timing of planting the main crop occurs prematurely. The resulting fertilizer must be incorporated into the soil, and to stimulate decay it is recommended to water it with a specialized solution that increases microbiological activity or ammonium nitrate.

The procedure for growing mustard for fertilizer

Plants of the Cruciferous family are characterized by small seeds, which means that a leveled soil surface and good contact seeds with soil. To ensure this, it is necessary to dig up the area in the fall and roll it after sowing. As an exceptional option, you can scatter the seeds, try to bury them a little using a rake and sprinkle with a layer of mulch.

Planting depth seed material should not be too large, because the sprouts will spend a lot of effort and time to get to the surface. On average, sowing is done by 0.8 cm, but this value can be adjusted in one direction or another depending on specific conditions. For example, on sandy soils, an increase in depth is allowed due to their rapid drying out, but on compacted soils, on the contrary, it is better to sow closer to the surface.

The seed consumption rate in spring is up to 4 g/m2, seedlings usually appear already on the 4th day, and the beginning of flowering occurs approximately on the 40-50th day, depending on the conditions. It is best to mow, chop the mass and cover with a cultivator. It is necessary to take into account that the phases of this culture occur in parallel, i.e. While the upper buds are blooming, pods are already forming below. Therefore, it is impossible to delay harvesting, because each plant spends a large amount of nutrients when laying fruits. In addition, if some of the seeds have time to ripen, they will certainly germinate at the most inopportune moment.

Growing mustard with green manure allows you to quickly enrich the soil with a large amount of easily accessible nutrients and increase the overall fertility of the soil. But it is also worth considering that there is a limitation in its use, namely, it is not recommended to sow this crop after or before Brassicas, because plants of the same family have common pests and diseases.

The plant is usually cultivated for the purpose of producing a seasoning for food or folk remedy against many diseases. But mustard can also be used for the vegetable garden. Green manure is used to protect against infections and pests, and increases soil fertility. At the same time, planting and care in open ground differ from cultivation for food purposes.

Mustard as a fertilizer for the garden

The crop is used to increase fertility, improve the structure of the soil, control weeds and attract bees to the site. Its composition has a beneficial effect on the beneficial microflora of the soil. White mustard is often used as green manure, but it is permissible to sow other varieties:

• sheet;
• black;
• nautical;
• Sarepta;
• field.

The choice of white is justified by the high frost resistance and unpretentiousness of the plant. The green mass enriches the soil with nitrogen and organic matter, the root system makes phosphates available to other crops, which is used in gardening and horticulture to improve the soil. Green manure clears the beds of late blight, scab, pathogens of putrefactive and fungal diseases, allows short time restore the fertility of the land.

Mustard along with yeast, salt, soda - natural fertilizer in the garden and vegetable garden. The plant can be used not only in the form of greens, but also in finished powder. In this case, culture acts as protective agent from pests, and not as a fertilizer. Yellow mustard has white seeds, black mustard has brown seeds, but regardless of color, they can be used as green manure.

You need to dig up green spaces 2-3 weeks before planting the next crops. To speed up the process, the bed needs to be watered so that the plant mass rots faster.

What is green manure in agricultural technology?

This is the name for burying the above-ground parts of plants to enrich the soil at the dacha with nitrogen and organic components. In an area depleted from long-term cultivation of garden crops, inhabited by wireworms or slugs, green manure is sown. When growing enough green mass, the plants need to be mowed, plowed into the ground or moved to another place, and added to compost.

The use of such varieties in the garden can improve soil characteristics, get rid of weeds, and attract bees. The technique increases the buffering capacity, moisture capacity, and absorption volume of the soil. When growing green manure from mustard, a developed root system is formed that is capable of reaching insoluble nutrients from deep layers, draining the structure of the earth.

Dense sowing of the crop and its ability to quickly germinate helps to kill weeds, which greatly simplifies the work of weeding and preserves nutrients in the soil. Mustard is a good honey plant, which has a beneficial effect on the fruiting of other vegetable and garden crops.

Benefits for plants

Improving the soil helps create for subsequent plantings favorable conditions for growing. The number of pests and weeds is reduced, and the risk of contracting diseases is reduced. Mustard as a fertilizer enriches the soil with phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, which are necessary for the growth and development of the above-ground parts and root systems of all kinds of plants. Accumulated organic matter are equal in value to applying manure to the beds.

The beneficial properties of this green manure appear only with timely incorporation into the ground. After flowering begins and the seed material ripens, the plants send all the nutrients to the inflorescences. In addition to its benefits, mustard will also cause harm in the garden if you do not follow the rules of crop rotation. It cannot be planted on the site before or after representatives of the Cruciferous family, since they have the same diseases and pests. After this green manure, cabbage (the cruciferous flea beetle affects both crops) and root vegetables cannot be planted, since in addition to beneficial nutrients, phytoncides accumulate in the soil, suppressing the growth and development of vegetables.

Timing for sowing crops as green manure

The plant can be planted from March to November, but as a fertilizer - in early spring or autumn. Growing white mustard as green manure allows you to prepare the soil for planting other crops in a short time. The seeds sprout quickly, greenery grows in sufficient quantities in 1-1.5 months.

Winter sowing is common to obtain spring feeding. It is more difficult to guess the timing here, since the sprouts appear very quickly.

In case of late planting, 2 weeks will be enough for the above-ground part to develop sufficiently to protect the soil from infections and pests. As a fertilizer, such shoots are of little value because they have accumulated an insufficient amount of nutrients.

in spring

Mustard can germinate at a temperature of +2 °C and survive short-term frosts at -5 °C. Despite this, it is recommended to start spring sowing after +10 °C has reached, and not after waiting for the snow to melt. The sun will warm the earth a little, return frosts are rare, and the nights are getting warmer.

When using the white variety as a fertilizer, spring planting should be done in March or April. Depending on the region, the dates may shift slightly. At the age of 20-35 days, mustard is like grass, soft and pliable, easily dug up without mowing.

in autumn

The benefits for the garden when sowing at this time of year are due to nutritional value, improving soil structure and using the above-ground part as mulch or as part of compost. In autumn, mustard is planted immediately after harvesting from previous crops. If there is no desire to mow the finished green manure and embed it in the ground, you should leave no more than 1-1.5 months until stable frosts. Over the winter, the shoots will begin to rot on the surface of the soil; in the spring, it will be enough to simply dig up the fertilized area. Mustard sown for the winter should not have time to germinate, so the seeds should be placed in prepared grooves when the soil freezes a little. Sprinkle 1.5 cm of loose soil on top and leave to winter.

How to sow mustard

To grow a crop to produce spices, you need to follow a certain planting pattern. When used as green manure, this is only required for the winter planting method, but the grooves for the seed material should be made close to each other. In other cases, you can simply scatter it on the ground and sprinkle it with a little earth.

How to properly sow mustard for fertilizer:

• clean the soil from plant residues of the previous crop, dig it up;
• water generously and wait until the water is completely absorbed;
• scatter the seeds over the soil surface, observing the sowing rate of white mustard per green manure – 2-3 g/m²;
• sprinkle with loose soil or dig with a rake to a depth of 0.5-2 cm.

It is not necessary to water if the soil is well moistened, but in dry soil the crop will take a long time to germinate, which will delay next landings. When sowing mustard to fertilize the soil, you should not worry if some of the seed material remains on the surface. The plant is unpretentious, therefore special care not required. In arid regions, it is advisable to water it occasionally.

When to mow mustard

The culture should develop in the prepared area for 1-1.5 months. At the beginning of flowering it is easy to understand that it has grown and accumulated a sufficient amount useful substances. While the plant is soft and grassy, ​​it can be plowed. If you are a little late with the work, the stems will harden and become stiff. Then you will have to mow the mustard plantings, chop them and only then dig them up.

In late autumn, it is permissible to leave branches no older than 1 month directly on the beds. If the plants are already large, you can mulch the ground with mowed mustard.

When sowing in winter, seedlings will appear on their own after the snow melts. You also need to leave them in the beds for 1-1.5 months. The following crops are allowed to be planted no earlier than 2-3 weeks after digging.

Mustard is widely used as a fertilizer due to its frost resistance, ability to create an optimal nutrient medium for the following plants and unpretentiousness. Digging up plant residues enriches the soil with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Growing crops on the site replaces applying manure to the ground.