Characteristics:
Handsome
when it starts to flower. Toothed leaves on tall, skinny plants up to 4 feet
high. Attractive flowers are a perky shade of yellow. Growing
Information:
Grow
during cool weather in fertile, moist soil and full sun. Water if necessary
to keep the soil moist. You can also grow in a container in a brightly lit,
cool area indoors. Propagation:
Direct
sow seed. It comes up quickly. Possible
Problems:
Deadhead
to minimize self-sowing. Harvesting
and Using:
You
can eat the spicy-flavored young leaves in salads and stir-fries. Collect the
seed when mature but before the fruit splits open. Dry to store them. Grind
them with vinegar or wine, or toast them in oil. Related
Herbs:
Black
mustard (B.
nigra)
can grow to 6 feet tall and has smaller but more strongly flavored seeds. Brown
mustard (B.
juncea)
is grown for its foliage, which can be ruby-colored or ruffled, and also for
its seeds. |