Black Mustard

Black Mustard is direct-sown or transplanted in early spring or late summer once soil has warmed to around 40-45°F, with the small seed set shallow, about half an inch deep, into a firm, well-prepared bed. It grows in sandy, loamy or clay soils that stay moist and well-drained, tolerating light frost as a seedling but faltering in hot weather, and it does best in full sun to partial shade.

Established plants benefit from supplemental nitrogen and quickly outcompete weeds once past the seedling stage, so shallow, even sowing that encourages fast, uniform germination is the main defense against early weed pressure.

Black Mustard can develop several fungal problems, including Alternaria leaf spot, which shows as dark, often concentric-ringed lesions on leaves and stems; clubroot, which stunts growth and causes swollen, galled roots that can persist in soil for years; and downy and powdery mildews, seen as yellow patches or a powdery white coating on foliage. Below ground, root-feeding organisms such as the nematode Pratylenchus penetrans and cabbage root fly larvae can also damage the crop.

Handling the foliage can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people, and the plant is also flagged as a hazard for children and for horses.

Black Mustard is generally ready to harvest 80 to 85 days after sowing and should be cut promptly once mature, since the pods split and shatter easily if left standing. Commercial fields are typically swathed, cutting stems just below the lowest pods, while home gardeners can simply cut plants by hand and thresh the pods afterward, drying the recovered seed for storage.

Culinary: The seeds, leaves, stems and flowers of Black Mustard are all edible and carry a pungent, spicy flavor. Leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked, stems prepared much like broccoli, and seeds ground into powder or used whole to make hot mustard and other prepared mustards, with the crop also grown commercially for mustard production.

Medicinal: Black mustard seed and its oil have a history of folk use for complaints such as the common cold, joint pain and lung congestion, reflecting traditional practice rather than any established medicinal effect.

Black Mustard is native to cooler parts of North Africa, temperate Europe and parts of Asia, and was described under the earlier name Sinapis nigra before later reclassification. From this native range the crop spread into cultivation well beyond its origins, and it was subsequently introduced to the Pacific western United States and to Michigan, where it has since become invasive.