Mustard Leaf Seeds - Golden Streaks

210 Seeds.

Other Names - Oriental Mustard, Leaf Mustard, Oriental Leaves...

Mustard Golden Streaks is a good looking hardy plant with its finely serrated green leaves and sweet mustard flavour making it an excellent addition to salads, stir-fries, sandwiches or as a fresh pizza topping. Its close relation Red Frills with its deep red coloured serrated leaves make a stunning duo. Harvest as a cut and come again for small tender mild flavoured leaves.

• Very hardy and easy to grow.
• Fast and reliable.
• Suitable for containers and beginners.

Suitable For - Vegetable plot, raised beds, container garden, limited space

Sowing Months - July - September

Harvest - October - April

Gardening is about finding the right balance! Try growing Companion Plants close by to help deter pests.

• Amaranth is a great plant for attracting the ground beetle. This predatory beetle eats slugs, snails, slug and snail eggs, caterpillars and weed seed.
• Cabbage white butterflies are drawn to nasturtiums. Try growing these flowers close by as a sacrificial plant.
• Mint helps to deter the flea beetle however it is advisable to grow this perennial herb in containers as mint is very invasive. The containers can be arranged around vulnerable crops as and when needed.
• Calendula (Pot marigold) attracts predatory insects such as lacewings, ladybirds and hoverflies who love to feast on aphids.

Soil Preperation

The soil needs to be free draining but water retentive. Add some well rotted manure or compost to the bed a few months before sowing or planting. Remove any weeds and slug havens such as stones, rubbish, wood etc. from the area.

Sowing Guide

Early Sowing/Module Sowing

Sow 3 - 4 seeds per 4 cm module. As soon as the seeds start to germinate move to an area with good daylight, a windowsill or greenhouse is ideal. When the seedlings are big enough to handle thin to 2 - 3 seedlings per module. Keep the compost moist but do not overwater. 1 - 2 weeks later, depending on speed of growth plant out into their final growing position.
Harden off over a few days so the plants become acclimatised to the outdoors. Plant out at the distance suggested above. Firm the soil around each plant and water well.

Direct Sowing

Young seedlings are especially vulnerable to slug attack. Ensure the area is free of possible slug havens such as weeds, stones etc. When watering keep the surrounding soil as dry as possible especially when the seedlings are young to help ward off slugs and snails as they do not like dry soils. Sow 3 - 4 seeds every 20 cm at the depth and row distance suggested above. Cover the seeds with soil and water well. When the seedlings are big enough to handle thin to 2 - 3 seedlings per station.

Growing On

Weed regularly to keep competing plants and slug havens under control. Water well during dry weather. Mustard are hardy plants and can be grown outdoors unprotected over the winter months, however protected plants will produce better quality leaves. Ideally cover outdoor grown mustard with a cloche or horticultural fleece over the colder months. Container grown mustards can easily be moved into a greenhouse to overwinter. Remove any damaged, rotting or yellowing leaves over the season.

Harvesting

Mustard leaves are best picked when small, eaten raw in a spicy salad or sprinkled on top of a pizza. Larger leaves however can also be enjoyed cooked in stir fries etc. Pick the larger outer leaves first, leaving the smaller leaves in the middle to grow some more for the next harvest. Regular pickings will encourage the plants to produce more leaves. From an autumn sowing a good amount of leaves can be harvested up until the end of the year.
Harvests in January and February should be kept to a minimal unless growth is vigorous. However in March the plants should start to grow strong again, producing an abundance of young tender leaves again up until the end of April when the plants will naturally run to seed.