How to Grow Black Mustard Plants
- 1). Plant black mustard seed in the spring, after the threat of frost has passed. Black mustard is very forgiving of conditions. You only need select an area that gets at least partial sunlight, has a soil that is well drained and has a pH of 6.0 or more.
- 2). Prepare the soil by adding 10 to 15 lb. of 5-10-10 fertilizer for every 500 sq. ft. Till the fertilizer into the soil to a depth of 3 inches.
- 3). Plant the seed 15 to 18 inches apart, and about 1/8 inch deep. Water the seeds with multiple light doses to avoid washing the tiny seeds away. As with most seeds, it will germinate best under damp conditions.
- 4). Once the plants emerge, you can thin them to your preference and then you will need to pay very little attention to them. You need water them only in prolonged drought conditions, and pests do not generally bother black mustard, so you can forgo pesticides.
- 5). Harvest seeds by picking the pods just after they change from green to brown. Do so any later, and you risk the pods shattering and spreading the tiny seeds everywhere.
