Organic Oriental Giant Red Mustard

Giant Red Mustard
Latin name Brassica rapa
Approximately 450 seeds per g

Oriental vegetables have revolutionised winter salad production. As their name suggests they come from China and Japan. Being brassica, or cabbage family, the plants are very cold tolerant making them ideal for our autumn and winter months. It also means that some of the varieties have that hot, mustard kick to them. The variation in leaf, colour, shape and texture make them perfect for mixed salad and they are very quick growing too. Most varieties are cut and come again salads while some can also be stir fried.

Giant red mustard was one of the first oriental salads we grew many years ago now. It is one of the hottest and really peps up a mixed leaf salad. The leaves are also very attractive with a mixture of green and purple. Like many other coloured orientals the colour becomes more pronounced as the weather gets colder. The leaves are tender and crisp even as they mature to the giant leaves that the name suggests but, be warned, they do get hotter too.

How to grow:
Sow March until September in open ground. Prepare the soil and sprinkle the seeds over or grow in drills. Thin as necessary. You can use the thinnings in salad or as garnish. Plants may bolt in very hot weather so you may need to avoid mid summer sowings. Later sowings can be grown undercover.
Harvest young leaves three to four weeks after planting and cut larger leaves frequently as required.

Pests and diseases:
Protect the plants from slugs with an environmentally friendly method. Flea beetle may also be a problem. You can protect the plants from flea beetle using fine mesh.

How to cook:
Giant red mustard can be used as a versatile green in many Chinese style dishes but it is probably best picked young and added to a leafy mixed salad.