Field Mustard

Brassica rapa

Brassicaceae (Mustard)

A fast brassica cover that smothers weeds and biofumigates the soil as it breaks down. Quick and cheap.

Cover cropBuilds soilCool-season

Field Mustard (Brassica rapa) illustration — Texas Roots plant database, by Jordan Polasek

Sun

Full sun

Water

Low

Soil

Tolerant

pH

6.0–7.5

Hardiness

Cool-season annual

Height

2–4 ft

Spacing

Broadcast

Days to harvest

Fast cool-season

What it is

Field Mustard (Brassica rapa) is in the Brassicaceae (Mustard) family. A fast brassica cover that smothers weeds and biofumigates the soil as it breaks down. Quick and cheap.

How to grow it

It wants full sun, water it low, and give it tolerant soil. Target a soil pH around 6.0–7.5. Space plants about Broadcast apart. Expect roughly Fast cool-season. Cool-season annual.

How it's used

Field Mustard is used: cover; young greens edible.

🔎 How to identify it

Bristly lobed leaves
Yellow four-petal flowers
Fast growth

Edibility

PartsYoung leaves

UsesCover; young greens edible

CautionTerminate before heavy seed set.

🌤 Before you plant: check the live 7-day garden weather to time it right for frost and heat.

Part of the free Texas Roots plant database, compiled by Jordan Polasek from his greenhouse in El Campo, Texas. Free to read and share. If it helped, the best thanks is to grow something.