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Care of the plant Sinapis alba or White mustard

Care of the plant Sinapis alba or White mustard

The genus Sinapis, family Brassicaceae, includes 4 species of annual herbaceous plants native to Asia and Europe. The species are: Sinapis alba, Sinapis arvensis, Sinapis flexuosa, Sinapis pubescens.

Common name: White mustard. This species is native to the Mediterranean region.

They are herbaceous annual plants of erect bearing that reach 1 meter (3.28 feet) in height. They have 2 types of leaves: the basal ones are wider, trilobed and with a serrated edge, and the upper ones are narrower. They produce yellow flowers 1 cm in diameter. From the seeds the famous mustard is obtained.

White mustard is used in orchards, in gardens of aromatic and medicinal plants, as a forage plant and to use the seeds as a condiment.

Sinapis alba prefers full sun exposure and not very hot climates. In Mediterranean climates it's better to avoid direct sun in the central hours of the day. It resists frost well.

White mustard can grow in poor, calcareous soils; it prefers a soil of medium texture, well drained and containing organic matter.

Water regularly, waiting for the surface part of the soil to dry (4 cm/1.57").

Fertilize with manure before planting and with mineral fertilizer rich in potassium in spring.

Pruning is not necessary.

Sinapis alba can be attacked by fungi if the watering is excessive and by some insects.

White mustard is propagated from seeds sown in spring; In regions with a Mediterranean climate they can be sown in any season of the year.

Images of the plant Sinapis alba or White mustard

Sinapis alba
Sinapis alba