Spicy mustard leaves

Add zing to your summer salads by sowing and growing some mustard – leaves of some of the varieties taste hot and spicy

Season: Summer
Name: Mustard leaves
Common Name: Mustard leaves
Description: There are many different varieties of mustard you can try growing. Their leaves can taste mild or hot and spicy. Make sure you read the seed packet to check which flavour strength you would like.

Growing Tips

Sow in a sunny place in well-drained soil.

The seeds can be sown straight in to the ground where they are going to grow, so make sure the space you are going to sow is weed-free by using a trowel to remove the weeds.
If the soil is dry, water the soil the day before you are going to sow your seeds. Rake the soil to a fine tilth (a fine, crumbly texture) and make some drills 10mm deep. The rows should be spaced about 25–30cm apart.
Sprinkle the seed in carefully and cover them up with soil. Write a plant label so you know where you have sown the seeds! As they grow, if the plants are crowded, then thin them out to about 20 cm apart as these salad crops have large leaves and will need more space than cut and come again salad crops.
Remember to water the young plants, especially if the weather is hot and dry.