Does anybody know if there are hot weather(Zone 9) crucifers (possibly winter grown) especially mustard plants? I am looking to attract butterflies that aren't as common in this area and I was thinking about planting a plant or two if possible.
Thanks,
Chuck
Crucifers
I've grown Red mustard throughout the summer in our hot climate (at times 115 F). The plants that I started early in the spring got big and I kept cutting them back to limit their bolting. I also planted newer plants throughout the summer which I started in flats. Many of the cooler crop greens can be grown in the summer heat if you harvest them as baby greens, but perhaps you want to keep planting and letting them bolt if your looking to attract beneficial bugs. The older leaves become tough more quickly in the summertime. Mine definitely attracted lots of benifical bugs. Be sure to make sure your soil is balanced, with good calcium and trace minerals and not too high nitrogen, otherwise you'll have gobs of aphids on them in the summertime. I am playing with black mustard as well as red in this fall.
Dear Nataraj,
Thanks for your response. I surfed the Internet to see where Middletown is. I always thought that towns that far north in California were milder in temps but I guess I was wrong. Can you give me more information about the difference between green mustards and red mustards? I am afraid that I am a novice when it comes to mustard.
Thanks again,
Chuck
Middletown is saddled between Sacramento and Santa Rosa, with mount St Helena between us and the coast. I think the summers get warmer as you go inland. We also can have cold winters in the 20's and occasionally as low as 10 degrees.
Red mustard may be more heat tolerant than green. It's flavor is definitely different. It becomes quite pungent in the summer heat. I haven't grown other mustards yet myself, other than the black which are still quite tiny. Search mustard on http://www.seedsofchange.com and http://www.seedswestgardenseeds.com/greensindex.html for some descriptions of the different types. It's interesting that the purple mustard is said to repel aphids. Red mustard can definitely get them. I've grown kale, Pak Choi, Tat Soi all in summer heat. Shade cloth helps. Also I just keep cutting plants back when they show signs of bolting.
One key to keeping these kinds of greens going is to continually harvest them as they grow more leaves, even if you have to compost what you don't eat. This stimulates the plant to keep producing. This is generally true of all plants.
nataraj, are you growing black mustard for the seed to use as a culinary spice or for the leaves?
Truth is, I don't know. I do use mustard seeds and love all kinds of pungent herbs and spices. I don't yet know what the leaves are like from black mustard, but I tend to eat and/or juice any green foliage that is usable for that. I love horseradish greens. I throw a few comfrey and mullein greens into my juice. Of coarse leaves from the nightshades like tomato's, peppers and eggplants are toxic and should never be consumed.
Buckwheat sprouts are also toxic and should not be juiced. Some folks were adding buckwheat sprouts to their wheatgrass juice. Not a good idea.
The seeds are fine, just don't eat the sprouts.
Hi! Does anyone in California grow their mustard greens for the butterflies that they attract? I just got back from vacation and I am eager to plant some seeds. The seeds that my local nursery gave me are called India Mustard (Florida Broad Leaf). The nursery said to plant them now and trim some greens off until Spring 2007 and then let it bolt. Has anyone done this deliberately?
Thanks,
Chuck
I tend to let many plants bolt near the end of their harvest for the benificial insects that they attract and because I like eating the flowers. The flowers and leaves close to them are extremely pungent. If I was growing to save seeds, I would let them bolt faster and not keep cutting back, since this produces inferior seeds. I do let my mustards bolt and have seen butterflies around them. The mustards that I was growning were Red Giant.
I grow red mustard. I planted some years ago and let it go to seed. Now it comes up each year flowers and goes to seed. I use the leaves for salad. I hate to say that I haven't seen that many butterflies come to it. What really attracts butterflies in my yard is anise hyssop which grows like crazy. It is a relative of mint. If you want some let me know. It reseeds readily. I can send you plants or seed for postage.