Mustard

General tips / questions on seeding & planting

Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter

mickporter
KG Regular
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2010 11:34 am

Someone has given me a large quantity of mustard which was intended for green manure.

Is this the same mustard that combined with cress makes the mustard and cress that I used to have on my egg sandwiches?? Or has it been treated in some way that its not edible??
Nature's Babe
KG Regular
Posts: 2468
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:02 pm
Location: East Sussex

If i were you I would play safe and only plant as green manure they might have been treated, better safe than sorry. :)
Sit down before a fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconcieved notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.
By Thomas Huxley
http://www.wildrye.info/reserve/
User avatar
Johnboy
KG Regular
Posts: 5824
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:15 pm
Location: NW Herefordshire

Hi NB,
Whereas you could be right that the seed may have been sprayed with something I somehow have my doubts. Green Manures are really an intrinsic part of organic growing and to spray the seed intended for that market would be against all the rules. I just cannot see a seed company wasting money in this way. When commercial seeds that have been sprayed or treated with any chemical a clear warning is given and the seeds are generally treated with a dye.
JB.
hilary
KG Regular
Posts: 212
Joined: Thu May 04, 2006 9:34 pm
Location: Beccles, Suffolk

Hi,
I know our local farmer sows treated wheat seed since we find it lying pink in the road - anyway I assume you are going to eat the green and not the seed so once germinated I wouldn't think you had problem. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

Hilary
User avatar
Johnboy
KG Regular
Posts: 5824
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:15 pm
Location: NW Herefordshire

Hi Hilary,
The pink seed that you find has been treated to prevent fungal infection during storage and is not present in the crop at harvest time.
Your bread will not contain any of this fungal treatment and it is only used on seed that is to used as seed-wheat.
JB.
hilary
KG Regular
Posts: 212
Joined: Thu May 04, 2006 9:34 pm
Location: Beccles, Suffolk

Thanks JB,
I just sometimes think that we can all get too hung up on the organic question. I was told by a member of the RHS that is how you grow the veg which is important not whether the seed was organic or not - he said made no difference other than the price you paid for it.
Hilary
Mike Vogel
KG Regular
Posts: 865
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:31 pm
Location: Bedford

As one who tries to grow organically, I agree with you, Hilary. Seed can be treated quite harmlessly and if I run out of seed I will as soon go to the garden centre and get some as send of for organic sed.
Please support Wallace Cancer Care
http://www.wallacecancercare.org.uk
and see
http://www.justgiving.com/mikevogel


Never throw anything away.
Nature's Babe
KG Regular
Posts: 2468
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:02 pm
Location: East Sussex

I agree, whatever the seed its how you grow it that matters, if your soil is fertile and well cared for non organic seed is OK, if you garden organic and save seed it soon becomes organic anywaY.
Sit down before a fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconcieved notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.
By Thomas Huxley
http://www.wildrye.info/reserve/
mickporter
KG Regular
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2010 11:34 am

Thanks guys, I will grow a little tester first.
User avatar
Johnboy
KG Regular
Posts: 5824
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:15 pm
Location: NW Herefordshire

Now to be strictly organic, to be true to the cause, Organic Growers are supposed to use organic seed and if you were an Organic Accredited Grower the use of non organic seed could lead to them be disqualified.
My thoughts on the subject are that it is the plant that you grow that is organic and really the seed that you grow your plant from is immaterial.
I know full well that there are those who subscribe to this forum who will vehemently disagree with me. At this stage I will say that if you feel comfortable with using non-organic seed but consider yourself as an organic grower I feel that should suffice. Organics is a method of growing and it is not a religion.
It is well known that I class myself as a 'Pragmatic' gardener but 99% of my plants are grown without the use of anything artificial and to me it is good wholesome food. Because you use non-organic seed or the odd dose of man made fertilizer does not effect the quality of you food. You still produce good wholesome food whatever is said by certain people and you should never be persuaded otherwise!
JB.
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic