Gardening with Wilson

For those who have dropped by my community garden recently, you should have noticed the lush-looking Chinese mustard plants that we grow in the garden plots. I am not sure of the exact cultivar of these mustard plants but the only thing I know about them is that they are from China. They are grown from seeds that were sent to one of my community gardeners who came from China.

The plants grow to a gigantic size of about 1 foot tall and they bear a nice purple tinge on the young leaves. We do not uproot the entire plant for food. Instead, the outer leaves are harvested in stages so as to allow the new ones to grow, somewhat treating the plant like a ”cut and come again” leafy green. For those who have cooked and tasted the vegetable, some commented that it is not bitter while others gave their feedback that there is this bitterness associated with consuming Chinese mustard. It is an acquired taste I must say. It can come as a rude shock for first-timers!

The plant grows pretty quickly. New leaves are continuously produced and as such, the plant is also quite hungry for nutrients. My community gardener told me she had to fertilise weekly to keep up with the plants’ hunger. One of the problems faced with growing this plant is the crown and stem rot that the plants suffer during cloudy and constantly wet weather. Plants just collapse as the stems gave way.

 I reckoned it could be due to the perpetually moist environment around the base of the crowns that led to rot. My gardeners actually heaped soil around the base of the plant to help prop up the plant. Sometimes, soil gets stuck in between the tight rosette of leaves. It seems to have cleared when fair weather comes about. I have also advised the use of sticks to stablise the plants and not to water during the evenings.

Last Saturday evening, my community gardeners brought some rice that was cooked together chopped leaves of the Chinese mustard. I must say it tastes good and very aromatic! This dish is actually made by first frying normal rice with some glutinous rice and then simmered with several other ingredients. Up to the individual, roasted pork bits, chopped mushrooms and peanuts may be added.

Chinese mustard rice.

One of the garden beds showing the Chinese mustard plants we grow.

One of these plants in close-up.

Seedlings of these plants – see the purplish tinge on the leaves?