Mystery Plant: Does anyone know what this is?

Mom2Four 7/28/2010, 11:42 am

Hi All,

I've yet to "officially" introduce myself, but please forgive the gaff and indulge my curiosity. I have a mystery!

This plant is growing in the middle of a square of bunching onions. A few squares over are two different mesclun (lettuce mixes) but none of the lettuces growing there appear to be this one. It looked so food-like I went ahead and tasted it and it tastes like horseradish but delicate and slightly sweet - not bitter. It's delicious. What could it be?

Mystery Plant: Does anyone know what this is? Dsc_0013

Mystery Plant: Does anyone know what this is? Dsc_0013

Thanks!

junequilt 7/28/2010, 12:40 pm

Looks like oriental mustard to me. Great in salads!

Megan 7/28/2010, 6:03 pm

Check your mesclun mix seed packages. Chances are, mustard is listed on at least one of them!

$glad you\'re here$

Mom2Four 7/28/2010, 6:32 pm

Those were just the clues I needed. It looks exactly like the pictures of the Japanese Giant Red Mustard: http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Giant-Red-Mustard-Seeds/dp/B0033P3CHM

Mystery solved.

Mystery Plant: Does anyone know what this is? 109486

Mystery Plant: Does anyone know what this is? 109486

Megan 7/28/2010, 6:36 pm

Neat! Glad to hear it is tasty, because I got some seed for Japanese Giant Red Mustard to try this fall. FYI, I've read this is a really good trap plant, meaning it's a magnet for flea beetles, who apparently love this stuff. I haven't seen any flea beetles in a while so hopefully they are done for the year (?) but in the spring, I'm going to plant the mustard again, away from my other plants.

Here is a slightly bigger picture from Baker Creek:
Mystery Plant: Does anyone know what this is? Or107

Mystery Plant: Does anyone know what this is? Or107

Nicola 7/28/2010, 9:00 pm

Just don't let it go to seed! My boyfriend had a mesclun mix in his (non-SFG) last year. It's fairly invasive, and reseeded itself this year--none of the other salad greens in that area did.

**donnainzone5** 7/29/2010, 10:45 am

Yep, it's Red Giant Mustard from a spicy mesclun mix. Very spicy! I use just a bit in salads and hot-and-sour soup.

This plant is prolific. If you let one go to seed, you'll never need to plant more.

Mom2Four 7/29/2010, 3:17 pm

Ooh hot and sour soup. Sounds good!

Thanks for the replies and the warning about letting it go to seed.

Happy Gardening! Mystery Plant: Does anyone know what this is? Icon_biggrin

ander217 7/30/2010, 8:25 am

Good to see your post, Mom2four.

I know this is probably obvious to everyone else, but what is the child holding in your avatar? At first I thought it was a raspberry, then I looked closer and now I'm not sure what it is.

Mom2Four 7/30/2010, 10:51 am

It's a radish. I grow radishes for pure kid factor. Perfect plant for impatient gardeners who like a splash of color (aka kids!)

ander217 8/2/2010, 9:49 am

Duh. (Smacks self in forehead.) It's easy to see it now. I knew it should have been obvious.
Thanks.

I know what you mean about radishes and the kid factor. Our 4 y/o grandson couldn't wait until his first radishes were ready in his very first SFG. I was afraid he was in for a letdown, and it proved to be so. His mother said he was so excited until he took his first bite, and then spit it out saying, "Yuck!" Luckily it was a different story with his carrots. He loved them.

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Mystery Plant: Does anyone know what this is?

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Re: Mystery Plant: Does anyone know what this is?


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