I planted a mix of stuff last year after leaving my cover crop alone for several years. Mustard was part of the mix, and I made a point of waiting until very late to mow so that the mustard could go to seed. I figured I would have plenty in the seed bank this year, but, while everything else is growing like crazy, I don’t see much mustard.
Do people who use mustard have to reseed every year?
What little mustard I do have is concentrated at the bottom of the vineyard, where the soil is heavier; i.e., where it’s most needed to keep the soil opened up. I have always liked that about clover – thriving where its N fixing properties are most needed – and would be pleasantly surprised to find that mustard is similarly “self-regulating.”
It’s just too early. The best mustard fields I witness year after year were never sown intentionally, and given enough rain and sun, they always come back. I’ll bet you see some action in another 4-6 weeks.
On my way up from Napa to Calistoga yesterday I saw lots of short mustard down in the Yountville and Napa areas(south of here). It is not showing yet up here.
The mustard is in and up, but it is far from the spectacular shows it often puts on. I took a look at some of the vineyards where it is typically most vibrant, but it is just so-so. Must be the weather (tons of rain).