Variety characteristics:

• W1440 Huizhou Meicai Mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.) is a traditional Chinese leaf mustard selected for vigorous growth, broad green leaves, substantial pale-green petioles and a pronounced mustard aroma. The semi-rounded leaf stalks are bordered by distinctly toothed and lobed leaf tissue.
Young plants can be harvested as fresh mustard greens for stir-fries and other cooked dishes. When allowed to develop into larger plants, the leaves and stems provide substantial raw material for traditional salting, fermenting and drying applications. Properly grown greens offer a tender, crisp texture with comparatively little coarse fiber and a robust mustard flavor.
The plants may be direct-sown for an earlier baby-green harvest or started in a nursery and transplanted for larger mature plants. This selection has traditionally been grown in subtropical southern China, with late summer through fall identified as the preferred local sowing period. In most North American regions, spring and late-summer sowings are more appropriate because mustard greens generally perform best as a cool-season crop.