Brassica napus
Winter rapeseed, swede rape, oilseed cabbage: this plant is not a wild species but the result of an ancient natural cross between cabbage and swede rape, which occurred a few thousand years ago. Its bright yellow fields in spring are part of the French landscape, but in the garden, it is above all an exceptionally effective green manure.
Characteristics:
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Powerful roots: its deep taproot loosens compacted soil and brings up mineral elements from deeper layers.
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Winter ground cover: ideal for protecting bare soil during the cold season and preventing weeds from becoming established.
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Bright yellow flowering: highly attractive to bees in spring.
Sowing advice:
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Position: sunny.
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Soil: deep and cool, preferably clay-loam, without excessive standing moisture. It is particularly beneficial in somewhat heavy soils, which it helps to structure. No fertilization: it will return nutrients to the soil as it decomposes.
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Method: broadcast sow directly in place, ideally in late summer or early autumn for winter cover, or in spring. Rake lightly to bury the seeds 1 to 2 cm deep. No pots and no soaking. See how to sow your seeds.
Care advice:
- None. Cut down before it goes to seed and leave it in place as mulch, or incorporate it shallowly into the soil 3 to 4 weeks before the next crop.
Beneficial combinations:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its early and abundant flowering provides one of the first major sources of nectar and pollen of the year for bees emerging from overwintering.
- Its winter cover provides shelter for soil fauna and protects microorganisms from frost and leaching — see the basics of living soil.
Uses:
- The young leaves can be eaten cooked like spinach, within 3 days of harvesting (washed and rolled in a damp cloth in the refrigerator, or blanched and frozen).
- The flowers are best enjoyed fresh within a few hours of picking.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Leave a few plants to go to seed: the pods turn brown and dry on the plant, after which you simply shell them over a container. Warning: rapeseed readily cross-pollinates with other brassicas in the garden. See storing your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Enrich your soil and support pollinators with these rapeseed seeds.
