Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil. Succeeds in any reasonable soil. Prefers a heavy soil and cool moist conditions. Sunny days and cool nights are favourable for plant growth whilst dry weather at harvest time is essential. Coleseed is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation of 30 to 280cm, an annual average temperature range of 5 to 27°C and a pH in the range of 4.2 to 8.2. Very young plants are susceptible to cold damage, -4°C either killing or injuring seedlings, whereas -2°C has no affect when the plants are more than one month old. Coleseed is the form of this species most often found either escaped or naturalized in Britain. It has a non-tuberous root and has been cultivated as a fodder crop, oil-seed crop and green manure. Coleseed is 70% self-pollinating and 30% cross-pollinated. Even if wind and insects are absent, seed are still produced. Yield increases with honeybees. The growth of this plant is inhibited by field mustard and hedge mustard growing nearby. This species is closely related to B. rapa.

Leaves - raw or cooked. Added to salads or used as a potherb. Immature flowering stems - cooked in much the same way as broccoli. An edible oil is obtained from the seed, it is used mainly for cooking purposes, but also for salads. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. The sprouted seed is often used as the mustard part of mustard and cress. Eaten in salads. The seed is used as a mustard flavoring.

Seed - sow in situ in early spring to mid-August for a green manure crop.

Banks of streams, ditches and arable fields in Britain.