Broccoli: cultivation, care, proper agricultural technology in open ground. Broccoli: cleaning and storage

Broccoli contains vitamins A and C, group B, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and calcium. The substances menthionine and choline normalize cholesterol levels. Cabbage contains a minimum of calories, which makes the product very valuable for dietary nutrition.

When to Harvest Broccoli

Broccoli must be harvested at a certain point. If you miss it, the fruits are no longer suitable for consumption. Harvesting should take place before small flowers appear from closed buds. yellow color. The head of cabbage itself should be a rich green color without yellow spots.

If broccoli has bloomed, it’s too late to harvest!

The ripening time of broccoli ranges from 75 to 110 days, depending on the variety. During this time, the weight of the head of cabbage reaches 400g. The juiciest and most tender heads of cabbage are those that are still poorly closed. The main mistake of summer residents who grow this crop is to let the cabbage grow a little more. As a result, an extra 2 or 3 days leads to the loss of the harvest. You need to be especially careful during hot periods. It is better to remove the cabbage a couple of days earlier than to miss the moment.

How to properly harvest broccoli

Each broccoli floret grows on a lush green stem. You need to collect starting from the central one. It usually reaches a length of 10-15 centimeters. After some time they switch to side shoots. Broccoli stalks are as juicy and tasty as the florets. Therefore, you need to cut and cook everything together.

In order to preserve the freshness of the heads of cabbage longer, you need to harvest according to the dew. It is best to do this early in the morning. If this is not possible, then you should wait for the evening dew.

Video: Harvesting broccoli

To remove the inflorescences, choose a long, well-sharpened knife. You need to cut diagonally.

After harvesting the bulk of the harvest, you can leave the bush in the ground. If you continue to water and feed the plant, lateral shoots will soon appear on it. At the top of these shoots, heads weighing up to 200 grams are subsequently formed. Broccoli bushes can even tolerate light frosts. You need to cut off the heads of cabbage gradually. During the warm period, the need for collection occurs every 2-3 days. If the weather is cool and cloudy, once a week is enough. In this way, you can harvest for a long period, up to October. All season fresh vegetables There will be broccoli dishes on the table.

Broccoli is stored in cool places or frozen immediately after harvest.

A experienced gardeners They even came up with the idea of ​​digging up bushes and planting them in greenhouses and basements. As an experiment, you can find a bush with a developed rosette, water it generously the day before transplanting and root it in a new chosen location.

Broccoli is a subspecies of cauliflower from the cabbage family and is one of the most ancient vegetable crops. More Ancient Rome about two thousand years ago they knew how to grow broccoli correctly. From this state it was brought to Byzantium, after which it ended up in other countries. Now it is a widespread vegetable throughout the world. Many gardeners would like to get an answer to the question in the garden.

Description

Broccoli is an annual plant, with a stem 60-90 cm high. The yield of the vegetable is high, which is ensured by additionally formed heads on the side shoots. The shape of the head of the plant is similar to cauliflower, but its inflorescences are less dense and the leaves have a corrugated surface.

Types of broccoli

There are more than 200 varieties of this vegetable. The most famous are two: Calabrese and Asparagus, or Italian. The first variety is the most common. Broccoli of this variety has a thick stem and a hard head of dense inflorescences.

Second grade vegetables develop many stems that have small heads. The stems of this plant are also edible, their taste is reminiscent of asparagus.

Additionally, there are other varieties of broccoli.

Early ripening varieties

These varieties include:

• Emperor F1. It has high productivity. The heads are dome-shaped, large in size, and have a smooth surface.
• Vitamin. The heads of this variety are green and have average density and sizes.
• Vyarus. Vegetables of this variety have small heads with excellent taste, gray-green bubbly leaves form a horizontal rosette.
• Corvette F1. It has powerful leaves, a large dense head of gray-green color, and is not afraid of adverse weather conditions. It has many lateral inflorescences and can be frozen.
• Comanche. Very good variety, blooms later than other varieties, is not afraid of low and high temperatures.
• Laser F1. Is different rapid maturation, heads dark green, dense.
• Samma King. Excellent variety, suitable for late growing, tolerates heat well.
• Tone. Has excellent taste characteristics.
• Tribute F1. The heads are medium in size, suitable for growing in unfavorable climatic conditions.

Mid-season varieties

• Atlantic. It has a tall stem, a powerful rosette of leaves, and large heads.
• Balboa F1. This variety is characterized by a large light head, excellent taste qualities.
• Genoa. Suitable for compact planting, it has a dome-shaped head with small flower buds.

• Greenbelt. It is large in size and has a dense head.
• Green Favorite F1. This is an exceptionally high-yielding variety.
• Caesar. A large and dense head of green color with a purple tint.
• Arcadia. It has large gray-green heads, tolerates low temperatures well, and is highly productive.

Late ripening varieties

These varieties are less common. The most worthy of attention in this category are the following varieties:

• Lucky F1. plant with large head and very delicate taste.
• Marathon F1. The green head is large in size, has a delicate texture and good taste.
• Continental. It has a large green tuberous head. Great taste.

Beneficial features

Thanks to its properties, broccoli has a healing effect on human body. Eating this vegetable helps eliminate toxins and heavy metals, and also prevents the accumulation of cholesterol, prevents and treats atherosclerosis, cardiovascular and nervous systems, gastrointestinal diseases. Everyone unique properties plants can be used if you know how to grow broccoli in the country.

Broccoli is an excellent antioxidant that can destroy cancer cells. In addition, by including this in your diet, which is capable of producing serotonin in the body, you will notice a significant increase in vitality and mood.
Eating broccoli has a positive effect on visual acuity, and is also useful for people with diseases such as cataracts, due to its beneficial effect on the lens and retina.

Valuable elements and vitamins present in cabbage have a beneficial effect on thyroid gland, heart, liver, duodenum.
Such beneficial qualities of this vegetable make many people think about how to grow broccoli in the garden.

Compound

This vegetable of the cabbage family consists of 90% water. In addition, it contains proteins, fiber, fats, carotene, as well as vitamins K, PP, U and vitamin C.

Broccoli is also rich in minerals - zinc, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron. Like other members of the cabbage family, this vegetable also contains selenium.

Even without listing all the elements included in it, one can draw a conclusion about its great benefit for the human body.

Growing cabbage is not difficult; even a novice gardener can do it.

Seed preparation

Before growing broccoli from seeds, they must be prepared by sorting, leaving the largest and most complete ones.

Before sowing, they need to be warmed up in hot water at least 15 minutes. After this, the seeds are placed in cold water, and then soaked for eight hours in a solution of boric acid and potassium permanganate. An infusion of ash is also suitable, in which they should be soaked for 5 hours. After this, the seeds are washed and placed in the refrigerator. After this treatment, they need to be dried and can be sown.

Broccoli is not as demanding on growing conditions as cauliflower. In addition, its resistance to diseases and pests is much higher. But a high yield can only be obtained if the soil is thoroughly and deeply tilled.

You can start growing seedlings in mid-spring. Before growing broccoli, you need to prepare the soil. Treated, non-acidic soil is good for cabbage. In order to reduce the acidity of the soil, add chalk or lime. IN wooden box fill the prepared soil, level and compact it. Then cabbage seeds are planted in it. After five to six weeks, the seedlings are planted in open ground. Since the plant is light-loving, it is necessary to choose non-shaded places.

Before planting the seedlings in the ground, prepare holes, the distance between which should be about 40 cm, leaving about half a meter between the rows. The holes are watered with water, then seedlings are planted in them, covered with soil on top and lightly compacted. First add to the wells mineral fertilizers and ash. After completing all these simple steps, you will receive excellent harvest broccoli.

How to grow seedlings directly in the garden? You can start growing seedlings this way in April, covering them with film. Cabbage seedlings are not afraid of the cold, so they will feel comfortable outside. In addition, after such hardening, the plant takes root better when transplanted and is less susceptible to diseases.

How to Grow Broccoli in a seedless way? You can sow cabbage in the ground in May-June. permanent place. To do this, make holes in which several seeds are placed and watered. After the seeds have sprouted, leave best shoots. Harvesting with this method occurs in August-September.

Before growing broccoli in the garden, you need to remember that cabbage, turnips, and radishes are bad predecessors for it. You can plant legumes, potatoes or carrots in place.

Many gardeners who are thinking about how to grow broccoli in Siberia make one main mistake - this incorrect choice varieties for this region. For example, when choosing late-ripening variety The head is laid when it is already cold and frosts begin. In Siberia, it is necessary to plant broccoli of these varieties in heated greenhouses. Then by mid-autumn the plant will have strong, large heads.

Care

To get a good harvest, you need to know how to properly grow broccoli and how to care for it. Broccoli needs regular watering and weeding. In hot weather it is necessary to spray it with water. In addition, feeding of growing cabbage is necessary. This is done for the first time 10 days after planting with diluted mullein with urea. The next feeding is done after fruit set begins. Saltpeter is used for this. It is more convenient to feed with ready-made fertilizers, which can be purchased in the store. In order for the roots of the plant to have enough oxygen, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil.

Diseases and pests

Can kill clubroot. To avoid this, you should not plant it in place of turnips, radishes, radishes and other types of cabbage.

Finely chopped will help fight slugs eggshell, which needs to be scattered near the plants.

You can get rid of caterpillars by planting marigolds where you grow broccoli. Pests cannot tolerate the smell of these plants.

To protect cabbage from it, use ash, pepper, and tobacco. But in hot and dry spring this is not always effective; in this case, you need to cover the plants until they get stronger.

When to harvest?

Harvesting occurs in several stages. First, the central head is cut off when the buds are fully formed but closed.

In hot weather it is necessary to collect every two to three days, as heat leads to rapid growth and opening of buds. If the weather is cloudy and damp, you can harvest cabbage less often - once every 7-10 days.

After the main inflorescence is cut off, the side ones begin to develop faster. They need to be cut off as they grow.

Cabbage is harvested early in the morning before it withers in the scorching sun. Harvested in early summer are not suitable for long-term storage, so cabbage should be eaten immediately or frozen.

Broccoli that is harvested in October can be stored in the basement or refrigerator for two to three months. In addition, when harvesting there is another important point: uprooted plants should be left in the garden for a month. A plant that can tolerate frost, even if removed from the ground, will set inflorescences, providing another late harvest.

Growing seeds

In order to collect the seeds, you need to leave one inflorescence large size. The plant must be looked after, hilled and tied for stability.

When the pods have turned yellow and the seeds have become dark, you can cut off the seeds. This usually happens in September.

Storage

Store broccoli in the cellar without tearing off the outer leaves. In the absence of a cellar, the vegetable can be stored for a short time in the refrigerator, placed in an open plastic bag. It is not advisable to freeze cabbage, as this will lose its taste and benefits.

This vegetable is not demanding to grow and care for, but at the same time brings many benefits to our body. Therefore, knowledge of how to grow broccoli in the garden will be necessary for those who want to grow it for their own needs.

Increasingly, next to all the well-known vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage, etc.) you can see broccoli, artichoke and leek in the garden beds. They are very useful and rich in useful material, so their popularity among gardeners is growing every year. Before you start growing them, you should learn how to properly care for them and when you can harvest them.

Broccoli is a type of cauliflower, but it ripens in different time, and the process of cutting finished heads is different.

When to Harvest Broccoli?

In order for this vegetable to be edible, it is very important to cut it on time. It is necessary to harvest broccoli before the moment when yellow buds bloom from the green buds collected in the inflorescence. small flowers. If this has already happened, then this plant should be left for seed propagation.

Most often, broccoli begins to ripen in mid-August. Due to the fact that cabbage is cut gradually, this process can take until October. It is very important to finish collecting it before frost, otherwise the vegetable will not be so tasty and healthy.

Don’t be afraid to harvest unripe broccoli and wait until the inflorescence becomes very large. It is better to cut it small, but dense and dark green in color, than to wait until it becomes loose and turns yellow.

How is broccoli harvested?

When you see that the broccoli is ready, you should cut it central part, that is, the main inflorescence. In this case, the cut must be made at a distance of 10-12 cm from it, capturing part of the stem. This procedure should be carried out only early in the morning and using a sharp, clean knife.

After the central head has been removed, the lateral ones, located in the axils of the leaves, begin to develop. They ripen quite quickly, since they grow smaller than the main one, so they should be constantly monitored so as not to miss the necessary moment. If it's worth sunny weather, then you need to cut broccoli approximately every 3 days, and if it’s cloudy - once a week.

Knowing when to harvest broccoli correctly, you will get a very healthy dietary vegetable that will be stored for you for a long time. It should be borne in mind that early ripening broccoli should be eaten immediately, and harvested in the fall can be left for later.

Broccoli is rightly considered healthy vegetable. She has a whole set beneficial properties. The plant heads, which are unopened buds, are eaten. How to grow broccoli in the garden, when to plant it and how to care for it, read the article.

Growing seeds

To get your seeds, you need to leave one large inflorescence on cabbage planted in May. When the pods turn yellow and the seeds darken, the testes are cut off. This usually occurs in the month of September. The seeds ripen gradually, and a ventilated room is used to dry them. After this, the pods are cut off and the seeds are threshed.

How to grow broccoli? First you need to buy or grow high-quality seeds yourself. They can be obtained from plants planted in the ground early: from late April to early May. To obtain more seeds, several strong shoots with inflorescences are left on a healthy plant, the tops of which are cut off by 10 centimeters, since here they ripen later. In order for the seeds to ripen faster, new shoots, called stepsons, must be removed.

Seed preparation

How to grow broccoli in the garden? First you need to plant cabbage. This is done in two ways: seedlings and non-seedlings. If the latter method is used, broccoli is planted in the ground using seeds. You can buy them in the store or grow them yourself. First you need to sort planting material broccoli. When to plant seeds? After their preparation. Only large seeds are left for planting. They need to be soaked in heated water for 20 minutes and disinfected in a solution that you can prepare yourself. To do this, boric acid or potassium permanganate in an amount of 0.5 or 1.0 grams is dissolved in a liter of water.

Another solution is used, for the preparation of which a large spoonful of wood ash is dissolved in a liter of water and infused for two days. A little growth stimulator is added to the prepared solutions. The seeds are immersed in the infusion with ash for five hours, and in the rest for eight. Those that float are thrown away, and the rest are dried.

Growing cabbage from seeds

This method is called seedless. How to grow broccoli in the garden depends on the planting location. If this happens in a greenhouse, the seeds are sown early, the most optimal being the beginning of March. At the end of May you can harvest. For growing broccoli in open ground sowing of seeds is delayed for more late dates, at the end of April or beginning of May. Broccoli will not ripen until early September.

Growing cabbage seedlings

This method is common among gardeners. First, broccoli seedlings are grown. To do this, you need to sow the seeds forty days before planting the seedlings in the ground. A box or container with a length of 50 centimeters, a width of 30 and a height of 25 is prepared in advance. It is filled with soil with good drainage, which can be expanded clay or small pebbles. Broccoli prefers alkaline or neutral soil.

You can buy ready-made soil in a specialized store, or you can prepare it yourself. The soil from the garden should be mixed with manure, not fresh, but rotted, and a little ash should be added. To disinfect the soil, steam it in the microwave two weeks before sowing the seeds. This is necessary to restore the microflora.

How to plant broccoli? Before sowing the seeds, moisten the soil and make holes 15 millimeters deep. The distance between them should be three centimeters. Broccoli seedlings are grown at an air temperature of 16-25 degrees Celsius. Under such conditions, the seeds will sprout quickly.

In about five weeks, the root will strengthen and full-fledged leaves will form; by this time there will be 5-6 of them. Broccoli seedlings are ready to be transplanted into the garden bed in pre-made holes. Just before planting, they are spilled with water. Mineral fertilizers and ash are added to each hole. How to plant broccoli? It is very important to follow the planting pattern. The distance between the holes is 40 centimeters, and between the rows - 50-60.

Plants placed in holes are lightly sprinkled with soil, but so that the root collar does not remain on the surface. The cabbage will grow, so you need to add soil to the hole until the levels of the bed and the hole are equal.

How to grow broccoli in the garden? For this cabbage, a compacted planting method is suitable, when other types of this crop, as well as onions or parsley, can grow nearby.

To protect the seedlings from damage by the cruciferous flea beetle, the bed should be covered with a cloth. If this does not help, the seedlings are sprayed with the drug, you can use Iskra. But 20 days before the period of formation of inflorescences, this cannot be done. At this time, it is better to crush the seedlings with ash or tobacco dust.

Care

In order for cabbage to please you with a rich harvest, you need to properly care for it: water it regularly; apply fertilizers; weed the beds to remove weeds; loosen the soil, especially after rains, so that a crust does not form; Hill up the plants, avoid exposing the roots; fight diseases and pests, as well as carry out preventive measures against them.

Watering

Broccoli is an unpretentious crop. Cultivation and care, regardless of planting time, is carried out in compliance with all rules. The vegetable is sensitive to moisture, so you need to observe the frequency and norms of watering. If the plant does not have enough water, the heads with inflorescences will grow small sizes, and their taste will be specific.

Watering should be done in the morning, before the sun has risen, or in the evening, when it has already set. If on wet leaves If the broccoli is exposed to the sun's rays, the plant will get burned. During the post-planting period, cabbage is watered as needed, but always once a week.

In the future, water the vegetable several times a week, and in dry weather - every day, since drying out and cracking of the soil is not a problem for broccoli. comfortable conditions growth. Brings great benefits to the plant wet air, for which it is advisable to place containers filled with water next to the beds. They do not need to be made tall and wide. Air humidification can be achieved by spraying cabbage using a spray bottle.

Top dressing

How to grow broccoli? To obtain good harvest cabbage, you need to care for it correctly and in a timely manner. Broccoli is such a vegetable that loves good nutrition. When the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place of growth, they will take root and grow; you need to feed them with mullein or bird droppings. First organic fertilizer diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, and the second - 1:20. After half a month, the procedure is repeated.

The next feeding is carried out during the formation of inflorescences. Fertilizers of organic origin or mineral are used, which include superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, potassium sulfate, respectively 40; 20 and 10 grams per bucket of water.

The next feeding is carried out after the central head of broccoli is cut off. To do this, prepare a solution per 10 liters of liquid from the same ingredients, only in different proportions: 20, 10 and 30 grams.

Loosening

After watering or rain, the soil must be loosened, but not deeply, eight centimeters deep is enough. Three weeks after the cabbage is planted, it needs to be earthed up. A similar procedure is repeated after a week and a half. To maintain constant moisture and temperature in the soil, it must be mulched with sawdust, grass cuttings or straw. Loosening the soil and mulching also helps to destroy weeds.

Features of cultivation

Broccoli, like many others vegetable crops, has its own characteristics that should not be ignored:

• Cabbage loves light and moisture. It grows best at soil humidity of 70 percent and air humidity of 85.
• The culture is resistant to extreme heat and light frosts, up to 4-7 degrees below zero. But it grows better at a temperature of 16-20 degrees Celsius.
• Cabbage is characterized by the rapid growth of side shoots, which allows you to harvest additional crops.
• Broccoli does not need shade.
• It grows not only in garden beds open air. It is successfully grown on balconies and loggias.

Harvesting and storage

Broccoli has a special feature: you need to pick the cabbage heads green. You can’t wait for the buds to open and small yellow flowers to appear. An overripe vegetable is not suitable for food.

The moment of harvesting is determined by the inflorescences. When they become loose, the next day the owner will be very upset, as the flowers will begin to bloom. This cannot be allowed. The harvest should be harvested when the inflorescences are dense and green.

The central stem is cut off when its length reaches 10 centimeters. Side shoots cut off as they grow. The inflorescences are removed along with the top of the stem, as it is very juicy and tasty. If the heads grow large, up to 17 centimeters in diameter, they need to be cut off at the base.

The best time to harvest broccoli is in the morning before the sun rises. For note: early varieties are not stored for long. Cabbage can last for no more than two weeks, maintaining its attractive appearance and taste, provided it is placed in a cool room. It's best to eat or freeze broccoli right away. Cultivation and care at a later date allows harvesting in October. This cabbage can be stored for two to three months in a refrigerator or basement at zero air temperature.

Broccoli has one more feature. At harvest time, plants pulled from the ground do not need to be piled up to form compost. They should be left in the garden for a month. Small inflorescences will appear on the shoots, which will provide its owner with an unexpected harvest.

Varietal diversity

Broccoli is an unpretentious crop. Growing it is not difficult, the main thing is to follow the rules of agricultural technology. This crop is resistant to cold and damage from pests and diseases. At making the right choice Its varieties are grown in the south, in the regions of the middle zone and the Urals. In terms of division into varieties and hybrids, broccoli is the record holder among the crops of the species. There are a total of 200 varieties of this cabbage.

All varieties of broccoli and its hybrids are well transported without damage to appearance. Their color remains unchanged for a long time after cutting. The shelf life without loss of quality is long.

Broccoli variety Tonus

This cabbage is very healthy and the most delicious. The ripening period is early, two or three months from planting to harvest. This variety has large heads, medium density, and a dark green color. They grow up to eight centimeters in height and weigh 200 grams. The offspring heads weigh four times less. Productivity is high. From one square meter you can harvest up to 6.5 kilograms of cabbage. Its taste is excellent and its calorie content is low, so broccoli is used to prepare a variety of dishes.

Linda

This is a hybrid with early ripening, which is 85 days. This cabbage has everything average: growth, bush, head and yield. Cabbage has a peculiarity that makes gardeners happy to grow it. After the head is cut off from the central stem, shoots weighing up to 100 grams grow on it. There are usually up to seven of them.

Agassi

This hybrid is not prone to overgrowing. The heads have a flat-round shape and are gray- green color. They are dense, with a medium-lumpy surface. The weight of one head is 700 grams. This cabbage has excellent taste. This hybrid is capable of growing secondary heads, which greatly increases the yield. It is heat-resistant, which allows cabbage to be grown in the south of our country.

Beaumont

The hybrid differs from other broccoli in having vesicular leaves, the surface of which has a pronounced waxy coating. The central head is rounded and colored gray-green. It is very large, its weight reaches 900 grams. The offspring heads are much smaller. Productivity is average. From a square meter you can harvest four kilograms of cabbage.

Benefits of cabbage

Broccoli is rich in a large number of substances valuable for humans. The protein contained in this vegetable is rich in amino acids, which support the normal functioning of the body and prevent the development of various diseases, atherosclerosis, for example. This protein does not contain cholesterol.

Broccoli contains a lot of fiber, fats, and microelements. This cabbage is a carrier of vitamins, especially C. To maintain youth and beauty, broccoli is simply irreplaceable, since it contains large quantities contains beta-carotene.

Broccoli, whose properties benefit the body, removes accumulated cholesterol, prevents the appearance of cancer cells, diseases of the nerves, heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, and normalizes metabolism. Cabbage is recommended for people with poor health, diabetics, pregnant women, children and the elderly.

The fact that regular consumption of broccoli is an excellent remedy for cancer prevention, scientists only recently learned. A substance that prevents the development of cancer and stomach ulcers has been isolated from cabbage.

Pest and disease control

Broccoli is more resistant to any damage than other cabbage varieties. Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology is already prevention. A joint plantings Broccoli with dill, celery, and peppermint will protect the vegetable from pest damage.

If caterpillars suddenly attack plants, you need to spray them with a decoction made from tomato tops. One kilogram of green mass is enough for three liters of water. You can prepare an infusion of tobacco, garlic, or simply sprinkle the plants with ash. A more reliable way to protect young plants is covering material.

A common and well-known pest of cabbage is the cruciferous flea beetle. You can get rid of it by spraying the plants chemicals, one of which is Iskra. It is important to properly care for the plant and prevent pests. If you carry out preventive measures, then you can forget about them forever.

Growing broccoli (kale) in the garden is not particularly difficult. It takes 2 months from planting seedlings to harvesting broccoli in open ground. During a season, you can grow several crops of broccoli - unpretentious, cold-resistant and the most healthy cabbage. However, there are some care features that must be taken into account when growing broccoli. Read here about how to grow broccoli in open ground and see photos.

Growing broccoli: open ground or greenhouse?

Broccoli is a cold climate plant. Stem (stem, not head) broccoli, for example, overwinters well in the ground here near London and the harvest of this very popular cabbage does not actually stop all year round. In hot weather, broccoli heads turn yellow faster and become overripe. Therefore, I personally do not recommend growing broccoli in a greenhouse unless you live in the far north. However, to obtain a super-early or super-late harvest in Middle lane It is quite possible to grow broccoli in a greenhouse or cover the plantings with film in cold weather. The greenhouse may also protect broccoli from cabbage butterflies - a malicious garden pest, read about this below in the section broccoli care .

Broccoli seedlings

Broccoli seeds ( Brassica oleracea Italica) round and quite large. I germinate them in paper kitchen towel, which I moisten and put in a bag (see photo). Broccoli seeds germinate in a couple of days and can already be planted in a box with soil for seedlings. I plant the seeds at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other. Broccoli seedlings grow quickly in bright sun with plenty of watering and, in my opinion, do not need picking. After 2-3 weeks, the young plants reach a height of 15 cm and can be planted in open ground or in a greenhouse (if you prefer to grow broccoli in a greenhouse). Read more about this link.

Broccoli care

Straight from seedling box I plant adult broccoli seedlings in open ground with a lump of earth, carefully separating the roots of the plants. Soil for broccoli needs a high humus content: light, fertile, retains moisture, but with good water permeability. When replanting, I put a little general fertilizer in each hole and thoroughly moisten the hole and the soil around it. Broccoli should be grown at a distance of at least 40 cm from each other. Broccoli usually tolerates transplantation easily and within a couple of days the young plants begin to grow quickly.

During dry periods, broccoli needs deep watering about once every 10 days.

About a month after planting in the ground, when the plants begin to form buds, broccoli cabbage needs to be fertilized with a fertilizer high in potassium (for flowering and fruiting plants, see here).

Tasty and healthy broccoli attracts not only people, but also garden pests. Broccoli plantings are attacked (see photo), cabbage butterflies, as well as voracious birds. Read about it in the special article at the link.

Cabbage butterflies(cabbage white, turnip white and cabbage cutworm - Pieris brassicae, Pieris rapae, Mamestra brassicae) are major pests not only of broccoli, but also of other types of cabbage. These butterflies lay eggs on cabbage leaves. Soon the eggs hatch into caterpillars, which cause great damage to the plants, eating and mutilating the leaves and inflorescences of the broccoli from the inside and leaving excrement everywhere. To initially avoid problems with cabbage moths, it is recommended to grow broccoli under fine mesh (see photo) or under thin garden fleece. It is better to fix the mesh on the arches so that it does not lie close to the broccoli leaves, otherwise it will not protect the cabbage from butterflies. Netting and fleece will also protect your broccoli crop from birds.

Broccoli harvest

Broccoli should be harvested promptly, once the florets are well formed and deep green, but before the individual broccoli flowers begin to open. At this point, the inflorescences become yellowish in color and this means that the broccoli is overripe. See photo above of ripe and overripe broccoli florets.

Since the broccoli crop quickly becomes overripe, it makes no sense to plant more plants what your family needs. For our family, I calculated that we would need to plant 5 plants every half month to get a constant supply of fresh broccoli to the table.

When harvesting, cut off the main large inflorescence of broccoli. Within another month, you can collect small lateral inflorescences as they ripen.

Not only the inflorescences, but also the leaves of broccoli are used in food. See recipes for simple and delicious dishes from broccoli via the link at the beginning of the article.