| Other names: |
Brassica oleracea |
| Appearance: |
Fleshy green flower heads arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches
sprouting from a thick, edible stalk |
| Popular varieties: |
Arcadia AGM (summer crop) and Rudolph (mid-winter crop) |
| Interesting fact: |
George H W Bush, the former U.S.A. President made a negative comment
in public about Broccoli and was sent several tons of it direct to
the White House from the Agricultural Lobby |
| Nutritional value: |
Fat-free; Vitamin C & E, fibre and iron |
| When to grow: |
Mid-spring (early varieties); mid-summer (late varieties) |
| Grown from: |
Seed
or young broccoli plants |
| Likes: |
Full sun; rich & firm soil; netting
to protect from pests & pigeons; plenty of water;
cooler weather |
| Dislikes: |
Hot summer weather; slugs
and snails |
| Watch out for: |
Pests; yellowing/fallen leaves that lead to widespread fungal
diseases |
| Harvest time: |
When flower shoots are well developed but before being open; mid-summer
(earlies) and late-autumn (late varieties) |
| Cooking tips: |
Boil and eat with a roast dinner or on its own with butter |
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The limegreen, white and purple colours make broccoli
a colourful sight on the vegetable patch. |
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Sprouting broccoli has masses of small heads which are produced
from late winter onwards. It can take a long time to grow, spending
nearly a year in the ground before harvesting. It is the hardiest
type of broccoli and lasts well. |
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Calabrese or green sprouting broccoli can be harvested the same
year as planting. From a spring sowing, it is ready for picking by
autumn. This type of broccoli has one big head which can be divided
into smaller pieces. |
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There are some very pretty forms of Calabrese such as Romanesco
which has lots of close-packed pointed spears forming one large head.
The heads appear in November and it has a lovely taste. |
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Sow small amounts of calabrese seed at regular intervals to avoid
gluts. 2 or 3 seeds should be sown at each spot about 15cm apart.
This avoids having to move seedlings - calabrese does best if it is
not moved around. Rows should be 30cm (12”) apart, sow seed
1cm (0.5”) deep. |
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Broccoli
seed should be sown mid - spring also 1cm (0.5”) deep. Broccoli
seedlings should be thinned out to give them space to grow once they
are big enough to handle without causing damage. Put the seedlings
at least 60cm (24”) apart, in rows 60cm (24”) apart. |
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Seeds should germinate within 7 to 12 days. |
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Keep well watered. They do not like to get dry. |
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Broccoli shoots may need soil being pulled up around the stem as
it develops. This is essential in windy areas as the plants need a
lot of stability. Broccoli likes firm, fertile soil. |
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To protect against slugs we recommend the organic method of applying
biological
Nemaslug pest control
, using
slug
copper rings
or
eco-friendly
recycled ring boards. Nemaslug contains nematodes that are tiny
microbes which have to be watered into the soil and attack the young
slugs as they grow. |
