LATIN NAME: Brassica oleracea (Botrytis Group)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Growing your broccoli frees you from the constraints of commercial growers - they choose cultivars that produce tight, large main heads that ship and market well. Grow what tastes best to you, even if it has a small main head and many side shoots. Whatever type you grow, it will be nutritious - broccoli’s stems and dense green heads of unopened flowers are vitamin-rich. Like other members of the cabbage family, broccoli prefers cool weather and endures a light frost. If the weather is too hot or cold, the plant may bolt.
GERM. DATE: July 5, 2009
GERM. TIME: 10-14 days
TRANSPLANT DATE:
TYPE OF PLANT: Vegetable
BLOOM CYCLE:
pH LEVEL: 6.0 - 7.5
SEED DEPTH: ½ inch
HEIGHT OF PLANT:
WIDTH OF PLANT:
PLANT SPACING: 2 feet
ROW SPACING: 3 feet
DAYS TO HARVEST: 90 days
ZONE REQUIREMENTS: Best where weather is below 80°F for about 70 days
FERTILIZER REQUIREMENTS: Mix ¼ to ½ cup of low-nitrogen organic fertilizer in the planting hole; too much nitrogen makes stems hollow.
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Full sun to part shade
WATER REQUIREMENTS: Moist
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Fertile, well-drained soil
DISEASE PROBLEMS:
PEST/INSECT PROBLEMS: Cutworms, Cabbage worms, Cabbage loopers
SOLUTIONS: To control cutworms, stick nail into soil beside young transplants stem to block cutworm. Prevent cabbage worms and cabbage loopers by covering young plants with floating row cover; treat infestation with BT.
HOW TO GROW: If starting indoors, sow seeds 4 to 6 weeks before you plan to set out transplants. Set out transplants in spring 4 to 6 weeks before average date of last front or, for fall harvest, in midsummer in the North and late summer in the South. Mix ¼ to ½ cup of low-nitrogen organic fertilizer in the planting hole; too much nitrogen makes stems hollow. Space transplants 12 to 24 inches apart; closer spacing encourages more side shoots, wider spacing encourages larger main heads. In regions with long cool season (summer in far North, winter in deep South), direct-seed outdoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost. Plant seeds ½ inch deep and 3 inches apart, thinning to 18 inches when several inches high.
HARVEST NOTES: Cut off central head when full size with plump flower buds, but before flowers open. Leave base of plant in ground. Smaller side stems will sprout for later small harvests.
SPECIAL CARE/NOTES: Cultivar is very productive variety that has large heads and high percentage of side shoots. A cool weather vegetable - best where weather is cool (below 80°F) long enough for head to form (about 70 days). Mulch to keep soil cool and moist. Side-dress over wintering types with balanced dry fertilizer in mid winter.
STORE BY: Refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks.
PRESERVE BY:
USES FOR PLANT: Can be eaten fresh or cooked.
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