{"id":3059,"date":"2020-04-18T22:06:42","date_gmt":"2020-04-18T22:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=3059"},"modified":"2020-04-18T22:50:34","modified_gmt":"2020-04-18T22:50:34","slug":"sprouting-broccoli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2020\/04\/18\/sprouting-broccoli\/","title":{"rendered":"Sprouting Broccoli"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Brassica oleracea <\/em>var alboglabra <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: When old British gardening books talk about broccoli, they often meant Sprouting Broccoli), which is not the same as conventional Italian Broccoli, in that it produces many small heads or shoots, rather than a single large head.  Before the arrival of Broccoli fro Italy, it was an important British winter crop, but its use has declined significantly in recent years. This is unfortunate, because it is much hardier than Broccoli and can be a valuable late winter \/ spring crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>: Sprouting\nBroccoli  is pretty easy to grow, if you\nplant it at the right time (and give it plenty of water and nutrients). The\nbiggest problem with growing it is finding seed to plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong>:\nThis is just as nutritious as its better known cousin, which is rich in\nvitamins A and C, calcium, iron, potassium and folate, as well as a whole range\nof beneficial phytochemicals, glucosinolates, luteine sulfuraphane, myrosinase\nand isothiocyanin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Sprouting Broccoli  
Seed facts
Germ temp: 45 (60 – 75) 85\u02daF
Germ time: 4 – 20 days
20 days \/ 50\u02daF
9 days \/ 59\u02daF
6 days \/ 68\u02daF
5 days \/ 77\u02daF * Optimum
4 days \/ 86\u02daF
Seed viability: 3 – 4 years
Germination percentage: 75+
Weeks to grow transplants: 4 – 5  

Planning facts
Hardiness: Hardy
Growing temp: 60 – 65\u02daF
Plants per person: 3
Days to harvest: 90 – 150 days            

Planting
Fall crop: Direct sow 8 \u2013 12 wks before first frost  

Harvest facts
Harvest period: 2 – 6 wks
Yield per plant: 1\/2 lb <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 6.0 – 7.5 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This plant needs a rich, moist, well-drained soil with lots\nof organic matter and available nutrients. It is quite salt tolerant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>:\nPrepare the soil by incorporating 2 – 3\u02dd of aged manure, or compost, into the\ntop  6 – 8\u02dd of soil (which is where most\nof the plants feeder roots are found). You might also add a handful of organic\nfertilizer mix (or a mix of colloidal phosphate, wood ashes, kelp and dolomitic\nlimestone).  It likes lots of calcium and\nmagnesium and doesn\u2019t like acid soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Planning <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: Sprouting Broccoli\nshould be planted in a sheltered place with full sun, as it will be growing\nthrough the winter. It shouldn\u2019t be planted where another Brassica has grown in\nthe past 3 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Sprouting\nbroccoli prefers fairly mild growing conditions (55 – 75\u02daF.) It s often said that\nit needs exposure to cold weather (below 50\u02daF) before it will head up, which if\ntrue means it won\u2019t work as a spring crop. It is hardier than broccoli and is\ncommonly sown in the fall, for a spring crop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting Transplants <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting inside<\/strong>:\nLike most Brassicas, Sprouting Broccoli doesn\u2019t mind transplanting, so can be started\nin flats, cell packs, soil blocks or plug trays. Start the seeds indoors 4 weeks\nbefore you want to plant out. Sow them in a flat, 1\u02dd apart and \u215b – \u00bc\u02dd deep and\nwhen they have all germinated prick out the best ones into another flat,\nspacing them 2\u02dd apart. By the time they go outside, the plants should be 3 – 4\u02dd\nhigh, with 3 – 5 leaves and a stem diameter of less that \u00bc\u02dd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting out<\/strong>: Set\nout transplants slightly deeper than they grew in the flats, up to the depth of\ntheir first true leaves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting outside<\/strong>:\n The transplants can also be raised\noutdoors in a nursery bed in late summer. The seeds are sown in a small, protected\narea, pricked out into a slightly larger area and finally transplanted to their\npermanent position. This is a much more efficient use of space than direct\nsowing at their final spacing, as they don\u2019t take up much bed space for the\nfirst month or two of their lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct sowing<\/strong>: This\ncrop can be direct in late summer. Sow twice as many seeds as you need plants,\nat a depth of \u00bc – \u00bd\u02dd. Thin to the required spacing when they have their first\nset of true leaves. Of course you will probably have problems with pests when\ndirect sowing in warm weather, so be vigilant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: The\nspacing you use depends on the fertility of the soil and how large you want the\nplants to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rows<\/strong>: When planting in rows give them 12 – 18\u02dd between plants and 36\u02dd between rows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beds<\/strong>: The spacing in beds will depend upon the soil, from 12\u02ddin very good soil, to 18\u02dd in poor soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeds<\/strong>: Keep the\nplants well weeded, especially when small. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water<\/strong>: This plant\nneeds quite a lot of water, so for optimal growth the soil must be moist at all\ntimes (and especially when the heads are developing). Fortunately it is\ngenerally grown in fairly cool weather, so watering isn\u2019t usually a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilization<\/strong>: If\nyour soil is less than ideal, give your transplants a feed of compost tea, or\nliquid seaweed 2 weeks after planting out. This will encourage early vegetative\ngrowth. You might also give them another feed a couple of weeks before harvest\ntime, to encourage maximum growth and production of side shoots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Problems <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong>: This\nmember of the cabbage family is prone to the same multitude of pests and\ndiseases. These include aphids, cabbage worms, loopers, diamondback moths, root\nmaggots, flea beetles and more (see Cabbage for more on these). You can avoid\nmany of these problems by covering the young plants with row covers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cutworms<\/strong>: If you find whole plants laying on\nthe ground, severed at the base, cutworms are usually responsible. Dig in the\nsoil around the fallen plant and you will usually find a small, dark, curled up\ncaterpillar). If you find it you can prevent it killing other plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cutworms\ncan be a real problem for young seedlings in spring. A good solution is to wrap\nthe stems in individual cutworm collars, made of cardboard, newspaper (2\nlayers) or aluminum foil. These should go 2\u02dd into the soil. You can also use a\nbottomless paper cup to surround the whole plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aphids<\/strong>: These are the ever-present pests of Brassicas. Blasting\nthem off with a strong jet (I mean strong) of water makes a big difference. It\nalso pays to have lots of insectory plants (Phacelia,\nAsteraceae. Apiaceae<\/em>) around to feed the predators that prey on aphids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Caterpillars<\/strong>: Several types of caterpillar live only on the various Brassicas and can strip a young plant to the midribs in a short time. It is important to keep an eye out for these, so you can deal with them before they devastate your crop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have only a few plants, hand picking is the best\nway to go. If you have a whole field then a spray of BT (Bacillus thuringensis<\/em>) is\nusually recommended. Parasitic wasps can kill a lot of caterpillars if given\nthe chance, but not if you start spraying poisons.\nRed cabbage is not as attractive to caterpillars as the green, though it is\nmore attractive to aphids. If they are really bad you might also go after the\nconspicuous white butterflies with a butterfly net.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flea Beetles<\/strong>: These tiny insects are common in spring and eat small\nholes in the leaves of the young plants. Transplants can usually take this\ndamage without too much problem, they will just put out new leaves, but newly\ngerminated seedlings may be killed. If they are a big problem you could use row\ncovers, or plant some turnip seed as a trap crop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cabbage Root Fly<\/strong>: This is probably the worst Brassica\npest. It lays its eggs at the base of the plant and the newly hatched larvae\nwork their way down to the roots and eat them. If they are numerous enough they\npretty much destroy the roots and kill the plant. The first warning sign is\nwhen a plant wilts in sunny weather. If this occurs, examine the root for the\nsmall white maggots, which look like small grains of rice. If you find affected\nplants, remove and kill the maggots to stop them maturing and reproducing (or\njust to make you feel better). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\neasiest way to deal with these pests is to use row covers, which prevents the\nfly getting near enough to the plant to lay eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another effective control is to use 6\u02dd squares (or disks)\nof foam carpet backing. You cut a slit to the center of the square and put them\naround the stem. These work very well, because the foam can expand as the stem\nenlarges. These disks not only make it harder for the fly larvae to get into\nthe root, but also provide refuges for the predatory beetles that eat the eggs\nand larvae. These disks have achieved 70% control, which is as good as most\npesticides. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nflies prefer Chinese cabbage and will lay their eggs near it, in preference to\ncabbage. You could plant these near your cabbages as a trap crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\ndon\u2019t have to eliminate all of these maggots. Some damage is tolerable, so long\nas it doesn\u2019t seriously affect the crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other pests<\/strong>: Harlequin bugs, thrips, root knot\nnematodes, slugs and snails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Birds<\/strong>: These will sometimes eat seedlings, especially in spring. If this is a problem you may have to net the plants (row covers used to prevent other pests will also work). In my garden quail are a problem for Brassicas year round, but particularly in winter. They love to eat the leaves and will tear them to shreds (sometimes they strip whole plants).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diseases<\/strong>: Alternaria blight, black leg, black\nrot, downy mildew, fusarium wilt and wirestem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clubroot<\/strong>: (Plasmodiophora brassicae<\/em>):\nThis serious root disease is a big problem in some areas. It causes the roots\nto swell up like clubs and can kill the plant. Clubroot likes acid soil, so the\ncloser your soil is to neutral the better. If this disease gets into your soil\nit can stay there for years, even without any Brassicas to infect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boron deficiency<\/strong>: Brassicas\ngenerally are quite susceptible to boron deficiency, which manifests itself as\nhollow stems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the freshest photographs you will ever see online, I quite literally got up from writing this and went outside to take it. I then came back in and uploaded it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Harvest the first shoots as soon as\nthey reach full size. You can eat them before this time, but you won\u2019t get as\nmuch food. The flower buds should be visible individually, somewhat swollen and\ndark in color. If you miss the optimal harvest time you should still cut off\nthe heads, as this will stimulate the plants to produce new side shoots <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: These are cut\nwith a long (5\u02dd) stem attached. The plants may continue to send up new small heads\nfor weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: Broccoli is quite\nperishable so is best used immediately. It will keep for up to a week in a\nplastic bag in the fridge (don\u2019t wash it), but won\u2019t be as good as when it was\nfresh (this isn\u2019t supermarket food). For longer term storage broccoli freezes\nwell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: Sprouting Broccoli is a biennial and takes two years to produce seed. Don\u2019t save seed from plants that flower in their first year, as you don\u2019t want to raise an annual strain that bolts quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plants are usually self-incompatible and must be cross-pollinated by insects. This means there must be a number of plants flowering at the same time. Normally you should save the seed from at least 5 plants to maintain some genetic diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of the cole crops are the same species and will cross with\neach other. To maintain racial purity you have to ensure that only one type\n(and variety) flowers at once. The alternative is to isolate them, either by\ndistance (1000 yards for different varieties, 1500 yards for different crops),\nor by caging them (don\u2019t forget they need insects for pollination). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The seed pods should be gathered when the older bottom pods first start to split open. Watch them carefully as they shatter easily when they are fully ripe. Cut the seedpod bearing stems and dry them in a warm place (I put small quantities in a paper grocery bag, so I don\u2019t lose any seeds). The seeds are fairly big and are easily handled and cleaned. Of course it is essential that they are thoroughly dry before storage.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t a very common crop in this\ncountry, though it is finally being recognised for its merits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purple Sprouting Broccoli<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

White Sprouting Broccoli<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 These are the only varieties you are likely to\nfind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nine Star Perennial<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This semi-mythical perennial variety, is pretty hard to find in North America (If you have some seed, I would love to get some off of you.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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