Broccoli

Overview

Broccoli – Brassica olearacea botrytis cymosa                           Rotation group - Brassicas

In some of the older gardening books winter cauliflowers are referred to as winter broccoli but to avoid any confusion and for the purposes of consistency we will distinguish between broccoli and cauliflowers.

Sprouting broccoli will continue the winter brassica harvest well into Spring and it can remain in production until early May. Home grown sprouting broccoli produces tender succulent florets that are unbeatable for tenderness and flavour. It deserves a place on every allotment.

Varieties to choose (sold by Kings Seeds): -

How to grow

Sow

Broccoli is grown from seed. The seed is sown in small pots or trays filled with fresh seed compost from April to May. The seeds can also be sown on a prepared seed bed from April until May. When the seedlings are large enough to handle the can be pricked out singly into 3”/9cm pots filled with fresh potting compost and grown on until they have produced four true leaves. At this stage they will be ready for transplanting in to well prepared soil 3ft/90cms apart in the row with 3ft/90cms between the rows. If space is tight sprouting broccoli can be planted 2ft/60cms apart but the plants appreciate having the extra space and light between them to grow well. Plant the young broccoli a little more deeply that they are in the pots so that the soil is up to the bottom of the first set of leaves.  Water the plants in and keep them well watered until they start to produce new leaves.

Growing on

Broccoli like firm ground they need to be heeled in and push a strong stake or cane alongside the plants to support them against wind rock. The stake can also be used to support netting to protect the plants against pigeon damage. Water regularly and feed once a week with seaweed to produce broccoli plants that will be strong enough to survive the winter.

Aftercare

There will be plenty of bare earth in between the young broccoli plants at the early stages of their growth and although it is tempting to want to use is area it is more efficient to keep it clean and weed free to prevent a possible build up or pest and diseases. (see our weeds as hosts page). Keep tying the growing plants to the supporting stake/bamboo with soft twine. Draw the soil up around the base of the plants to support them and encourage stem rooting.

 

How to Harvest

The succulent green florets will be ready to harvest from March until late April / early May. Pick the florets whilst they are still closed to maintain a steady supply. They will be tender enough to snap off and are unbelievably delicious.

 

Issues

Cabbage root fly is the main danger it attacks soon after transplanting; the female  lays her eggs close to the plants and as the young white maggots develop they eat their way along the roots causing the plants to collapse by day and seeming to recover in the cool of the evening. It is best to dig up any plants that show these symptoms and destroy them. A 6ins/15cm mat made from damp proof coursing may help as it forces the eggs to be laid too far away from the root system for the maggots to survive.

Large and small cabbage white butterflies lay their eggs on the undersides of the leaves and the caterpillars can quickly reduce the leaves to stalks. Small mesh netting suspended over the plants will give some protection but it does make working in between the plants difficult. Spraying the leaves with the biological pest control Bacillus thuringiensis will kill the young caterpillars without harming anything else. It is available from biological pest control suppliers.

Club root which is the curse off any member of the brassica family and is impossible to control it flourishes is poorly drained acidic soil. That is why it is best to raise your own pot grown plants using John Innes soil based compost and definitely not a peat type.