broccoli until the 1920s, even t h o u g h this vegetable had been an O l d W o r l d favorite well before that date.
Broccoli has four stages of g r o w t h : (1) rapid g r o w t h of leaves;
(2) formation of the head (which is the part you eat); (3) a resting period while the embryonic blossoms are being f o r m e d ; and (4) development of the stalk, flowers, and seeds. The head formation stage is essential for the p r o d u c t i o n of the vegetable, but not at all necessary for the survival of the plant. Broccoli that's held in check by severe frost, lack of moisture, or too much heat w i l l bolt, w h i c h means it will go directly to seed w i t h o u t bothering to f o r m a head at all.
As w i t h other cole family crops, you can g r o w broccoli in a container on the patio or
indoors — a single broccoli plant in an eight-inch flower pot might make a novel houseplant.
You can also grow broccoli as an accent in a flower b e d .
Where and when to grow Broccoli is frost-hardy and can tolerate low 20°F temperatures. It's a cool season crop and does best w i t h day temperatures under 80°F and night temperatures 20°F lower. Weather that's too cold or t o o warm w i l l cause the plants to bolt w i t h o u t f o r m i n g a head.
Broccoli will g r o w in most areas of the United States at one season or another but is not a suitable crop for very hot climates. Time planting so that y o u ' l l harvest broccoli during cool weather. In cold-winter areas, plant for summer to early fall harvest. In mild climates, plant for late spring or fall harvest; in the South, plant for harvest in late fall or winter.
How to plant
Broccoli likes fertile, w e l l -drained soil w i t h a pH w i t h i n the 6.5 to 7.5 range — this discourages disease and lets the plant make the most of the nutrients in the soil. Broccoli is usually g r o w n f r o m transplants except where there's a long cool p e r i o d , in w h i c h case you can sow seed directly in the garden in fall for w i n t e r harvest.
W h e n you're preparing the soil for planting, w o r k in a c o m p l e t e , well-balanced
fertilizer at the rate of one p o u n d per 100 square feet or 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet. If you have sandy soil or y o u r area is subject to heavy rains, y o u ' l l probably need to supplement the
nitrogen content of the soil. Use about a p o u n d of nitrogen fertilizer for a 10-foot row.
Plant transplants that are four to six weeks old w i t h four or five true leaves. If the transplants are leggy or have crooked stems, plant t h e m deeply (up to the first leaves) so they w o n ' t g r o w to be top-heavy. Plant the seedlings 18 to 24 inches apart, in rows 24 to 36 inches apart. Plan for only a few heads at a t i m e , or plant seeds and transplants at the same time for succession crops — you'll get the same result by planting early and midseason varieties at the same t i m e . If you're planting seeds, set them half an inch deep and three inches apart, and thin them w h e n they're big enough to lift by the true leaves. You can transplant the t h i n n e d seedlings.
Fertilizing and watering Fertilize before planting and again at midseason, at the same rate as the rest of the garden.
Detailed information on fertilizing is given in "Spadework: The Essential S o i l " in P a r t i .
Broccoli needs abundant soil moisture and cool moist air for the best g r o w t h . Cut d o w n on
watering as the heads approach maturity.
Pests
The cabbage family's traditional enemies are cutworms and
caterpillars. However, cutworms, cabbage loopers, and imported cabbage w o r m s can all be controlled by spraying w i t h bacillus thuringiensis, an organic product also k n o w n as Dipel or Thungicide. Detailed information on pest control is given in
"Keeping Your Garden Healthy" in Part 1.
Diseases
Such cabbage family vegetables as broccoli are susceptible to yellows, c l u b r o o t , and d o w n y mildew. Planting resistant varieties, rotating crops f r o m year to year, and maintaining the general health of your garden will cut d o w n on the incidence of disease. If a plant does become infected, remove it before it can spread disease to healthy plants. Detailed information on disease prevention is given in
"Keeping Your Garden Healthy" in Part 1.
When and how to harvest Broccoli grown f r o m seed will take 100 to 150 days to mature, and
some transplants can be harvested in 40 to 80 days.
Harvesting can continue over a relatively long p e r i o d . Cut the central head v^ith five to six inches of stem, when the head is well developed and before it begins to loosen and separate — if the small yellow flowers have started to show, it's past the g o o d -eating stage. Leave the base of the plant and some outer leaves to encourage new g r o w t h . In many varieties small clusters will grow in the angles of the leaves and can be harvested later.
Storing and preserving
Broccoli can be stored in the refrigerator up to one week, or in a c o l d , moist place for t w o to three weeks. Detailed information on storing and preserving is given in Part 3.
Serving suggestions
The good taste of broccoli has been appreciated since way back.
Pliny the Elder w r o t e in the
second century that it was much in favor w i t h the Romans. The classically American way to serve broccoli is w i t h a cheese or Hollandaise sauce, au gratin, or in casseroles. It's also delicious raw, b r o k e n into flowerets and used in a salad or w i t h a d i p p i n g sauce; the small flowerets are decorative on a platter of raw vegetables. If you've got stalks left over after using the head for salads, parboil t h e m and then saute t h e m in oil w i t h a little o n i o n and garlic. To make sure the stems cook adequately w i t h o u t overcooking the tender tops, cook, broccoli like asparagus —
upright in a tall pot so that the stems boil and the tops steam.
Common names: Brussels
jade Cross (90 days) is resistant to yellows virus.
Description
If you've never seen Brussels sprouts outside of a store, you may be quite impressed by the actual plant. Miniature cabbagelike heads, an inch or t w o in
diameter, sprout f r o m a tall, heavy main stem, nestled in among large green leaves. Brussels sprouts belong to the cabbage or cole family and are similar to cabbage in their g r o w i n g habits and requirements. They're hardy and g r o w well in fertile soils, and they're easy to g r o w in the home garden if you f o l l o w correct pest control procedures.
D o n ' t try g r o w i n g the Brussels sprout as a houseplant — it's t o o big to domesticate.
Brussels sprouts have four stages of g r o w t h : (1) rapid growth of leaves; (2) formation of the heads (which is the part you eat);
(3) a resting period while the embryonic blossoms are being f o r m e d ; and (4) development of the stalk, flowers, and seeds. The head formation stage is
essential for the p r o d u c t i o n of the vegetable, but not at all
necessary for the survival of the
plant. Brussels sprouts that are held in check by severe frost, lack of moisture, or t o o much heat w i l l bolt, w h i c h means that they'll go directly to seed w i t h o u t bothering to f o r m a head at all.
Where and when to grow
Brussels sprouts are
frost-h a r d y — in fact, tfrost-hey're tfrost-he most cold-tolerant of the cole family vegetables — and can tolerate low 20°F temperatures. Brussels sprouts do best in a cool growing season w i t h day temperatures under 80°F and night temperatures 20°F lower. Weather that's too cold for t o o long or t o o warm will make t h e m taste bitter; if the sprouts develop in hot weather, they may not f o r m compact heads, but will remain loose tufts of leaves. Brussels sprouts are not a suitable crop for very hot climates, although they will g r o w in most areas of the United States in one season or another.
Time planting so that you harvest Brussels sprouts d u r i n g cool weather. If your area has cold winters, plant for summer to early fall harvest. In mild climates, plant for late spring or fall
harvest. In the South, plant for harvest in late fall or winter.
How to plant
Brussels sprouts like fertile, well-drained soil w i t h a pH w i t h i n the 6.5 to 7.5 range — this
discourages disease and lets the plant make the most of the nutrients in the soil. They're usually grown f r o m transplants, except where there's a long cool p e r i o d , in w h i c h case seeds are sown directly in the garden in fall for winter harvest.
W h e n you're preparing the