|
|
Brassicas. Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, Cabbage. General.
Our brassicas are traditional heirloom varieties (open pollinated)
selected over the years for taste and dependability.
They are excellent choices for the home gardener.
Cuor di bue Grosso is a good early cabbage which does well throughout the
growing season. San Michele and
Mantovano are long season savoy types best grown so that they mature in the
autumn. They store extremely well.
Our cauliflowers do not need to be blanched and like most brassicas do
best in the cooler weather of spring and fall.
We only carry one true broccoli, Calabrese since it is the prefect
broccoli for the home gardener. Romanesco is sort of a broccoli, sort of a
cauliflower, but with its own distinctive nutty taste).
Calabrese does well throughout the growing season, including summer, has
an excellent taste, and produces an abundance of tasty side shoots after the
main head has been cut. Cavolo Nero
is the only kale grown in Italy, simply because it is by far the best tasting
kale. Culture.
All are relatively heavy feeders and do best with a fertile soil and
a pH above 6.4. Make sure your
crops have an adequate supply of water throughout the growing season.
Practice three year rotations for brassicas to prevent disease,
especially club root. If possible,
grow from 5-6 week transplants. Older transplants often do not do well. Set out the first planting about two weeks before your last
frost date. While brassicas will
survive a frost, a heavy freeze (below 25) may damage the plant and cause
‘buttoning’, tiny heads on cauliflower and sometimes broccoli. Set early cabbage and Calabrese on 12” centers;
set late cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Romanesco broccoli on 16-18 inch
centers. If you direct seed, put
2-3 seeds per space. ˝ inch deep, keep well watered until plant germinates,
and thin to one. Weeds are
easily controlled with a light weeding between plants using a stirrup type hoe.
Two weedings are usually sufficient. Disease/Pests.
Cut worms can be a problem for early spring plantings. Use paper collars sunk @ ˝ inch in the soil around each
plant. Cabbage maggots can be
control by covering seedlings with row covers.
Cabbage worms can be controlled with dipel or with row covers.
Nevertheless, if you grow without pesticides, it is a good idea to soak
your broccoli or kale in salted water before cooking or storing (cabbage worms
will leave the plant & float to the surface.)
Practice three year rotations for all brassicas. Specific Growing Notes.
Cavolo Nero grows well at any time,
but taste is even better than normal after a frost in the fall.
For fall plantings, set transplants out 65-70 days before expected first
frost. They are extremely cold
hardy and you can pick until late December or early January in the Northeast.
If you give them some protection, you can pick them the entire winter.
With Calabrese broccoli, if you cut the main head when it is 3-4 inches
across, this will encourage even more production of side shoots.
Even with side shoot production, it is a good idea to make succession
plantings of broccoli every six weeks or so.
Romanesco broccoli and cauliflower do best if given a steady supply of
moisture and are grown in a fertile well drained soil. Storage/cooking. Ideal storage temperature is 32-34 degrees with high humidity. In the refrigerator, store in the vegetable crisper if possible; keep in a plastic bag to increase moisture content and prevent drying out. Except for Cavolo Nero, temperatures below 20-24 degrees will damage eating quality. Savoy cabbage, if harvested late in the year, will store reasonably well in an unheated garage. While brassicas are excellent cooked by themselves, all of them are especially excellent with pasta. See the recipe section from some really outstanding dishes.
|