An unusual variety of cabbage in a summer cottage. Growing broccoli in open ground - secrets of care and planting

Broccoli is grown in many countries around the world and is most often grown in open ground. Growing in hotbeds and greenhouses is also practiced, but this native of Italy feels much better in fresh air, under the sun's rays. In our country, greenhouses are used to obtain early harvests, and the bulk of the products are obtained from garden beds.

Is it possible to grow broccoli outdoors?

Broccoli comes from the Eastern Mediterranean; sunny Italy is considered its homeland. This is a region where it is almost always warm and has plenty of natural moisture, a region where grapes and exotic southern fruits grow. One might think that Russia is not very suitable for growing this variety of cabbage and that our destiny is only numerous white cabbage varieties. However, this is not the case. It turns out that the optimal daytime temperature for broccoli is from 16 to 25 o C, which is observed in the summer in most of our country. In addition, we have sufficient rainfall in most regions. And this is it best conditions for growing broccoli.

In our country, all types of cabbage can be grown with equal success.

Broccoli is one of those vegetables that does not stay in the garden for long: the entire growing season for different varieties is from two to four months. Therefore, the Russian summer is quite enough to avoid having to worry about growing seedlings at home or using greenhouses for broccoli. However, the number of lovers of this product is constantly growing, and many would like to have it on the table at any time of the year. And to obtain early and, conversely, late autumn harvests of this cabbage, it is no longer possible to do without greenhouses. But summer harvests, for harvesting from mid-July to the end of September, can be obtained in open ground even in the northern regions.

How to grow broccoli in open ground

The rules for growing broccoli are similar to growing cauliflower, but the former is quicker: from planting seedlings to the ripening of the heads of some varieties, a little more than a month passes. But this cabbage is easy to grow by immediately sowing the seeds in the garden. If you are growing seedlings, in central Russia you should start at the end of March, in the north - a little later. Sowing seeds in open ground is possible in early May, and then this can be done as needed, but no later than the beginning of July.

Growing through seedlings

When growing broccoli through seedlings, the first heads can be cut off at the very beginning of summer, but this method will require a lot of work, so each gardener decides for himself whether it makes sense to grow seedlings. To sow at home, you first need to prepare the seeds, choosing the largest ones. The seeds should be disinfected; the easiest way to do this is to place them in hot water(about 50 ºC). It would also be nice to keep them in a solution of urea or boric acid and harden them. After drying the seeds a little to a loose state, you can sow.

A thin layer of drainage (river sand or small pebbles) is placed in the seedling box, followed by a layer of 6–8 cm of prepared soil. It should be light but nutritious. Usually they take old compost in half with turf soil, adding a little wood ash. The resulting mixture should be disinfected with a dark purple solution of potassium permanganate.

Sowing is carried out in shallow furrows 5–7 cm apart, to a depth of 1.5 cm. It is better not to sow often: you will have to thin out, since broccoli does not tolerate picking well. The crops must be well watered and covered with glass until germination. At normal temperatures, seedlings will appear in a maximum of a week. Now it is important to reduce the temperature for a week, to 10 degrees, otherwise the seedlings will stretch. And when growing seedlings, temperatures above 16 ºC are completely undesirable. Care is simple: maintain a low temperature, water, light a little: up to 16 hours of daylight are required per day. It's better to do without picking. You can feed 1-2 times with a solution of complex fertilizer.

Growing broccoli seedlings at home is not very easy, and it is worth doing only to obtain early produce.

The seedlings are hardened off 10–12 days before planting in the garden. It is ready for planting when 6–8 true leaves appear. It is necessary to plant in the garden in the evening, preferably so that it is cloudy the next day. After planting, the cabbage should be watered well and the hole should be mulched. Below we will look at caring for plantings in more detail.

Growing by sowing seeds in a garden bed

You can sow broccoli in a box all spring, but all sense in this disappears after the first sowing: after all, starting in May, in most regions you can sow broccoli directly into the garden bed. To do this, the earth in them must warm up well. The sowing depth in the garden is slightly greater than in boxes, up to 2 cm. The crops are covered with soil, watered, and mulched so that the soil does not dry out too much and does not crack.

You can sow broccoli in the garden many times, depending on how much you love this cabbage. But the last time in the middle zone is somewhere in the first days of July, otherwise the cabbage may not have time to ripen properly. Those who like to extend the cutting of heads until late autumn, of course, can remember about greenhouses, but here we are considering cultivation in open ground.

Shoots will appear in the garden beds, just like at home, in a week. And then there is the usual care: do not let the soil dry out and weed. The bed should not dry out, but stagnation of water should also be avoided.

Features of agricultural technology for broccoli in open ground and planting options

Growing broccoli is not much different from growing related varieties of cabbage. Like cabbage or cauliflower, broccoli requires a lot of nutrients and moisture, as well sunny color. Like all its relatives, it does not feel well in the heat and is generally affected by the same bouquet of diseases and pests. The differences consist mainly in the fact that even late varieties of broccoli do not stay in the garden for very long, and, in addition, in the fact that many varieties are characterized by the formation of small heads even after cutting off the main one. Compared to growing in a greenhouse, there are no special differences in open beds not visible. It’s probably even easier to do this in open ground: rain reduces the amount of watering required, and bright sunshine promotes better filling of the heads.

Preparing the soil for planting broccoli

For broccoli you need to set aside a sunny bed; in partial shade it will grow worse, and in the shade of trees it may not produce a normal harvest at all. It prefers soils with a neutral environment (pH from 6.5 to 7.5), but grows in anything except strongly acidic ones. Strongly acidic soils can be corrected, but this must be done in advance, not in the year the cabbage is planted. To neutralize excess acidity, any alkaline bulk materials available on the farm are suitable: chalk, slaked lime, and in not too critical cases, even ordinary wood ash. Ash is an excellent potassium fertilizer that does not cause any harm to either plantings or consumers of garden products.

If horsetail is found on the site, you need to run to the store for lime long before planting broccoli: it grows only on acidic soils

Broccoli is grown in a bed of any size, it depends on the availability free space in the garden and the preferences of the owner of the site. It is better to prepare the bed in the fall so that biological balance can be established in it. The preparation is no different from that for planting most garden plants. The soil is dug up onto the bayonet of a shovel, adding to each square meter a bucket of compost or rotted manure and a jar (from 0.5 l to 1 l) of wood ash. You can also add mineral fertilizers (20–30 g each of superphosphate and any potash), but this is for amateurs; broccoli can get by with natural fertilizers if it is really well-prepared compost, and the ash comes from burning wood waste, and not coal and other unknown things. plastic. You cannot plant broccoli after any cruciferous crops: cabbage, radish, radish, daikon.

Planting broccoli

So, the garden bed is ready in the fall, spring has arrived. When should planting begin? Depending on the region and method of cultivation: do we have seedlings in boxes (you can, of course, buy them) or will we sow seeds directly into the ground. You can sow prepared seeds when the soil warms up, but the weak night cold snaps have not yet ended: about a week before they stop. In the middle zone this starts in mid-May, in other regions, respectively, a little earlier or later. Planting seedlings is a couple of weeks later, when it is already warm enough and there will definitely not be severe frosts: properly grown broccoli seedlings can withstand a slight negative temperature.

How far apart should plants be? With any growing method, leave 30–35 cm between seedlings in rows, and half a meter between rows. Ordinary sowing is also possible, if you don’t mind the seeds, because thickened shoots will have to be pulled through. You can put two seeds in each hole, and then remove the weaker specimen as soon as it becomes clear who is ahead of whom in development. U experienced gardeners There are no problems with sowing. Place the seeds in the holes to a depth of 2 cm, cover them with soil, compact them by hand and water them well, after which they lightly mulch.

With good care, broccoli grows quite large, which must be taken into account when planting and not plant it too thickly

If broccoli is planted through seedlings, deep holes are dug for this: up to 20–25 cm.

The seedlings are planted deeper than they were in the box: they are buried along the entire stem, and only a bunch of leaves are left above the ground. At the same time, you need to be careful not to fall asleep and the growth point.

Very carefully, with a lump of earth, the seedlings taken out of the box are lowered into the prepared holes, covered with soil and the roots are carefully squeezed so that all the voids are well filled with earth. Water each hole with several liters of water and mulch with bulk materials (peat, humus, or, in extreme cases, just dry soil). Depending on the variety, there is from one and a half to two and a half months left before harvesting, and during this time simple care is needed.

Caring for broccoli in open ground

Caring for broccoli in a garden bed is much easier than caring for its seedlings in an apartment. After all, the main danger for seedlings is high temperatures: from them the plants immediately begin to stretch out and grow weak. There are no problems with this in the garden, if you exclude extreme summers. It is precisely because of this factor that good broccoli harvests are not obtained in the southern regions of our country.

Watering broccoli

Watering can be easy if the one and a half to two months when broccoli lives in the beds turn out to be rainy. In dry weather, this cabbage has to be watered often, if possible, then every other day. In the middle zone there are rarely seasons when daily watering is required. To better retain moisture, the beds must be covered with a continuous carpet of peat, hay, and humus. A layer of mulch of several centimeters will also save you from weeds, at least annual ones that are not very powerful. If you don’t use mulch, after each watering you have to loosen the beds until they close together. cabbage leaves. You can use any water for irrigation, but it is better, of course, to settle and not be too icy.

Fertilizing broccoli in open ground

It is advisable to feed the broccoli seedlings 2 weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground or 2–3 weeks after the emergence of seedlings from sowing broccoli seeds. Of course, the easiest way to do this is with mineral fertilizers, which are now seemingly invisible on sale. I bought a bag, read the instructions, poured a spoon or two into a watering can, diluted it with water and watered it! But many gardeners understand that we have already eaten all kinds of poison with food from the store, and therefore they try to at least protect themselves here. Whether this is right or wrong is up to everyone to decide: fertilizers used in recommended doses, of course, are practically harmless to humans, but the use of natural organic matter is still safer. Therefore, if there is manure or mullein, it will be a little more difficult, but calmer.

If a handful of cow manure in a bucket of water does not spoil the plants, then you need to be very careful with chicken, and even more so pigeon, droppings. This is a very highly concentrated nitrogen fertilizer, which, if used incorrectly, instantly burns green plants. A handful of droppings should be infused in water for 2–3 days, and after that the resulting infusion should be diluted again 10 times. This diluted solution (and for mullein - the original solution, a handful per bucket) is enough for about 8–10 plants. After a few minutes they need to be watered clean water. After another 12–14 days, fertilizing should be repeated. With this feeding the heads will grow much larger.

Contents of the bucket with organic fertilizer looks unappetizing to humans, but cabbage will produce a good increase in yield

Many varieties of broccoli, after cutting the main head, produce an additional harvest - either instead of it, or (more often) on the side stems. In order for these small heads to grow larger, after cutting off the main head, you need to feed the broccoli with a solution containing phosphorus and potash fertilizers(20–30 g per bucket of water).

Treating broccoli in open ground against pests

There are few diseases in broccoli, and the worst is black leg. When infected, the plant stem becomes thinner, rots, easily breaks and is pulled out of the ground. But the most dangerous period is being in the planting boxes. In the garden bed, this infection attacks much less frequently: with excess humidity, strong temperature fluctuations and too frequent planting. If this happens, the cabbage should be watered with a 0.05% solution of potassium permanganate or the plantings should be sprinkled with a 0.1% solution of Rizoplan. After this, you need to add calcined sand to the roots. Not all plants will survive a blackleg infection, but those that survive should be re-treated after 10–15 days.

But any cabbage, and broccoli in particular, has much more pests. These are cabbage flies, cabbage aphids, cabbage and turnip whites, cruciferous flea beetles, etc. If they have already settled on cabbage, the situation is bad, and you shouldn’t let it get to that point. It’s good to use preventive spraying folk remedies- no problem.

To repel most insects, completely universal garden infusions are suitable: tops of tomatoes, potatoes, red peppers. Infusions of tobacco or wood ash with the addition of laundry soap are often used.

Spraying should be carried out in calm, cloudy weather. The first time should be done soon after the seedlings take root well or the seedlings produce several healthy leaves. Preventive treatment can be repeated every 10–15 days, and especially after heavy rains, which wash away all efforts.

Broccoli stands out from other cabbages with its beauty, exquisite taste, healthfulness and demanding nature. It is cultivated on all continents, but is especially valued in Europe. In Russia, the vegetable is only gaining popularity.

Broccoli loves rich, non-acidic soil, mineral nutrition, water and warmth, but does not like heat. For good harvest The seedlings must be strong, and the varieties must be modern, preferably hybrid.

Preparing to plant broccoli

To enjoy broccoli all summer and fall, and freeze the tasty heads for the winter, you will have to tinker with the seedlings. The first seeds are sown at home, in February and March. The next batch is sown in a greenhouse or open ground in April - June. If you sow varieties at the same time different terms ripening, some of the cabbage will be exposed to the summer heat and will not form heads.

Growing broccoli in seedlings allows you to:

• set up a vegetable conveyor;
• grow varieties with different ripening periods;
• protect young plants from cold and pests.

Broccoli seedlings take root after transplantation and quickly catch up and then overtake the cabbage planted with seeds in open ground. Moreover, the latter is often stunted due to damage caused by cruciferous flea beetles.

It is necessary to choose the right sowing time. Overgrown seedlings will form a small head that will quickly crumble. Spring seedlings should be 40-50 days old, summer seedlings should be 30-35 days old. Spring ones are planted in the garden in early May, summer ones - in mid-May, when the beds are cleared of early crops. Good seedlings have 4-5 leaves, are hardened, and not elongated.

Broccoli seedlings love good lighting, but prefers the mode short day. It can be grown in a polycarbonate greenhouse with solar heating - there will be enough warmth, light and moisture for delicate plants. In addition, in the greenhouse, young cabbage is protected from cruciferous flea beetles - malicious pests of seedlings.

Strong, hardened seedlings are planted in open ground. It is better to plant in cloudy weather or in the evening. A handful of humus and ash is added to the holes.

When transplanting plants, they are buried down to the cotyledons. If there is a threat of spring frosts, the bed is covered with dense agrofibre.

The distance between plants for early and middle varieties is 45x60 cm. Late varieties form large and powerful leaves, so they need more space - 70x70 cm.

A bed of broccoli can be “diluted”:

• cabbage;
• peas;
• onions;
• beans;
• beets;
• chicory.

Tomato and celery will repel pests from broccoli.

Care

Caring for broccoli is almost no different from caring for cauliflower. The plant is in dire need of light and watering. Air must flow to the roots. For this upper layer soils are kept loose. The bed is weeded every week. Plants are hilled at least once a season so that additional roots appear on the stem.

Early varieties set heads in 56–60 days, mid-season varieties in 65–70. If the summer is cool, the ripening period lengthens. In the fall, plants that have not had time to grow full heads can be dug up with roots and placed in the basement where they will ripen. In case of slight autumn frost, vegetables can be covered with agrofibre or polypropylene bags.

Fertilizers

Broccoli is picky about soil. The heads will not be large on sandy soil, but on loam the plants feel excellent. Fertile, structured, “living” soil is ideal for the crop. Such soil does not require digging. With drip irrigation, it is possible to grow heads of record weight.

The best fertilizers for broccoli are organic. In the fall, ash and organic matter are added to the garden bed: compost, mowed grass, chicken droppings, fallen leaves. In spring, organic matter will partially decompose, improving the structure and fertility of the soil. Cabbage does not like acidic soil - such soil needs to be limed or ash added in the fall.

Liming must be done with caution. Broccoli needs manganese. If you add a lot of lime to the soil, the element will go into an insoluble form and become inaccessible to plants. When adding ash, such problems do not arise.

Growing broccoli in open ground is not as popular as growing tomatoes and cucumbers. But in vain. This is a hyper-healthy vegetable and it is quite simple to adapt to the agricultural technology of its cultivation. Let's figure out how to grow broccoli in the garden, what agricultural technology features need to be taken into account in order to avoid mistakes in the first stages.

A little praise for this vegetable

Of course, cabbage of any variety is a source of many vitamins. Broccoli occupies a leading place among cabbages in terms of nutritional elements. The heads of the inflorescences and part of the stem are eaten. A special feature of broccoli is its high content of protein and vitamin A. The presence of vitamins C and K in the vegetable is also appreciated.

It is useful for pregnant women, people with reduced immunity, and children to include broccoli dishes in their daily menu. Thanks to this cabbage, metabolism is normalized and the condition of people with cardiovascular diseases improves.

It is better to eat the vegetable raw, doused with hot water. When steaming cabbage, do not allow it to overcook.

Broccoli - annual plant. The color of the heads can be very diverse - from rich green to purple. Vegetable crops are cultivated in different climatic conditions. Collateral high yield there will be a selection of a suitable variety.

Types and varieties of broccoli: brief description and cultivation features

We are accustomed to dense heads of broccoli consisting of unopened green buds. But there are also yellow, blue and purple varieties of ordinary broccoli. And in Western cuisine, another type of broccoli is very popular - the so-called asparagus cabbage. Its bud heads are small and located on the bush on thin stems. The taste is excellent (believe me, the term accurately conveys the taste without embellishing it at all).

Approximately 200 varieties of cabbage have been developed. It is impossible to identify the perfect variety of broccoli. There is such a thing as the most popular varieties, these include: Tonus, Linda, Gnome, Vitamin, Curly Head, Caesar. At the same time, the ripening period indicator has a significant influence on the choice of variety. Conventionally, varieties can be divided into early-ripening, mid-ripening, and late-ripening.

• Early ripening. The period of technical maturity is 60-95 days. Planting seeds for seedlings begins in mid-March. Seedlings are planted in open ground after 35-45 days. The fruits are recommended to be eaten fresh. Some varieties of cabbage can be canned. Common varieties: Lord F1, Linda, Tonus, Monaco F1.
• Mid-season. The time from sowing the seeds to the ripening of the vegetable is 105-135 days. The seed is sown in the ground from mid-March. Seedlings are planted after 42-52 days. They tolerate light frosts well. Cabbage is consumed fresh or can be fermented. Popular varieties: Ironman F1, Gnome, Fortune.
• Late ripening. The harvest is harvested 140-145 days after planting the seeds. Seedlings are planted in open ground from mid-May. Ripe vegetables can be stored for up to 5 months if storage technology is followed. Famous varieties: Agassi F1, Marathon F1.

The soils selected are light, loamy, preferably neutral. It is necessary to take into account that this vegetable crop is demanding of moisture and light. Broccoli tolerates hot weather and frost better than cauliflower. But in moderate temperature conditions(+16-20°C) develops much faster. And the main difference from the colored one is that its heads do not require shading, they do not become loose or fall apart.

It is better to plant the crop on plots of land after potatoes, carrots, and legumes. Undesirable predecessor crops are radishes, tomatoes, beets, radishes. When replanting broccoli in one area, an interval of four years is observed.

After cutting off the central head of cabbage, broccoli grows quite abundantly. axillary shoots, so you should not remove the plant from the ground after the first harvest - you will get an additional harvest from the side shoots.

Features of growing broccoli in open ground without chemicals

Before growing broccoli in the garden, the plot is prepared in the fall - the ground is carefully mulched or sown with green manure from another group: vetch, lupine, phacelia, oats, buckwheat. If there has been no such preparation, then fertilizers are added to the soil. Recommended use organic fertilizers– compost, manure, ash.

Well-rooted seedlings are resistant to temperatures down to -7°C. When watering, it is advisable to use the sprinkling method to increase air humidity. Before planting, the seeds are heated or kept in a Fitolavin solution for disinfection for half an hour.

Some features of agricultural technology: planting seedlings in dark areas reduces yield; When seedlings are planted densely, the weight of the heads decreases. It is optimal if a distance between seedlings of 30-35 cm is maintained in the garden bed.

• Non-seedling option– seeds are sown immediately in open ground, starting from the first days of May until the end of the month. The hole is well watered beforehand. 4-5 seeds are planted in one hole at some distance from each other (to a depth of 2 cm).
• Seedling option(used more often due to the possibility of obtaining early harvest) – the seed is buried to a depth of 1 cm. The seedlings are grown in a greenhouse or greenhouse. Seedlings are transplanted into open ground as soon as they have 4-5 leaves. The beds are well moistened beforehand. The right time for planting seedlings is a cloudy evening. The day before and after transplanting, the seedlings are watered abundantly. If you were unable to fertilize the soil in the fall, you can add wood ash and humus to the holes when planting sprouts.

To obtain a uniform harvest throughout summer period start sowing seeds for seedlings from mid-March and then 3-4 times, maintaining an interval of 15-20 days.

Caring for broccoli

The main actions when caring for a crop: mulching, watering and fertilizing. If you do not use mulch, then weed and loosen carefully - when the roots are exposed, be sure to hill up the plants. Water the cabbage at least every other day, and daily during hot weather.

Due to the demands on watering, many summer residents refuse to cultivate cabbage - you often don’t get enough time from work. But if someone lives at the dacha all season or has the opportunity to travel often, then you can build drip irrigation from a barrel so that the water saturates the garden beds by gravity. Turning the taps twice a day is no problem.

Fertilizing for the first time is done 14-16 days after planting the seedlings or 21 days after sowing the seeds. Cabbage responds well to root and foliar feeding. For root we use weed infusions and humates, alternating them. For spraying on the leaf - ash tinctures and EM ki.

Harvesting and storing broccoli

The harvest is harvested before the flower buds open. On average, the weight of a head measuring 10-20 cm is 500 grams. You can also cut off part of the stem that is used in cooking.

It is advisable to harvest in the morning, when the plants have absorbed moisture.

Packaged vegetables are stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 1-5ºC. Moreover, it is better to freeze early varieties of cabbage, but the autumn harvest can actually be kept fresh for about 3 months at zero air temperature.

Broccoli diseases: descriptions, remedies, prevention of infection

Keel's disease– accompanied by the appearance of bubble formations. Diseased plants turn yellow and wither. Appears on damp and acidic soils.

Protection measures:

• adding lime, ground eggshells into the ground - 350 grams per 1 sq.m.

Mucous bacteriosis– mucus appears on the leaves and heads. Plants acquire bad smell rotting leaves. Putrefactive bacteria are spread by the cabbage fly.

Protection measures:

• watering plants with a solution of potassium permanganate;
• destruction of cabbage fly;
• pollination with ash.

Powdery mildew– gray spots with a powdery coating cover the leaves. The disease is provoked by high air humidity and watering with chilled water.

Protection measures:

• preventive treatment of seeds with hot water;
• to increase immunity, spray with a tank mixture of biofungicides and immunostimulants. Repeated treatment of seedlings 20 days after planting.
• when fungus appears, treat the plants with a biosoda solution.

Preventive measures to prevent diseases:

• rotation of plant crops;
• Preliminary processing seeds;
• regular inspection of broccoli;
• removing lower foliage and thinning plants;
• compacted plantings using marigolds and nasturtiums.

You rarely see broccoli planted in summer cottages. Although this cabbage belongs to vegetable crops, which are presented on the menu quite diversely: raw and boiled, fried and baked. This vegetable is used as a side dish and added to salads. It is enough to include broccoli in the family diet, appreciate the exquisite taste of the dishes, and you will definitely find a place on summer cottage for its cultivation. Believe me, if you take into account the listed features of growing broccoli in open ground, then this vegetable from your garden will give you real pleasure!

Broccoli is a valuable food product. It contains a large number of vitamins (C, K, A), as well as folic acid and beneficial microelements (calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron). Few people know about the extremely beneficial feature of broccoli that prevents the development of cancer cells. It is rarely used in domestic cooking, but it came to the tables of residents of Mediterranean latitudes back in the 6th century BC.

The appearance of broccoli and cauliflower suggests common genetic roots. Outwardly they are very similar, like close relatives. Both varieties are valued not for their leaves, as is the case with ordinary cabbage, but for the inflorescences that form on the stems - peduncles. In cauliflower they are usually white, while in broccoli they are dark green. They consist of buds. If the inflorescences of asparagus cabbage begin to turn yellow, then small flowers have already bloomed in them and the vegetable is not suitable for consumption. The shoots reach a height of 60 to 90 cm.

Growing broccoli - secrets and features

In general, growing broccoli does not require any complicated techniques or approaches. Knowing the simple secrets of growing broccoli, you can grow excellent dark green heads. The main thing is to create suitable conditions growing broccoli, which consists in providing high humidity air and soil.

The soil should be 75% moist and the air should be 85%. As for the temperature regime, then best performance thermometer for asparagus cabbage - +16°C-+25°C. The culture is quite cold-resistant, so it can withstand even significant frosts when the thermometer drops to -7°C.

Soil requirements for planting crops

The plant likes loose, slightly alkaline or neutral soil. Grows in different soils, but more good results can be achieved by planting broccoli in an area with a predominance of nutritious, black soil or in soil containing clay.

The best predecessor crops are carrots, potatoes and all types of legumes. The worst option for broccoli would be if tomatoes, radishes, turnips or any variety of cabbage grew in this area last summer.

Growing broccoli - methods and agricultural technology

The first thing the agricultural technology of broccoli begins with is planting seeds for seedlings. For Russian summer conditions, it is better to select not late, but early or middle varieties, so that they have time to grow and produce full-fledged heads of cabbage.

There are two ways to grow broccoli from seeds - seedlings and non-seedlings. When using the first of these methods, broccoli is grown and then planted in unprotected soil. The second technique is to plant the seeds directly into the soil when it has already warmed up sufficiently.

Seedling method of growing broccoli

To be 100% sure that the plant will have time to grow and heads of cabbage to form, you need broccoli seedlings: growing at home involves cultivating young seedlings in early spring.

The first thing you need to decide on in order for broccoli to grow from seeds in time is when to plant it as seedlings. The optimal time to sow broccoli for the seedling method is the first two weeks of March.

The process of growing broccoli begins with preparing the seeds. It includes several stages:

Preparing the soil for seedlings

Now that the seeds are completely ready, it is necessary to prepare high-quality soil for them. It is composed of equal parts peat, humus, garden soil and coarse river sand. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Then the finished soil is disinfected. For this, a light aqueous solution of potassium permanganate is used. It is heated and the hot, disinfecting liquid is poured onto the soil. This procedure will help get rid of many infections and fungi that cause numerous broccoli diseases, such as blackleg.

Planting cabbage seeds

Further cultivation of broccoli at home consists of: correct landing seeds

First of all, you need to decide on the containers in which the seedlings will grow.

The best option is separate peat pots. When planting plants in individual peat containers, there is no need for further picking. This has a positive effect on the condition of the root system, since during diving it can be disrupted, which causes stress to the seedlings. The material from which the mini-pots are made also helps to avoid such consequences, since the seedlings are planted on permanent place along with the container.

Rules for sowing seeds

You can grow seedlings in large boxes, but then they will have to be planted into separate containers later. The height of the container should not exceed 25 cm. Drainage material is pre-laid on its bottom; it is better to use expanded clay for these purposes. Then the soil is filled in and well moistened. Shallow grooves are made in it (1-1.5 cm), optimal distance between which - 3 cm. The grooves can be made using a regular school ruler, pressing on it until the desired depth is obtained. After this, the seeds are laid out, soil is poured on top and compacted a little. Containers with planted seeds are covered with polyethylene and placed in warm room, where the temperature is constantly maintained at +20°C.

Seedling care and picking

After a week or a week and a half, the first shoots appear. Then the film is removed and the temperature drops to +10°C.

Cabbage sprouts are kept in this temperature regime for a week, after which the air should be constantly warmed up to +16°C-+20°C.

When 3 true leaves appear, the broccoli is picked from the common boxes into a separate bowl. This is done simply: using a disposable plastic spoon, dig up a seedling and move it into a cup or other individual container. The composition of the soil is identical to that used for sowing the seeds. It is well watered in advance, a small depression is made in it, a young shoot is planted, root system is filled up to the level of dicotyledonous leaves, the earth around is slightly compacted.

Transplantation to a permanent place

Ready seedlings are planted in unprotected soil during the last ten days of April - the first ten days of May. The main condition is that there is no threat of frost, and the air is already stably warmed up to +15°C. By this time, the broccoli shoots have already become stronger, their stem is stable, and has at least six true leaves. If spring turns out to be cold, there is no need to rush and plant cabbage shoots within a strictly specified time frame. It's better to wait anyway warm weather so as not to lose the seedlings.

Greenhouse cultivation of broccoli

In order to grow broccoli in a greenhouse, seeds are selected and prepared, and seedlings are grown according to the method discussed above.
The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that in the greenhouse it is possible to plant seedlings earlier, especially if the structure is heated, so the timing of planting seeds may be different. The main rule is to sow the seeds 30-45 days before the finished seedlings need to be transplanted to a permanent place.

The soil in greenhouses is prepared in advance, in the autumn. At this time, fertilizers of mineral and organic origin are added to the soil. In the spring, before planting seedlings, the soil is nourished nitrogen fertilizers. It is desirable that the composition of the greenhouse soil and soil is seedling pots coincided.

Rules for growing in uncovered soil

This is not to say that agricultural technology for broccoli in open ground is too complicated. Knowing some rules of care and a few secrets that this useful vegetable conceals, you can easily grow green inflorescences in your area.

This culture loves moisture and cannot tolerate aggressive sun rays. It is better to plant it in partial shade, where sunlight dissipates. The soil should be nutritious and not acidic. Excessively acidic soil can be corrected with lime or chalk. Powdered eggshells are another great remedy for solving the problem.

Transplantation into open soil

The seedlings are placed in well-watered holes, about 20-30 cm deep. The distance between the bushes is 35-40 cm. The seedling is buried down to the first dicotyledonous leaves, then the soil is filled in and lightly pressed down around the bush. After this, the transplanted shoots are mulched. Mulch will prevent moisture from evaporating too quickly, will help fight weeds, and will also save young sprouts from “sunstroke” that they may receive in a new place.

This procedure is best carried out in the evening or in cloudy weather to protect the seedlings from the hot sun, under the influence of which they can immediately wilt. For the same purpose, the seedlings are provided with shading from sunlight for the first week. For this, buckets, spruce or pine “paws”, and burdock leaves are used.

Further care for asparagus cabbage consists of: regular watering, fertilizing and loosening.

Varieties and types of broccoli

To date, about 200 varietal variations of broccoli have already been bred. It is gaining more and more popularity due to its excellent taste, useful properties and simple agricultural technology. Broccoli has a number of advantages over its relative, cauliflower. It is more cold-resistant; if cut, it sprouts new shoots, therefore it is more fertile. In addition, it tolerates diseases well and is not susceptible to pests. What varieties of broccoli have won the love of gardeners and gardeners today?

Variety Tonus

One of the first places in popularity is occupied by Tonus broccoli cabbage, which forms large inflorescences. Its central stem weighs 130-150 grams, and the average weight of the shoots on the sides is 20 grams. Characterized by high productivity. The vegetative period lasts from 2 to 3 months. The heads of cabbage are strong, the inflorescences are dense, dark green, with a slight bluish tint. Its excellent taste makes it an integral part of many delicious dishes.

Caesar variety

No less attractive appearance Caesar broccoli, a hybrid of Polish selection, has excellent taste characteristics. The heads form quite large, weighing 350-450 g. It ripens in an average period - about 100 days pass from the emergence of the first two cotyledon leaves to full ripeness. The inflorescences are dense, bright, green, with the addition of light lilac shades. The central part reaches 13-15 cm in diameter, and reaches 60-70 cm in height. After cutting the main part, it can produce side shoots, their inflorescences reach a diameter of 5-6 cm.

Variety Fortuna

The broccoli variety Fortuna is a mid-season variety. From the moment when the cultivation of Fortuna broccoli seedlings begins until the vegetable fully ripens, 80-85 days pass. The heads of cabbage are formed of medium size (150-200 g). They are rounded and flattened in shape. Colored in rich green color with a gray tint. The taste is pleasant and delicate. It has remontant properties.

Variety Linda

The Czech broccoli variety Linda is characterized by an average harvest time. Full ripeness of dark green heads of cabbage oval shape occurs on day 85-90. The inflorescences are not very dense, their total weight is 300-400 g. Its good, delicate texture and pleasant taste allow it to be used as an addition to salads, side dishes and first courses. About seven shoots with inflorescences are formed after the main shoot is cut off.

Many other varieties have become favorites of farmers due to the combination of two important qualities - yield and good taste. For example, early ripening broccoli Batavia F1 forms large heads, weighing 1.0-1.5 kg each. The heads of cabbage are rich green in color, dense, with small buds in inflorescences. This variety will please finished products 2 months later.

The broccoli variety Lord F1 is ahead of Batavia in terms of harvest timing, since it belongs to the group of very early varieties. Its massive heads will fully ripen in a minimum of 55 days - a maximum of 60. This hybrid is characterized by its large fruit: the main shoot weighs 1-1.5 kg, and inflorescences grow on the side, weighing about 200 grams. Agassi F1 broccoli, bred by Dutch breeders, is characterized by no less short harvest time and large heads of cabbage.

If the farmer’s goal is to obtain medium-sized, mid-ripening cabbage in 3 months, with an even harvest, then Gnome broccoli will come to the rescue, which will delight you with half a kilogram of heads of cabbage, with grayish-green inflorescences.

If you need a variety that is resistant to adverse influences environment, then Calabrese broccoli is perfect. Marathon F1 broccoli, characterized by high yield, is characterized by no less high resistance to stressful conditions. Lots of useful information in the article:

Our family loves all types of cabbage, but especially broccoli. This transitional form cauliflower is also called asparagus cabbage or shoot cabbage. It has been grown in Russia not so long ago.

In Soviet times, only two varieties of seeds were available for sale: Vitamin and Tonus. These are early varieties of broccoli. They form a small, loose central head and almost simultaneously begin to produce lateral shoots in the leaf axils. My acquaintance with this cabbage began with them. And it was unsuccessful.

I then planted a dozen plants. The cabbage grew quickly and tied its head to a fist. While I was waiting for the heads to enlarge, they began to grow quickly and together “went away” into bouquets. At that time I did not yet know that this plant is edible at almost any time of cultivation. We cut off the flower stalks and cut them directly with the flowers, for example, into an omelette.

If the growth is strong, the crushed parts should be lightly simmered under the lid of the frying pan, and then poured with eggs. Young broccoli leaves are equivalent in nutritional value to spinach, sweet potato, and kale.

Broccoli varieties - growing test

Later other varieties appeared on sale.

In one season I experienced several new ones for me - Calabrese, Caesar, Russian Size. The description of which said that the head grows up to 1 kg. This especially impressed me after the earlier varieties. Caesar promised to be 0.6-0.9 kg, Calabrese and Curly Head 0.4-0.6 kg. In a word, I was inspired again.

Sowing Broccoli Seeds

I sow broccoli seeds, like other types of cabbage, in mid-April in open ground, under a film. I pre-soak the seeds in the Epin-extra solution for 2-4 hours. I fill the seeds with hot (up to 50°C) water. This is a seed disinfection technique. When the water has cooled, I add 2-3 drops of Epin per 100 ml.

Having made deep furrows, I lightly compact the soil, water it with humic or manganese Pink colour water. Then I spread out the seeds.

The soil in Samara is heavy and loamy, so I sprinkle the sown seeds with 0.5 cm of river sand (no more than 1 cm) and be sure to pat the rows with my palm - contact with the ground is ensured and can be covered with film. Along the edges and perimeter of the bed I fix the film with bricks. In 5 days there will be shoots. Usually, high-quality seeds germinate in 5-6 days.

If the seeds do not germinate beyond this period, it indicates that they were either sown too deep, or the ground is still cold for active growth, or the seeds are of poor quality and need to be re-sowed. By the way, cabbage seeds can germinate already at +1-2*C. The purple color of the seedlings indicates a constant cold growing regime, which happens when sowing early on an uninsulated bed and in cold weather.

When I get my seeds from cabbage mother plants in the fall, I make sure to calibrate them on a strainer with 1-1.5 mm cells. This technique guarantees uniform germination. I don't use the fine fraction. Calibration for me is a mandatory final step before planting seeds for winter storage.

Broccoli is a cold-resistant crop, but I’m in no hurry to sow cauliflower; it loves warmth and daytime temperatures of 9-12°C. If cauliflower gets 10-14 days of “cold standing” during the seedling period, then don’t expect it from early-ripening varieties good heads, it will go into color en masse! Once, precisely because of this, I received 30 gorgeous “bouquets” of color, so I had to “gift” them to the neighbor’s goats. Such cabbage is not left for seeds. (I’ll tell you how to grow cauliflower and broccoli seeds next time.)

So about broccoli...

Since I make deep furrows when sowing, I do not remove the film until the plants enlarge the false leaves to full-color ones. Last years There were no major frosts in our area, and I completely remove the film when the first true leaf appears. Young seedlings can withstand frosts down to -2"C, adult seedlings - up to -7"C.

When watering from a watering can, the soil becomes crumbly. I look at the stem of cabbage seedlings: when it grows larger, it means it’s time to carry out the first hilling and loosening. I sprinkle the cabbage seedlings in the bed with soil between the rows, and fill the resulting ditch with humus. And I immediately water it from a watering can. The seedlings are growing smoothly! This is especially important and advantageous when selling seedlings on the market. I repeat hilling and loosening as necessary.

Transplanting to a permanent bed

At the age of 35-45 days, I plant plants with 5-6 leaves on a permanent bed, taking into account that broccoli, like all cabbage plants, requires a sunny location.

I form holes at a distance of 60 x 60 or 60 x 70 cm, add humus and a handful or two of river sand. I use compost as a modeling material if there is not enough humus. When I mulch, I make sure that the humus does not touch the stem, since, apparently, in the heat, contact with hot humus causes a burn on the stem, and in this place the stalk then rots. Therefore, I advise you: the humus from the stem should be at a distance of at least 3-5 cm.

In garden literature, for early varieties of broccoli, a distance between plants of 20-25 cm is recommended. Perhaps this is suitable for field planting of agricultural farms with high-tech fertilizing and a single cut of the heads. In my practice, every year I have observed powerful plants that need a sufficient area of ​​nutrition, therefore, like cabbage, I plant according to the scheme of at least 60 x 60 cm.

Broccoli food

In addition to loosening and watering, I provide fertilizing to broccoli complex fertilizers containing microelements. It especially needs boron and molybdenum, which are necessary during the period of crop formation. During this period, a lot of phosphorus and nitrogen are required. With a sufficient amount of them in the soil, plants form a larger head, which mainly corresponds to mid- and late-ripening hybrids. But the Tonus variety is early; in fact, no matter how you feed it, you won’t grow a large head. Therefore it is very important right choice varieties.

If there is a lack of boron during the growth and maturation of cabbage plants, they experience splitting of the stem core.

With a lack of molybdenum, the leaves are deformed, become narrow, twisted, and the inflorescences are underdeveloped. That's why I always use complex fertilizers.

Broccoli: benefits and medicinal properties

And in conclusion of my agricultural advice, I will say a few words of praise about broccoli. This cabbage is valuable for its high biological activity, easily digestible proteins, the content of which exceeds their presence in potatoes, corn and, again, in the now fashionable. Moreover, its protein contains no less essential amino acids than beef.

The protein contains anti-sclerotic substances choline and methionine, which prevent the accumulation of “bad” cholesterol. In terms of carotene content, broccoli follows immediately after carrots, but cauliflower does not contain it.

The fiber of the broccoli head is tender and provides a soft “broom for the intestines.” The favorable combination of vitamins, pectin, and mineral salts makes broccoli especially valuable for people with cardiovascular diseases, nervous disorders, liver and kidney diseases. It is even used in the treatment of radiation sickness, as it removes radioactive substances.

Another argument in favor of growing this cabbage is that broccoli is a product included in the anti-cancer diet, designed to enrich the human diet with adaptogens and foods with useful information. This diet was compiled by the World Cancer Research Fund and the US National Academy of Sciences. The list includes group II, with cruciferous crops in second place: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, white cabbage, red cabbage, watercress, all types of radishes, turnips, horseradish. Broccoli is a powerful preventive barrier, since the sulforaphane it contains kills even bacteria that antibiotics cannot combat.

With all the advantages of broccoli, we can only remind you of its contraindications for those who suffer from pancreatic diseases and have increased acidity, as well as in case of individual intolerance, which, unfortunately, also happens.

If someone in the family cannot eat broccoli, do not deprive others of such a healthy dietary product! After all, even caring for and watching its growth, watering large heads gives great pleasure. Good luck!

Let's grow our own broccoli!

Despite the fact that broccoli is a fairly early ripening cabbage, I grow it through seedlings, which I plant in open ground in May.

FAMILY

Cruciferous

CYCLE

annual plant

DESCRIPTION

The stem is 60-90 cm high at the top and forms many peduncles ending in dense groups of small green buds collected in a small loose head

CROP ROTATION

To prevent broccoli from getting clubroot, it is not planted after cruciferous vegetables (turnips, radishes and other types of cabbage). The best predecessors- beans, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, onions

I sow the seeds at the beginning of April: I choose the largest ones and soak them in a damp cloth. I take ready-made universal soil for seedlings or make it myself: I mix turf soil, humus, sand and ash by eye. The soil should be loose and easily allow moisture to pass through. Stagnation of water when growing any cabbage (although cabbage loves moisture very much) is unacceptable - it will cause blackleg disease.

Planting Around mid-May (30-40 days after sowing), I plant the seedlings in a permanent place. At the same time, my bushes are large, about 20 cm, with 4-5 good leaves and strong fibrous roots - such seedlings will quickly take root and grow. If I haven’t prepared the bed in advance, when planting, I add a handful of ash and humus to each hole and mix it with the soil. I don’t bury the seedlings too deep (only up to the first true leaves), I press the soil tightly against the roots so that there are no voids left, and I water them abundantly.

2-2.5 months after germination, edible inflorescence heads are formed, which are cut off without waiting for the flowers to develop

TIP: I choose a place for broccoli in partial shade, because it does not like heat and needs cool weather (+18...+22 degrees). Soils are better neutral or alkaline. Sour ones, which broccoli does not like, must be deoxidized with lime or chalk.

Straight to the garden

Broccoli seeds can be sown directly into the ground in a permanent place: from mid-May to June. In the plot for broccoli, I mark holes according to a 50x50 cm pattern. I put a few seeds in each (then I leave the best shoots) and water them well. The harvest with this method ripens in August and September. At the same time, the seedlings do not fall under the mass emergence of cruciferous flea beetles, as in early spring, and can safely grow additional shoots until October, when the weather is already cool and rainy.

Broccoli care

Some people believe that you don’t need to spoil broccoli much with water, because it can withstand drought better than other types of cabbage. But while the heads are growing, I still water it regularly - the yield will be higher. I make sure to mulch the soil in the broccoli bed - this way the soil will not dry out and overheat longer (the crop does not like extreme heat), and there will be fewer weeds. 20 days after planting broccoli, I feed it with a solution of mullein (1:10), bird droppings (1:12) or any ready-made mineral fertilizer for cabbage. I bring them in carefully so as not to touch the leaves, otherwise you can cause them to burn. In the first feeding, I pour 0.5 liters into the hole, in the second, after 15-20 days, 1 liter.

BENEFITS OF BROCCOLI

• Broccoli is useful for those who gain strength after an illness or who are tormented by an ulcer: cabbage speeds up its healing.
• This cabbage improves appetite and digestion, stimulates the secretion of bile.
• In terms of the amount of carotene, broccoli is second only to carrots.
• Regular addition of broccoli to food prevents the development of atherosclerosis and improves heart function.

Recipes with broccoli

Casserole

Boil 200 g of broccoli until half cooked and place in a mold. Mix 4 eggs with 50 ml of milk, crushed garlic clove, and add salt. Grate 130 g of cheese and add 2/3 to the egg mixture. Pour the mixture over the vegetables, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and herbs. Bake in the oven until done.

Pickled

Wash 1 kg of broccoli, separate into florets, blanch for about 5 minutes, then put in cold water. Place in sterilized jars and pour in marinade (boil 1 liter of water, add 1 tbsp sugar,