Meet The Brassicas...

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages…Oh, my! And let’s not forget Brussels sprouts, broccolini and broccoflower. All of these are super dense nutritionally and are now coming in colors beyond the common green and white – purple and even an orange cauliflower with very high levels of vitamin C! These are all closely related … The Brassica Family, also known as cold or Cole crops. With broccoli and cauliflower, the main difference is that broccoli are slightly smaller and have less covering by leaves over their heads. Broccolini – or sprouting broccoli - is a green vegetable not unlike broccoli with small florets and long, thin stalks. Although often misidentified as young broccoli, it is a cross between broccoli and kai-lan, Chinese broccoli. A natural hybrid of the cabbage family Brassica oleracea, it was developed by the Sakata Seed Company of Yokohama, Japan. Broccolini's flavor is sweet, with notes of both broccoli and asparagus. There are two forms of Brassica oleracea that may be referred to as broccoflower, both of which are considered cultivars of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) because they have inflorescence meristems rather than flower buds when harvested. They share a curd color that is a similar hue to broccoli.

The first form of broccoflower has the physical attributes of a white cauliflower, but the curd color is lime-green. There are several cultivars of green cauliflower on the market, with the first release being 'Green Ball' with parentage of both broccoli and cauliflower.

The second form is Romanesco broccoli, which is characterised by the striking and unusual fractal patterns of its flower head. It has a yellow or vibrant green curd color.
Broccoflowers are generally considered to have a milder and slightly sweeter flavor than their close cabbage-family relatives.

All of these vegetables have similar growing requirements – they like it cool. Cauliflower generally won’t withstand as high or low temperatures as cabbage. Broccoli is not as sensitive to hot weather as cauliflower. Brussels sprout plants will tolerate considerable freezing and can be harvested late into the fall. The best Brussels sprouts are grown during sunny fall days with frosty nights. That’s probably why they are a staple on the Thanksgiving dinner table. Sow in August for harvest on October. Autumn planting for use in winter. Staggered planting of a few each week will ensure that you have a fairly continuous supply through the harvest season. We’ve got time now for an early crop. One well-grown plant can provide a meal for a family of five. You really don’t need to spend much time working out your row lengths or what to do with surplus. All you really need to do is work your menu around your harvest. If you do get some surplus, you can pickle any of these, get out your Food Saver and vacuum freeze or find a family in need.

Either way, Brassicas are easy to grow from seeds, so you can either start seeds indoors early and transplant or direct-sow into the garden. Several university extensions recommend against germination and transplanting to protect against a bacteria that causes a condition called Clubroot. Keeping your soil fed and healthy means growing broccoli and cauliflower without Clubroot.

Soil preparation is vital for growing broccoli, cauliflower and other Brassicas with success. As odd as it may sound, biological activity is particularly important. For a number of years, commercial producers of these vegetables have used soil fumigation in an attempt to control diseases like Clubroot and Blackleg – and failed. These types of disease – like most soil borne diseases, flourish where they have no competition from microorganisms. In other words, dead soil opens the door for disease.

Get your compost pile or containers going, get some composted steer or horse manure and give those pathogens a run for their money. Do all you can to build soil structure. If you must use commercial fertilizers, choose an organic, biologically active one. If you can find it, mushroom compost is phenomenal! Seaweed extracts for root growth add much to a biologically active garden. Brassicas are heavy feeders and do best at the first stages of your crop rotation. Side dress your Brassicas with a good, slow release organic fertilizer about three weeks after planting. Even with this super rich soil you’re going to give them, they are greedy and will require more.

Research indicates that there are no universally good varieties to grow. Some varieties do better in some areas than others. A good approach is to check out those catalogs and sources specializing in heritage or heirloom seeds. Those varieties seem to be suited to a broader climatic range. Email me at thegardengrrl@gmail.com for some sources.

Broccoli prefers full sun, well-drained soil high in organic matter and a 6.0 to 7.5 pH level. Broccoli generally doesn’t like it much if the temperatures are above 68 degrees or so. They tend to get testy and bolt to seed. Broccoli has a relatively shallow root system. Cultivate carefully and apply organic mulch for weed control. Even moisture is important as well, especially if you’ve transplanted and during the maturing of the heads. Make sure your watering deeply – at least 6 inches deep – to encourage deeper rooting. Drip irrigation or soaker hoses are particularly well suited for managing Brassicas.

Harvest your broccoli before the flowers begin to open. That’s all they are, really; flower buds. Mature heads are anywhere from three to ten inches across. Harvest with six to eight inches of stem. Lateral heads will develop later and will be smaller, but not any less tasty.

Broccoli – like all Brassicas – can have problems with several insect and disease problems, including cutworms (how I hate those!), cabbage loopers, cabbage worms, flea beetles, white flies, aphids, blackleg, clubroot, blackrot and fusarium wilt. “Why even bother with them, then?” you ask. Control of disease and pests with Brassicas is really pretty easy. Control insects before the heads start to develop or protect them with a physical barrier like row covers.

Let me add just a bit more about cutworms. Yuck. Seriously, though…Use cutworm collars on your transplants to shield the stem. To make one, simply take a small strip of paper or newspaper and lightly wrap the stems of the young plants at soil level. Make sure that the collar is both below and above the soil level so as the cutworm crawls along the ground, it can’t gnaw the stem. Be sure to keep your growing area free of weeds, which will attract the egg-laying moths. Diatomaceous earth spread around the base of the plants discourages the egg layers, as well as earwigs and other ickies. There are always insect parasitic nematodes that you can purchase and apply to the soil. I really don’t like cutworms at all. Not one little bit. Nope.

Cabbages also thrive in cool weather, so grow as an early spring or fall crop in most areas, or as a winter crop where temperatures rarely fall below freezing. Avoid plantings that will mature in hot, dry weather. For early cultivars, start plants indoors six to eight weeks before the last expected frost. Set out transplants into the garden about four weeks before the last expected frost so they'll mature before the hot weather arrives. Or direct sow around the time of the last expected frost. For mid-season and storage varieties, you can sow directly in the garden about two weeks before the last expected frost until two to three weeks after. Most gardeners prefer to use transplants to get a jump on the season, so look for sturdy, compact plants that show no signs of disease or insects like flea beetle or cabbageworms. The leaves should not be yellow or brown, and the stems should be firm and unscarred. When setting out transplants do so about four weeks before the last expected frost and when soil temperatures are 40 degrees or higher. Like right now! Row covers can help protect plants from cold temperatures. Cabbages need a steady supply of moisture. To help keep the soil moist and cool, apply mulch 6 to 8 inches deep around the plants. For fall crops, start plants or direct sow seed from mid-May to mid-June. You can also start cabbages in September for a late-winter or early-spring crop.

Brussels sprouts resemble miniature heads of cabbage, but are actually buds that grow in the angle between the leaf bases and the stem. Depending on the variety of Brussels sprouts plant, the plant can grow to three feet in height and produce sprouts almost two inches in diameter. Brussels sprouts color ranges from light green through to dark green and red. Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamins A, B, C, E, calcium, potassium, and sulfur. Brussels sprouts are also high in carbohydrates and dietary fiber. They are best after the first frost when quickly steamed, boiled, or stir-fried. Brussels sprouts can be served alone or with a sauce, but they are not good to eat raw.

Plant Brussels sprouts seeds ¼-½” deep. Transplant or thin small plants to 15-18” apart in rows 32-36” apart. Brussels sprouts transplants can be started in April for May planting. Transplant after 4-6 weeks. Direct sow Brussels sprouts in late spring, as seedlings can tolerate a light frost. Brussels Sprouts can be direct sown up until mid-late June for a continuous harvest. Soil temperature should be 70 to 80 degrees for optimal germination in 4-7 days. Brussels Sprouts prefer full sun, but will tolerate part shade. Prepare a rich, loose soil that holds moisture well and has a pH level of 6.0-6.5. Like all Brassicas, Brussels Sprout is a heavy feeder. To encourage development of the upper sprouts, pinch out the growing tip of the Brussels sprouts plant in late summer. Harvest sprouts as needed from the bottom of the stalk when they are about 1-1½” in diameter. The Brussels sprouts will develop a sweeter flavor after a few light frosts.

Cauliflower – on the other hand – is a little more finicky to grow. Don’t let that dissuade you, however. It’s not like we’re trying to grow black orchids, here. The only complication with cauliflower that I’ve been able to find is that it’s sensitive to temperature extremes. Many gardeners experience “buttoning” with cauliflower in the spring. This is a failure of the head to gain in size after it reaches about an inch or so in diameter. Buttoning is usually due to transplant stress, heat stress during the head formation or spring temperatures that were too low. In our area, I would highly recommend using a short season variety, plant early, use cold frames and get that crop going. It’s not too late to start them now. If I had any sense at all (shush, you!), I’d have direct sown three to four weeks ago and used some cut off milk jugs to encourage germination (fabulous invention, the cut off milk jug).

You might consider Snow Crown, Violet Queen (purple!), or Alverda (light green, like a broccoflower).

Cauliflower also prefers full sun and generally all of the same growing conditions of broccoli. It is also susceptible to the same pests and diseases of broccoli and the same remedies apply.

Cauliflower should be blanched when the flower head is about 3 inches across. Pull up three or four large outer leaves over the curd and fasten them with a rubber band. Generally, you’d leave it like this for four to eight days. There are what are called “self blanching” types, which have leaves that grow up over the head all on their own. I’ve not found anything that indicates one is better than the other. It the weather is warmer, make sure to tie the leaves loosely during the blanching period to allow for airflow.

Harvest cauliflower while the curds are firm and compact. If it gets too mature, it becomes grainy and the texture is, um, considerably less than palatable. Cauliflower usually produces only one head per plant. If you have a root cellar, you can store cauliflower for two to four weeks. You can also freeze it or pickle it.

Or give it away.