Broccoli Seeds

Official Name: Brassica oleracea var. italica

General description: This green veggie can be enjoyed both raw and cooked, but recent research shows that gentle steaming provides the most health benefits. Broccoli is an edible green plant in the cabbage family (family Brassicaceae, genus Brassica) whose large flowering head and stalk is eaten as a vegetable. The word broccoli comes from the Italian plural of broccolo, which means "the flowering crest of a cabbage", and is the diminutive form of brocco, meaning "small nail" or "sprout".Broccoli is classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli has large flower heads, usually dark green in color, arranged in a tree-like structure branching out from a thick stalk which is usually light green. The mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Broccoli resembles cauliflower, which is a different cultivar group of the same Brassica species. Combined in 2017, China and India produced 73% of the world's broccoli and cauliflower crops.

How to grow:

• Start broccoli from seed or transplants.
• Seed is viable for 3 years.
• For spring crop start seeds indoors 7 to 9 weeks before the average last frost date. For a fall crop, start seed indoors 10 to 12 weeks before the first fall frost.
• Start seeds in individual pots
• Sow seed ¼ to ½ (6-8 mm) inch deep in the seed-starting mix.
• Keep the mix moist but not wet.
• Seeds should germinate in 5 to 10 days at an optimal temperature of 77°F (25°C) or thereabouts.
• Transplant seedlings into the garden when they 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) tall with 2- to 4-leaves.
• Grow broccoli in full sun for best yield, but broccoli will tolerate partial shade.
• Add 3- to 4- inches of compost and well-aged manure into planting bed, before transplanting; broccoli needs friable, moisture-holding soil.
• Avoid planting where cabbage family crops have grown recently.
• Space plants 18 to 24 inches (45-60 cm) apart; plants spaced 10 to 12 inches (25-30 cm) apart will yield smaller heads.
• Space rows 36 inches (.9 m) apart.
• Protect seedlings from the cold for 2 to 3 weeks after planting covering them with a cloche or plastic tunnel or cold frame.
• Fertilize with an organic fertilizer such as fish emulsion at half strength.

 Benefits: Broccoli is high in many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium. It also boasts more protein than most other vegetables.