Organic Calabrese Broccoli
$2.99
This delicious open pollinated Italian-American heirloom produces a central 5″-8″ blue-green head and many tender, succulent side shoots that keep coming until frost. In total, these dark green plants grow 18″-30″ tall Cooked, Calabrese Broccoli has a buttery, soft texture and sweet, nutty flavor. It is a supreme choice for market gardening and home gardening alike. Hailing originally from Calabria, Italy, it was brought to North America in the 1800s.
8 in stock
Product Description
Difficulty:
Moderate – Hard
Timing:
Start indoors right around the last frost date or later in spring for summer harvest in 2 to 3 months. For fall harvest, start indoors late spring and transplant in July, harvesting just before the first frost date. Seeds will germinate in 7-10 days. Optimal temperature for germination is 50-85°F.
Starting:
Sow indoors, 3 or 4 seeds per pot, ¼” deep, under very bright light. Thin to the strongest plant. Space transplants 18-24″ apart.
Growing:
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. Broccoli is a moderate to heavy feeder that does best in humus-rich soil amended with compost and manure. Mix ¼-½ cup complete organic fertilizer into the soil under each transplant. Transplants should be set out by the time they have 6-8 true leaves. When plants are 8-10″ tall, push soil around the stems up to the first big leaf to encourage side shoots. Broccoli does best in cool weather.
Harvest:
Cut the crown portion of the broccoli with 5″-6″ of stem, after it’s fully developed, but before the individual flowers start to develop into bright yellow blooms. Removing the central head stimulates regrowth to develop for later pickings. Cutting the head lower on the stem will encourage fewer, but larger side-shoots. The regrowth portion grows from the base of the lower leaves. You can usually continue to harvest broccoli for several weeks.
Days to Maturity: 75 days
Planting Depth: 1/4″
Distance Apart: 18″-24″
Amount: 850mg
