Organic Broccoli Ramoso Calabrese - Brassica oleracea italica

Sowing:

The germination temperature of 'Calabrese' Broccoli is around 15° and takes about 14 days.

It can be sown from May to August for a harvest from October to December.

You can either sow directly in the ground or prepare seedlings that will be later planted in their final position in the garden.

Preparing seedlings: at home or in a heated greenhouse, from late autumn to late spring, or in a cold greenhouse the rest of the year, sow the Broccoli seeds at a depth of 1 cm (0in) in a good seed compost. Lightly cover with compost or vermiculite. Don't forget to keep the substrate moist but not waterlogged!

When the young plants appear strong enough to handle, transplant them into pots and, for seedlings grown in a heated greenhouse, gradually acclimatise them to cooler temperatures before transplanting them to the garden when there is no longer any risk of frost.

Direct sowing: In suitably amended and finely worked soil, make furrows about one centimetre deep, spaced 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24in) apart. Sow the seeds and cover them with a thin layer of fine soil; when the seedlings are well developed, thin them out, keeping only one plant every 60 cm (24in).

Cultivation:

Broccoli is a demanding vegetable requiring well-rotted, nitrogen-rich, and potassium-rich soil. Applying a generous amount of mature compost (about 3/4 kg per m2) is advisable by raking it to a depth of 5 cm (2in), preferably in autumn, after loosening the soil as you would for any vegetable crop. It is not very tolerant of soil pH, which should be between 5.6 and 6.5. In acidic soil, it will be necessary to gradually raise the pH by adding calcium in the form of Dolomite or Lime.

Broccoli, like all cabbages, is quite susceptible to diseases such as Clubroot and pests (Cabbage White Butterfly, Cabbage Fly, Flea Beetle, Cabbage Maggot...), so this crop needs to pay attention to crop rotations.

It is beneficial to associate it with many vegetables, such as tomatoes and lettuce. But avoid planting it near other Brassicas, such as fennel, lamb's lettuce, leeks and straw, and berries.