Broccoli: outdoor cultivation and care

Not everyone in our country knows this vegetable. He was known in ancient Rome. Nowadays it is a popular vegetable plant in many European countries. Broccoli is interesting in that it does not head out. She has a tall sturdy stalk, on which many small bud heads are formed. They are also eaten. This cabbage in its composition contains many vitamins, especially vitamin C. It is curious that the darker the color of the head, the greater its content. It also has a lot of potassium, magnesium, iron, 2 times more than in white cabbage. No wonder the description of how it grows often appears on the pages of culinary publications, where you can learn all about broccoli.

Selection of Broccoli Varieties

Methods for planting broccoli in open ground

Broccoli can be grown through seedlings or sowing in open ground. Each landing method has its own advantages. In the northern regions, it is more profitable to use broccoli sprouts to get an early harvest. Sowing begins 35-40 days before planting in open ground. Early seedlings planted in March can be grown in the greenhouse 3 weeks after germination, and as soon as the weather is warm, planted in open ground, and sown in April can be immediately transplanted to the garden.

Seed preparation

To obtain a high crop of good quality, only pure-grade seeds must be selected. If they are properly prepared, they will give good germination, germination and high yield.

Before sowing, each seed must be sorted, taking larger seeds for sowing. Selected seeds are placed in warm salt water for several minutes. Those that remain on the surface of the water can be thrown away. It is necessary to use others that have fallen to the bottom. After warm water, they are placed for 1 minute in cold water to harden, washed with water and dried. Before planting, all seeds are healed with the help of such agents as boric acid, potassium permanganate, aloe juice before planting. They are placed in the prepared solutions for a period of 8 to 12 hours.

Broccoli Seedlings

Gardeners loved broccoli cabbage, many people are interested in growing its seedlings. Growing is possible in small boxes, pots, peat tablets 7 cm high. When reusing old boxes, they are treated with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate. If this is a new container, then it is enough to pour over boiling water.

At the bottom of the container for seedlings, drainage is laid. A layer of mixed peat, sand and garden soil is placed on top of it. In shallow holes stack 1-2 seeds. It is not necessary to bury deeply. Tanks with seedlings are placed in a well-lit warm place. Broccoli seedlings necessarily need a lot of light, if there is not enough sunlight, it is necessary to organize lighting. Before emergence, the containers are covered with a film or glass. Watering should be moderate and regular, since cabbage does not tolerate highly moist and over-dried soil. In the waterlogged land, a black leg is formed and the plant may die. With poor growth, seedlings need to be fertilized with a solution of potassium chloride or nitrate. If the weather is sunny during the day, then the boxes can be taken out for a day, and hidden in the room at night.

The exact time for planting seeds depends on weather conditions. It is important to remember that on day 39 seedlings are planted in open ground.

Therefore, sowing seedlings can be done several times, starting from the second half of March and ending with the second half of April. Then there is hope that adverse weather conditions will not spoil it and adding new plants to the soil every 10 days, it will be possible to get a fresh crop of broccoli throughout the season.

So that the roots of seedlings develop better, and when planted in open ground, they are not damaged, it is better to grow broccoli in peat pots or tablets.

Planting broccoli seedlings in open ground

In areas where April is characterized by the manifestation of spring frosts, and the soil can warm up by the time the seedlings are planted in the ground to + 15 ° C, seedlings can be planted in the ground. If spring is late with frequent nighttime drops in temperature, it is best to wait with planting until the end of March. Before sowing, it is important to properly prepare the soil. It should be structural, loose and rich in nutrients. Better use the land where the potatoes grew. You can add peat to the garden, preferably frozen and weathered, some sand and a mixture of charcoal with humus, and well loosen the soil.

On the fortieth day, seedlings are planted in a permanent place in the ground. Doing this is preferable in the afternoon. Before planting, seedlings must be abundantly watered. Place it at a distance of 50-60 cm between rows and 45-50 between plants. They drop a hole 10-12 cm deep, gently take the plant, trying to maintain an earthen lump and not damage the roots, carefully compacting the soil around it so that a ring of earth forms around the stem, which will retain water during irrigation. If the plant grew in a clay pot or peat tablet, then it is simply put in a prepared hole and covered with earth. After planting, seedlings must be watered abundantly. After the water has gone into the soil, mulching with dry sand is carried out, which will help retain moisture. Cabbage is a very delicate plant, so the first time it can be covered from the sun with paper caps or insulation film if the weather is cool.

Reckless way to grow broccoli

Broccoli cabbage seeds can be planted directly on the bed in the open ground. For such a planting, you need to choose early and mid-ripening varieties. Sowing seeds in open ground is carried out in late April. It is important to know that if the soil is unheated, the seeds will not germinate. As soon as the soil warms up to +5 ° C and above, the first shoots will immediately appear.

Broccoli loves good care, the sun and warmth, so she is assigned the sunniest place in the garden. It is better to grow cabbage in the place where the beans or grains grew, you can plant after potatoes, pumpkin crops, onions and cucumbers.

The planting bed must be prepared in the fall. First of all, weed must be removed. The place of the future beds is sprinkled with lime, ash, after which the earth is deeply dug up and left for the winter in relatively large clods. This will contribute to better snow retention and moisture accumulation. Moist soil in the winter freezes harder, causing the death of many insects - pests. In the spring, before planting seeds, compost is introduced into the soil and dug up to a depth of 20 cm.

Broccoli seeds are planted in 2 pieces in each hole at a distance of 7 cm from each other. After planting, watering and sheltering of the bed is immediately carried out with insulation material that allows light and moisture to pass through. On warm days, the shelter of the bed can be removed so that the sprouts do not stretch. With the appearance of the first leaves, the seedlings can be thinned, and after 2 weeks, thinning is repeated. For broccoli, outdoor cultivation is even beneficial. It contributes to the formation of more viable plants with strong roots. It is necessary to monitor how broccoli grows so as not to miss the harvest time. Only green heads are collected for consumption.

Features of broccoli care in the open field

Further care will include watering, top dressing, loosening the soil, and hilling. It is important to remember that broccoli loves moisture, so at least once every two days it must be watered. It’s better to do it in the evening. Broccoli can grow without regular watering, but the heads will become smaller. Every 10 days, feeding with mullein or bird droppings is carried out. After each top dressing, it is necessary to loosen the soil near the roots and carry out the earthing up.

Pest and disease protection

Broccoli, like other plants, infect pests. If celery grows near broccoli, it will help fight the earthen flea. Dill will help to deal with cabbage aphids, and peppermint will not allow cabbage on the garden.

In addition to the presence of many useful mineral substances in its composition, according to doctors, this cabbage improves the functioning of the heart, stomach, intestines, and nervous system. Various methods of its use in cooking. We can say with confidence that broccoli is a productive and unpretentious culture with a delicious taste and a lot of useful properties.

Watch the video: How to grow broccoli from seed to harvest - A complete guide (April 2024).