Broccoli

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Broccoli

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Early Spring

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Summer

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Fall

Beets

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Cress

Lettuce

Peas

Radish

Salad Greens

Spinach

Turnips

Permanent Crops

Asparagus

Blackberries

Blueberries

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Potato Onions

Rhubarb

Strawberries

Raspberries

Broccoli is rich in vitamins C and A and has been found to contain cancer-preventing substances. Broccoli is also versatile in kitchen; it has fine flavor raw or cooked and is very easy to freeze.

Broccoli loves cool weather and does best in the fall as the days are getting cool versus hot as in the spring. Hot weather causes the broccoli heads to flower quickly, lose quality and become bitter in flavor. Worms are not as much a problem in the fall. I do not like meat with my broccoli!!!

*Varieties:

Premium Crop

This delicious, vitamin-rich vegetable is easy to grow, producing a very large head that is convenient to harvest. Plants are highly productive. Can be grown an spring or fall crop. Enjoy fresh or frozen, raw or steamed. 80-100 days to maturity

Green Comet

A delicious, nutritious, and easy to grow vegetable. Tall branching plants form compact central heads. After the main head is removed, smaller heads will continue to develop over a long season. Popular fresh or frozen. 80 to 100 days to maturity.

Calabrese

This delicious, vitamin-rich vegetable is easy to grow, producing a very large head that is convenient to harvest. Plants are highly productive. Can be grown as spring or fall crop. Enjoy fresh or frozen, raw or steamed. 80-100 days to maturity.

Packman

*I have no preference of variety

See my true story below.

Soil Preparation:

Add 3-4 lbs. of 5-10-10 per 100 sq. ft. before planting.

Planting:

Set out plants 18" apart, 3-4 weeks before the last spring frost date. The plants can be protected in the spring from hard frost by covering with gallon milk jugs. Cut out the bottom and press firmly into the soil. Be sure to remove the cap or the plant will get too hot and smother. This acts as a greenhouse providing warmth and moisture giving the plants a big boost. It also gives wind protection

Care:

After 3 weeks side-dress each plant with 1 T. high nitrogen fertilizer or a solution of Miracle Grow.

Harvest:

For peak quality harvest when buds of the head are firm and tight. This will cause many more heads to appear. If buds start to separate and the yellow petals inside start to show, the heads are getting too mature.

Note: Pictures of seed packages and descriptions taken from Wetsels Seed web page.

Fall 1996: I had planted a dozen plants of broccoli in my garden and forgot about them. As topically happens to my fall gardens, they get neglected and fall grasses and weeds take over. Finally one day I was tired of looking at the mess-from a distance-and asked my husband to till it up. While he was hooking up the tiller to the tractor I decided to make sure the area was free of garden tools, posts, etc. To my surprise I discovered the twelve broccoli plants with huge heads, as you can see from the picture.

I had a round laundry basket and two heads completely filled the baskets. I cut the heads and instructed my husband to till everything except those plants, as they will form additional heads. Suddenly I was in the gardening mood! I carried a head next door to "show off" my prize to my daughter-in-law. When I came back the garden was beautifully tilled, including the suddenly beloved broccoli plants. Over the noise of the tractor my husband thought I said be sure to till the broccoli plants! For the life of me I couldn't understand how except and be sure to could sound the same--now even with a southern drawl! After recouping from my shock, I decided that maybe he had done me a favor. I already had 5 times to much broccoli for the freezer!!!