Broccoli. Brassica oleracea. Italica Cultivar Group, (Mustard Family) Crucifers (Cruciferae) or Cabbage Family (Brassicaceae), Commonly Known As: Broccoli. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information, and images on our page. We share information, images, and donate to Wikipedia. Brassica oleracea (Italica Group), commonly called broccoli, is a cool weather vegetable that is grown for harvest of large, tight, terminal heads of green flower buds at the ends of thick edible stems. Boccoli plants usually grow about 18 - 30 inches tall. Harvest broccoli promptly as soon as the heads are firm and tight and before any of the buds begin to open. Cut the stem about 5-6" below the base of the head. Broccoli is in the same species (Brassica oleracea) as a number of other cool season vegetables including kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kohlrabi. Broccoli were, thought to have been domesticated from one ancestral species, the wild cabbage, Brassica oleracea. It is thought (but not known for sure) to be native to the coastal cliffs of the northern Mediterranean and western Europe, from Greece to the British Isles. Wild cabbage has a growth habit typical of many members of the family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae), with broad, spreading leaves and a branched flowering stem (inflorescence) carrying many individual flowers Here Are Some Of The More Popular Types Of Broccoli: They vary in size and taste. Smaller varieties tend to mature faster, while larger varieties take a little longer. If you live in an area with a short spring season, you may want to plant smaller varieties in the beginning of the year. If the fall season tends to last a little longer, you can plant a larger variety then. Blue Wind Hybrid Broccoli: Enjoy Blue Wind's sweet, mild taste and tender texture earlier than any other broccoli in your garden. After the main head is harvested, Blue Wind will continue to produce plenty of side shoots. 49 DAYS. Gurney's� Blue Ribbon Hybrid Broccoli: Even the most picky veggie eaters will agree that Gurney's Blue Ribbon Hybrid broccoli is delicious! This fantastic variety took the blue ribbon in our 2014 trials for its large, healthy plants that produce giant green-blue heads. It continued to produce huge side shoots throughout the season. Early harvest and sweet, non-bitter flavor with buttery-tender texture are sure to win you over from the season's start to finish. 52 DAYS. Decide on the site for your broccoli some months in advance of planting. 1. Determine the last expected spring frost date for your area. Plan to plant your broccoli 2 or 3 weeks before the last frost-free date. NOTE: Long days and hot weather in the summer cause broccoli to bolt and go to seed. The most desirable growing temperature is 60� to 70�F. 2. Cultivate your planting area to break up any hard soil, keeping your rows about 12 to 24 inches apart. Broccoli varieties prefer well-draining, loose soils with plenty of organic matter. 3. If a soil test has not been taken, make a preplant application of 5-10-10 at the rate of 3 pounds per 100 square feet. Use a starter solution for transplants, and sidedress cautiously after the first leaves reach about the size of a dime using three tablespoons of 33-0-0 per 10 feet of row). Sidedress cautiously until a large number of broccoli are set. Too much nitrogen before fruit set causes all foliage. After fruit set, fertilize regularly using a complete fertilizer. Soil pH should be between 6.5 and 6.8 for best growth. 4. Purchase certified broccoli seed from your local garden center or nursery. 5. Broccoli should be spaced 1/8 to 3/8 inches deep, � inch apart, in rows 12 to 24 inches apart. Then the broccoli to about 12 - 24 inches apart after they start to grow. Select a well-drained, loamy or sandy loam soil for planting. Avoid areas that have had eggplant, tobacco, pepper or Irish potato planted in the previous year. 6. Apply a layer of organic mulch to help maintain soil temperatures and to prevent weeds from growing. 7. Water your broccoli once or twice a week when the soil feels dry to the touch. Do Not Spray Water On Your Plants. Broccoli have shallow root systems so they only need a light watering to maintain constant soil moisture. But, a few have lateral roots that can penetrate up to 6.6 feet deep. Water sufficiently to moisten the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. The critical period for moisture is during leaf development. Mulching can help to provide uniform moisture, conserve water and reduce weeds. 8. Monitor your broccoli for disease and pest problems. Broccoli grown by spraying water in Arizona, often suffer from fungal diseases, which can be treated with a fungicide. Control common pests such as snails, potato tubermoth and aphids by sprinkling nontoxic diatomaceous earth around the affected broccoli plants. 9. Broccoli should be ready for harvest in about 49 to 52 days from seed. Some varieties can take longer. Reduce disease problems by: �Rotating planting locations. Don't plant peppers, eggplants and related crops in the same garden spot more often than once every three years. �Removing all plant debris from the garden each year. Eliminate any volunteer broccoli that may occur between crops. Pests Of Broccoli. In Arizona: Insects: Crickets & Beetles, Saltmarsh Caterpillar, Sweetpotato Whitefly, Leafminers, Beet Armyworm, Cabbage Looper, Corn Earworm, Tobacco Budworm, Green Peach Aphid, & Thrips. Apply a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) based insecticide to control them. Diseases: Diseases may be a problem especially during cool, wet weather. A variety of viruses attack cauliflower and each produces symptoms characteristic of the particular virus species such as leaves mottled with yellow spots, and knotted or forked roots. The main disease of broccoli is Clubroot, caused by the fungus Plasmodiophora brassicae. Some of the other more common diseases of broccoli in Arizona include bottom rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani, leaf drop caused by Sclerotinia minor and S. sclerotiorum, downy mildew caused by Bremia lactucae and powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe cichoracearum. Another major disease of cauliflower in Arizona is big vein, which is caused by double-stranded ribonucleic acid that is presumed to be a virus-like agent. Fungicides can be effective management tools for broccoli diseases caused by fungi. Treat with an approved fungicide. Neem oil, sulfur, and other fungicides can be used. Beneficial Insects Of Broccoli. In Arizona: Not all insects found in our gardens, & orchards are pests. Many organisms benefit the grower by eating or parasitizing pests in the orchard. These organisms are known as beneficials, natural enemies, or biological control agents. They may be native or introduced from other areas. Beneficial natural enemies (insects and mites) that may occur in our gardens, & orchards could be classified as predators or parasitoids. Predators are those that attack, kill, and feed directly on a pest (prey). Examples of common garden, or orchard predators are ladybeetles, flies, lacewings, wasps, bugs, ants, spiders, and predator mites. Parasitoids are insects that lay eggs on or in a pest (host). The developing larva lives and feeds on the host, parasitizing and eventually killing it. Examples include parasitic wasps such as the egg parasite, Trichogramma sp. Bees are a different class of beneficial insects in the garden or orchard in that they benefit the grower by aiding pollination. It is important that growers are able to recognize, identify, and conserve beneficials in their gardens, & orchards. Conservation of beneficial organisms is a basic tenet of an ecologically sound pest management strategy. Conservation or enhancement of beneficials can be achieved through judicious use of pesticides such as spraying only when and where needed, accurate timing of sprays, and selecting pesticides that are least toxic to beneficials. For Example: Many growers now place colonies of the Blue Orchard Mason bees in their orchards to pollinate their crops for maximum production. Quick Notes: Type: The most commonly eaten part of broccoli are the compact clusters of unopened flower buds and the attached portion of the stem. . Height: About 1 � - 2 � feet tall during the first year of growth. About 2 � feet tall during the second year, when flowering. Spread: About 1 � - 2 feet wide. Flowers: May to August. The broccoli plant must advance beyond the juvenile stage of growth, & have received sufficient chilling to induce flowering. Broccoli normally develops a ramified inflorescence, without flower bud development. After a certain period, meristems begin to make flower buds instead of more inflorescences. The flower buds produce bisexual cross-shaped flowers with four yellow petals, one pistil, six stamens and a two-celled ovary. The cross-shape of the flower petals is the basis for the name Cruciferae, the archaic name of the family Brassicaceae. Blooming Time: Spring through Fall. They must grow one year to enter the second year, when they bloom. Fruit: The superior ovary of the flowers develop into fruit called a silique that is a long edible pod 4.5-10 cm long and 3-6 mm wide. Siliques typically contain from 20 to 60 seeds. The mature siliques often dehisce as the pods turn brown at maturity, which occurs 50-90 days after fertilization. Seed: The seeds ripen from July to September. Upon dehiscence, the siliques separate into two halves releasing seeds that vary in color from the dark to purplish brown. A well-pollinated broccoli plant may produce one-half pound of seed. There are approximately 300 seeds in a gram. They are brown or black that are small and round in shape. Leaves: Broccoli seedlings have a thin taproot and cordate (heart-shaped) cotyledons. The first leaves produced are ovate (egg-shaped) with a lobed petiole. Most broccoli have thick, alternating leaves, with margins that range from wavy or lobed to highly dissected; some varieties have a waxy bloom on the leaves. Blue-green to dark-green in color. The initial leaves form a rosette shape comprising 7 to 15 leaves, each measuring 10 � 14 inches by 8 � 12 inches; after this, leaves with shorter petioles develop and heads form through the leaves cupping inward. Many shapes, colors and leaf textures are found in various cultivated varieties of broccoli. Leaf types are generally divided between crinkled-leaf, loose-head savoys, and smooth-leaf firm-head broccoli; while the color spectrum includes white, and a range of greens, and purples. Oblate, round, and pointed shapes are also found Elevation: 0 - 5,500 feet. Some can grow up to 10,000 feet, but you need to time planting with frosts. Hardiness: USDA Zone 3a: to -39.9 �C (-40 �F) USDA Zone 3b: to -37.2 �C (-35 �F) USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 �C (-30 �F) USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 �C (-25 �F) USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 �C (-20 �F) USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 �C (-15 �F) USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 �C (-10 �F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 �C (-5 �F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 �C (0 �F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 �C (5 �F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 �C (10 �F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) Soil pH requirements: Ideal Is 6.5 and 6.8. The yield is low at pH below 5 or above 7. 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) Light: Full Sun to Partial Shade. Habitat: Mulched areas. Well-drained soil with a 6.5 and 6.8 pH. Native: Broccoli, Cauliflower, & Cabbage are difficult to trace to their exact origins owing to the many varieties of leafy greens classified as "brassicas." So no-one really knows it's origin. It is said by some to be from Asia Minor, or to the coastal cliffs of the northern Mediterranean and western Europe Miscellaneous:

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