Friday 27th March 2009
Where would the kitchen gardener be without broccoli? When the summer harvest grinds to a halt, we rely on this nutrient-packed crop to see us through the hungry gap.
Broccoli Summer Purple
The Summer Purple represents a real breakthrough for Marshalls breeders - designed, as it is, for summer cropping from late June to October.
Not only that, the Summer Purple's heads are more tender and richer in flavour than other varieties. This is a high-yielding variety with a firm texture and good heat tolerance – a great choice for the kitchen gardener.
Broccoli Extra Early Rudolph
Matures earlier than even the Early Rudolph, this high-quality broccoli will begin to crop in September but continue to be at its very best from November to February. The Extra Early Rudolph produces good-sized, tender spears that are produced on large framed plants. A real asset to any veg plot or allotment.
Sowing/ growing
- Sow seeds thinly in shallow drills 1cm (½in) deep before thinning to 5cm (2in) apart.
- Transplant the young broccoli when they are about 13cm (5in) high making sure you water the plot the day before transplanting.
- Plant out the young broccoli at 60cm (24in) intervals with the same distance between rows.
Did you know?
Broccoli was developed from the wild cabbage in the 17th Century in Italy. What we shop for in supermarkets is actually calabrese (Italian sprouting broccoli).
