Broccoli is a type of plant widely consumed throughout the world since it is one of the vegetables with the highest nutritional value. And it is that it has a high fiber content, no fat and high content of minerals and vitamins. From this plant we eat the flower heads that are compact and have an intense green color. The workshop is also edible. Today we are going to show you how plant broccoli.
In this article we are going to tell you how to plant broccoli, when you should do it and what are its characteristics.
Key features
We have said that it is a type of cabbage and vegetables with greater nutritional value. It is high in vitamin C, as well as a great diversity of nutrients and anti-cancer properties. It has folic acid, beta carotene, iron, potassium and vitamin E. Therefore, it becomes one of the vegetables to include in your weekly diet. In addition, it is rich in fiber and has an improvement in digestion. It is one of the most important vegetables for humans.
Although there are several varieties, broccoli is the one that requires the least care during planting. Therefore, planting broccoli is not so complicated if you know its requirements and care. When the plant grows in its adult state it can grow to about 90 cm and is edible and is harvested before flowering. If not collected before it begins to bloom, vervain all the nutrients and the flowers on the head turn a bright yellow color.
Requirements for planting broccoli
Let’s see what are the main requirements for planting broccoli.
- Climate: keep in mind that they are plants that grow in cold seasons. This makes them able to withstand temperatures of around -5 degrees. It is necessary to avoid that the time of inflorescence formation does not coincide with very hot months or with great frosts.
- Irrigation: We know that it is a plant with a high water content, so it requires a practically constant humidity when it is developing. To do this, we will make irregular abundant water contributions, although we will not flood the ground. When they have formed the inflorescence it is advisable not to water them by sprinkling. And it is that we irrigate by sprinkling we can get some rottenness or fungi to appear on the plant. When the plant reaches more or less a somewhat more developed bearing, it is essential to include a drip irrigation system.
- Nutrients: It is a type of plant that is quite demanding in terms of the nutrients it has on the soil. You need large amounts of potassium and nitrogen. By needing large amounts of nitrogen we can provide it in an ecological way with a decomposed compost. Compost can be reported naturally from the organic remains of household waste.
- Substratum: the soil must be soft, well fertilized, fresh and with regular humidity. They tend to adapt better to neutral soils and it does not support those limestone soils.
How to plant broccoli
We are going to explain how to plant broccoli step by step. Broccoli is planted about an inch deep. Ideally, plant it in an outdoor seedbed. The planting season is from April to June and August to September. When the plants reach a height of about 10-15 centimeters, they should be transplanted outdoors. This is where you have to take into account that it must be planted in a row frame. They should be separated from each other more or less about 50-60 centimeters due to the large size they have.
Given the cut that these crops have, it is advisable to underline the plants. This means yesterday and soil at the base of the stem and thus we prevent them from falling down. In addition, they can benefit from permanent mulch mulch. This is how this undercutting can help them maintain the necessary humidity they need apart from an extra contribution of organic matter in continuous degradation.
An important aspect to take into account during cultivation is that the soil must always be moist.
Favorable associations and collection
When it comes to learning how to plant broccoli, we must know that there are some plants that can be well associated with these crops. For example, it can be associated quite well with potato and onion, yes we plant mint or rosemary nearby. These plants can help scare away parasites. Other plants that have a favorable association with broccoli are lettuce or spinach. And it is that by having shorter vegetative cycles we can make good use of the space because they do not compete for resources.
As for crop rotation, when we learn how to plant broccoli we must know that they are demanding plants, so they require rotations of between 3-5 years on the same plot.
As for the harvest, the central head is cut while the shoots are rigid. Once it has been collected, it should be covered with a little mulch with compost to favor the formation of secondary shoots. Thanks to the contribution of this compost, two or three secondary shoots can be taken out.
Plagues and diseases
When planting broccoli we must know the main pests and diseases that can affect this plant. Let’s see what they are:
- Cabbage hernia: it is a type of disease that is caused by a fungus. They tend to shrink the leaves and induce bulges in both the stem and the root. To avoid this type of disease, it is best to perform well-spaced rotations of about 4-5 years. It is more common to occur in acidic soils, so we must avoid the use of fresh manure and add some algae dust after transplanting.
- Cabbage butterfly: It is a butterfly like black and white dots that lays its yellow eggs on the underside of the leaves. It is a type of plague. The larvae are green and hairy and they eat the leaves, leaving only the central nerve. It can be prevented by removing the eggs and caterpillars hand by hand.
- Cabbage fly: it is very similar to the common fly. Attacks young plants and wilts and dies. It is convenient to eliminate weeds and alternate the cultivation of crucifers.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about how to plant broccoli.
