Broccoli : A Tasty Fall Favorite

by: Liz Roberts

Broccoli is a treat for everyone. This fall garden favorite is not only good for palate but also the body. It’s packed with vitamins and nutrients for both young and old. Not only that, fresh broccoli is always a nice addition to any dish. It is easy to grow, easy to harvest and easy to prepare

This member of the cole family is one of the oldest vegetables on earth. It was first a wild plant, growing uncultivated in Europe and even as far north as Siberia. Broccoli was popular amongst the ancient Northern Italians, the Etruscans and eaten well before the time of Christ. Eight hundred years after the Etruscans first farmed it, Pliny the elder wrote about it in his journals. It later graced Italian and French gardens and made its’ way to England in the early 1700’s. From there it was brought to America where it became a Yankee staple. Broccoli’s name derives from the Italian words for arm branch because of the way it grows with small outstretched branches. It’s a member of the diet vital Cruciferae family that also includes cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. There are two types, the Brassica Oleracea Italicia, the sprouting/Italian broccoli and the Brassica Oleracea that resembles cauliflower. The best to grow for any fall garden are the Cruiser, the Green Comet and the Green Goliath. A daily dose of broccoli can help in preventing cancer since it is full of betacarotene. It is also chock full of Vitamin A, potassium, iron and fiber and rivals milk for the amount of calcium. It’s good raw or cooked and can be made into a variety of tasty and satisfying dishes.

Broccoli is a cole crop that means it needs a cool climate to grow well. The best time of year to plant is when daily temperatures are between 60 and 85 degrees Farenheit. Choose either late September or early October for this. Select a site that has both good drainage and air circulation. The area should not have been overrun by previous broccoli , cauliflower or any other Brassicae family plant within the past four years. Also, since broccoli grows to almost three feet in height, choose a section where they won’t overshadow other crops.

There are two methods of planting broccoli. Most gardeners prefer the transplant method, although this is usually reserved for the spring broccoli plantings. If you opt for this remember don’t leave the young sprouts too long in the flats. They will develop a condition known as “button head” or flat tops soon after planting. To determine the best time to plant transplants, count backwards from the first fall frost in your area (use last year’s date) then add about ten days to the days from planting to harvesting. Don’t include the time from seed to garden.

Plant seeds ¼ to ½ inches deep. Plant transplants slightly deeper than they were originally grown. Plant or thin seedlings 18 to 24 inches apart in rows also allowing 36 inches between the rows. Broccoli plants grow upright and out so they need a lot of room. Fertilize at planting and side dress with a nitrogen fertilizer as well as in thirty days afterwards to promote good head development. Add a top dressing or layer of compost or rotted manure when the central head is about one inch across. This also gives new plants a nutritional boost. Broccoli loves a moist soil so make sure it gets 1 to 2 inches of water a week. Skip it if you’ve had rain.

Mulch to retain moisture and deter weeds. Cover plants with floating row covers to protect them from the cold as well as discouraging any insect marauders. A paper collar around each plant at soil level will foil cutworms. Cutworms are black, gray or mottled caterpillars that chew through plant stems at or beneath the soil’s surface. Unlike other pests, one single worm can cause the destruction of an individual plant. These, along with aphids and cabbageworms cause the most harm to any broccoli patch.

Aphids are pear shaped insects, usually green, brown black red or pink in color. They are what is known as “suck” insects, pests that can drain sap from leaves and stems. You can wash them away with a steady stream of hose water. If aphids grow into an infestation, then unleash their enemies, either the lady beetle or the aphis lion (a type of lacewing or doodlebug).

Cabbageworms do the most damage to broccoli plants. They come in three sub species, the imported cabbage worm, the cabbage looper and the diamond back moth worm. The first starts off as a velevety green caterpillar. The cabbage looper gets its’ name by crawling or doubling up to form a loop and then moving its’ body forwards.

The moth is brown and most active at night while its’ young, the diamond back worms are small pale green caterpillars with pointed ends. The larvae of all three species, are the real culprits of broccoli damage and destruction. They eat large holes about the size of buckshot, in both the head and the stems. You can handpick them off or resort to insecticide. The best is BT or Bacillus thuringensis; a bacteria that is non-threatening to humans but deadly to the worms. Apply it in the liquid form to the leaves, especially the undersides. Apply at 3-14 day intervals until the population is killed off. It takes a good 5 to 6 days to eliminate the worms. You can also use a home made red pepper and water spray or insecticide soaps to also deal with cabbage worms.

Start harvesting your broccoli as soon as the heads are big enough to use. Pick the center green flower bud cluster while the buds are still tight. Do this before any yellow petals begin to show. Cut the central stem 5 to 6 inches below the head. Many cultivars will continue growing, providing bonus side shoots. The Green Comet variety is known for this and can extend its’ harvest time up to a month after the first gathering.

Once your broccoli is cut, store it in loose or perforated plastic bags in your vegetable crisper. Don’t wash it until you’re ready to use it. Broccoli becomes moldy and limp when wet. Also don’t leave it out. Unrefrigerated broccoli becomes fibrous and woody. Store the fresh heads for 3- 5 days and then you have to use it. It tastes best (along with keeping its' nutritional value) when it’s stored for a short time. Remember it had a strong, unpleasant smell if kept too long.

Grow broccoli this fall as a great addition to your garden and diet, It is easy to cultivate, producing a mass harvest for all sorts of tasty dishes. Not only that it will give you vitamins and nutrients for a healthier body. It truly is the perfect vegetable both for the garden and the gardener alike.

Piedmontese Broccoli Salad

by: Liz Roberts

• 1 head raw broccoli
• Water for boiling
• 1 crushed clove garlic
• Lemon juice or red wine vinegar
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place enough water in a pan for braising. Wash and cut broccoli, also dicing heads. Cook for about seven minutes or until the broccoli is slightly tender. Transfer to a bowl and mix in garlic ,lemon juice or red wine vinegar along with oil. Mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt ( preferably sea salt which gives a nicer flavor) and pepper. Chill til serving. You can also chill overnight but wrap bowl in saran wrap to keep salad fresh.