Also known as the cabbage family, this group of vegetables includes such favorites as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. This chapter offers advice and growing tips for all of these wonderful veggies. They are cold, hardy vegetables that produce a lot of food for the space they use. They grow well in most soil types. Adding shredded leaves to the area where you will be planting the following year will help to produce fabulous brassicas for you.
Broccoli
Broccoli
Broccoli is a cool-season crop and is probably the easiest of all the brassica family to grow. Most varieties will produce one large head averaging about six to eight inches in diameter. Once this head is cut off, the plant will continue to produce side branches with smaller heads. Keep cutting these before they flower and you will be able to harvest broccoli from one plant for several weeks.
The broccoli plant may bolt if the weather gets hot. This means the plant will go to flower more quickly than it normally would in cooler weather. It is best to plant broccoli early in the spring (April) and then again in late summer if you have a mild fall and winter.
Broccoli is one of the most popular vegetables for the health-conscious eater. A half cup of cooked broccoli has 75 mg vitamin C, 1,300 IU beta-carotene, 3 grams protein, 5 grams dietary fiber, and only 40 calories, making it one of the top ten healthy foods to eat.
Broccoli often does best transplanted. This allows you to start your plants indoors so they get more growth before the heat of the summer arrives.
QUICK TIPS FOR GROWING BROCCOLI
| Family name | Brassicaceae (mustard family). |
| Edible parts | Flower buds and stems. |
| Location | Cool area. |
| Best soil | Rich, moist but well-drained loamy soil; pH 6.0–6.8. |
| When to plant | Start indoors April to mid-July, then transplant out after 6 to 8 weeks. |
| How to plant | Space transplants 16 to 24 inches apart in rows spaced 2 to 3 feet apart. Sow seeds ½ inch deep, 4 inches apart, then thin seedlings. |
| How much to plant | 10 to 15 plants per person each season. |
| Companion plants | For a positive effect, plant with beans, onions, potatoes, oregano, dill, sage, and nasturtiums. Planting with tomatoes and lettuce will have a negative effect on broccoli. |
| Weeding | Keep well weeded around the base of the plant. |
| Watering | Water deeply at least once a week around the base of the plant. Hand watering or drip irrigation are best. If an overhead sprinkler is used, the water is blocked from reaching the roots by the large leaves. |
| Fertilizing | Start to fertilize about 3 weeks after setting out the transplants and again when the bud starts to form on the plant. |
| Pests and diseases | Root maggots, cabbageworms, and club root are common. Crop rotation is essential to prevent pests and diseases. |
| When to harvest | Broccoli usually matures in 50 to 72 days. Cut the center head when it is about 5 to 6 inches in diameter or before the buds start to open. |
| How to harvest | Cut the center head with about 4 inches of stem using a sharp knife. The plant will form side branches off the main stem, which will produce smaller heads that need to be cut before they flower. |
| Storage | Broccoli will stay for a few weeks in your refrigerator. It is best to put it on ice or into the refrigerator as soon as it is harvested. |
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts look like little palm trees with lumps growing from the plant stem, or trunk. The bumps, which are usually one to two inches in diameter, are the Brussels sprouts. They are often called baby cabbages because they look like miniature cabbages. Each plant should produce between 50 and 100 sprouts.
Brussels sprouts are a cool-season vegetable and the taste is improved by a light frost. Like most other brassicas, these vegetables like to have a fertile, well-drained soil to grow in. The plant is slow growing and is not often harvested until fall and early winter.
QUICK TIPS FOR GROWING BRUSSELS SPROUTS
| Family name | Brassicaceae (mustard family). |
| Edible parts | The sprouts, sometimes called the bud. |
| Location | Cool area. |
| Best soil | Fertile, moist, well-drained soil; pH 6.0–6.8. |
| When to plant | Sow April to July and then transplant out in 6 to 8 weeks. |
| How to plant | Set out transplants 16 to 24 inches apart in rows spaced 2 to 3 feet apart. For direct seeding, sow seeds ½ inch deep and every 4 inches and then thin to 16 to 24 inches apart. |
| How much to plant | 5 to 10 plants per person. |
| Companion plants | For a positive effect, plant with beans, beets, onions, potatoes, and oregano. Avoid planting near tomatoes, lettuce, and strawberries, as they may have a negative effect. |
| Weeding | Keep area around base of plant well weeded. |
| Watering | Water deeply at least once a week around the base of the plant. Hand watering or drip irrigation are best. If an overhead sprinkler is used, the large leaves keep the water from reaching the roots. |
| Fertilizing | Start to fertilize about 3 weeks after setting out the transplants and again when the bud starts to form on the plant. |
| Pests and diseases | Root maggots, cabbageworms, and club root are common. Crop rotation is essential for prevention of pests and diseases. |
| When to harvest | When the big leaves start to turn yellow, it is a sign that the sprouts are ready to be harvested. |
| How to harvest | Harvest the sprouts from the bottom of the plant, moving upward until all the sprouts mature. The green sprouts should be 1 to 2 inches in diameter and will easily break off from the stem. Remove the bottom leaves as you harvest the sprouts. |
| Storage | Brussels sprouts can be kept for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. They can be frozen and used later. |
Cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is another easy-to-grow vegetable in the brassica family. It grows well in most soils and is a cool-season crop. It is best to plant this vegetable in early spring for a summer harvest or in late summer for a fall harvest. The mature cabbage forms a head from a rosette of thickened leaves. The cabbage head can be round, pointy, or flatted depending on the variety. The leaves can be richly colored and textured. There are green varieties that produce light green leaves and red varieties with purplish red leaves. The Savoy cabbage has crinkly leaves. There are short season and long season varieties.
Cabbage can be eaten cooked or raw. Sauerkraut (cooked cabbage) and coleslaw (raw cabbage) are two of the most common cabbage dishes. Cabbage contains a good amount of vitamin C and some vitamin A. A medium head of cabbage will give approximately two pounds of cabbage or about twelve cups of shredded cabbage.
Cabbage is one of the oldest recorded vegetables. It was important for feeding people and animals more than 5,000 years ago. The exact point of origin is unknown, but it was once used in worship ceremonies in ancient Egypt. Cabbage was also important for American pioneers, who relied on the dependable crop as they traveled.
Cabbage, like all brassica vegetables, is susceptible to a variety of soil-borne diseases, so crop rotation is essential in order to keep your garden healthy. Once you have planted brassicas in an area, do not plant them in that spot again until at least four years after the first crop.
QUICK TIPS FOR GROWING CABBAGE
| Family name | Brassicaceae (mustard family). |
| Edible parts | Leaf heads. |
| Location | Cool area. |
| Best soil | Rich, moist but well-drained loamy soil; pH 6.0–6.8. |
| When to plant | Start indoors April to mid-July, then transplant out after 6 to 8 weeks. |
| How to plant | Space transplants 16 to 20 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. Sow seeds ½ inch deep, 4 inches apart, then thin seedlings. |
| How much to plant | 10 to 15 plants per person each season. |
| Companion plants | For a positive effect plant with beans, beets, onions, potatoes, and oregano. Planting with tomatoes and strawberries will have a negative effect on cabbage. |
| Weeding | Keep well weeded around the base of the plant. |
| Watering | Water deeply at least once a week around the base of the plant. Hand watering and drip irrigation are best; if an overhead sprinkler is used, the large leaves block the water from reaching the roots. |
| Fertilizing | Start to fertilize about 3 weeks after setting out the transplants and again when the bud starts to form on the plant. |
| Pests and diseases | Root maggots, cabbageworms, and club root are common. Crop rotation is essential for prevention of pests and diseases. |
| When to harvest | Some varieties of cabbage will mature in 45 days; others can take several months to mature. |
| How to harvest | Cut the head of the cabbage off at the base of the plant using a sharp knife. The plant will form smaller heads if the roots of the plant have not been disturbed. |
| Storage | A head of a cabbage will last for a couple weeks in the refrigerator. If you live in a mild climate, the cabbage can be left out until you need it. Harvest before it gets large enough to split. Cabbage can be wrapped in newspaper, placed in boxes, and kept at zero degrees over the winter. It can also be frozen and used as you need it. |
Cauliflower
Caulifower
Cauliflower is said to be the most difficult vegetable in the brassica family to grow. It is a cool-season vegetable, but it is also very sensitive to frost. Sunlight will turn the white head a darkish yellow color, so each head needs to be covered or blanched. This vegetable can be time consuming and not a sure thing for a home gardener, but it is worth a try.
There are several different varieties of cauliflower, some in bright colors of purple and orange! There are varieties that do not need to be blanched because the leaves grow in a certain way that covers the head and protects it from the sun.
What does it mean to blanch a vegetable plant?
The sunlight needs to be prevented from reaching the plant in order for it to remain whitish in color. To make this happen, the plant is usually covered with its own leaves. If the white variety of cauliflower is not blanched, the sun may cause it to turn brownish. There are different varieties of cauliflower that are grown for their color; these do not need blanching.
Cauliflower needs a moderately rich soil. When preparing your garden bed, add in several inches of compost or aged animal manure as well as some fertilizer rich in phosphorus. This is a good area of your garden to put shredded leaves; cauliflower will do well with them decomposing in the bed. Cauliflower is also a great vegetable to mulch because the soil needs to be kept moist, especially if there is a long dry spell.
QUICK TIPS FOR GROWING CAULIFLOWER
| Family name | Brassicaceae (mustard family). |
| Edible parts | Heads. |
| Location | Cool, sunny area. |
| Best soil | Rich, moist but well-drained loamy soil; pH 6.0–6.8. |
| When to plant | Start indoors April to mid-July, then transplant out after 6 to 8 weeks. |
| How to plant | Space transplants 16 to 24 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. Sow seeds ½ inch deep, 4 inches apart, then thin seedlings. |
| How much to plant | 10 to 15 plants per person each season. |
| Companion plants | For a positive effect plant with beans, beets, onions, potatoes, and oregano. Planting with tomatoes and strawberries will have a negative effect on cauliflower. |
| Weeding | Keep well weeded around the base of the plant. |
| Watering | Water deeply at least once a week around the base of the plant. Hand watering or drip irrigation are best; if an overhead sprinkler is used, the large leaves block the water from the roots. |
| Care | Cauliflower heads need to be blanched if you want them to remain a whitish color. Start blanching 3 weeks before you plan to harvest. |
| Fertilizing | Start to fertilize about 3 weeks after setting out the transplants and again when the bud starts to form on the plant. |
| Pests and diseases | Root maggots, cabbageworms, and club root are common. Crop rotation is essential for prevention of pests and diseases. |
| When to harvest | Cauliflower usually matures in 55 to 100 days. |
| How to harvest | Cut the head of cauliflower off at the base of the plant using a sharp knife. |
| Storage | A head of cauliflower will last for a couple weeks in the refrigerator. Cauliflower can be frozen and used as you need it. |
Collards
Collards are another cold, hardy vegetable in the brassica family. Their leaves look like cabbage leaves but do not form a head like a cabbage and are grown to be cooked rather than eaten raw. They are usually planted in the summer for harvesting in the fall and winter. The leaves of a mature plant are sweeter after a frost. The collard plant can also take the heat, so it is one of the few cooking greens that will do well all summer long.
Collards need a rich soil and a lot of water in order for the leaves to stay tender. When working the soil, add three inches of compost or aged manure to the garden bed. Collards also do best with regular fertilization. Use a nitrogen-rich fertilizer every few weeks, which will give them the nutrients they need to grow fast, develop a nice green color, and taste tender.
QUICK TIPS FOR GROWING COLLARDS
| Family name | Brassicaceae (mustard family). |
| Edible parts | Leaves and stems. |
| Location | Cool, sunny area. |
| Best soil | Rich, well drained; pH 5.5–6.8. |
| When to plant | Start indoors April to mid-July, then transplant out after 6 to 8 weeks. |
| How to plant | Space transplants 12 to 16 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. Sow seeds ¼ inch deep, 1 to 2 inches apart, then thin seedlings. |
| How much to plant | 5 to 10 plants per person each season |
| Companion plants | For a positive effect, plant with beans, onions, potatoes, and oregano. Planting with tomatoes and lettuce will have a negative effect on cauliflower. |
| Weeding | Keep well weeded around the base of the plant. |
| Watering | Water deeply at least once a week around the base of the plant. Water more in hot weather, less in the fall. Hand watering or drip irrigation are best; if an overhead sprinkler is used, the large leaves block the water from reaching the roots. |
| Fertilizing | Start to fertilize about 3 weeks after setting out the transplants and regularly until you harvest them. |
| Pests and diseases | Root maggots and cabbageworms are common. Crop rotation is essential for prevention of pests and diseases. |
| When to harvest | Collards usually mature in 60 to 80 days. |
| How to harvest | Cut off leaves as you need them, or cut the mature plant at the base. |
| Storage | Collards will not last long once they are harvested and will lose nutrients when stored, so it is best to use them as soon as they are harvested. They will stay in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. |
Kale
Kale has high levels of vitamin C and calcium and the highest levels of beta-carotene of all the green vegetables. It is a hardy vegetable. Kale will survive over the winter and the leaves are more tender and sweet once they have been touched by frost. Kale will easily go to seed and spread throughout your garden, so pull the plants out before the seeds spread if you want to contain it.
There are several different varieties of kale, which are easily distinguishable because of their color and leaf. The most common are probably the green, curly leaf varieties. Some other varieties are Red Russian, which have gray-green leaves with a purplish stem; Lacinato, which has a dark blue-green leaf; Redbor, which has dark red leaves; and Improved Siberian, which has flat green leaves.
Brassicas do best in soil with a pH that is more alkaline than acidic. Adding dolomite lime to the garden soil when preparing the beds will help to keep the soil at a good pH for these plants. Lime will also help prevent club root and other fungal diseases that brassicas are prone to.
QUICK TIPS FOR GROWING KALE
| Family name | Brassicaceae (mustard family). |
| Edible parts | Leaves and stems. |
| Location | Cool, sunny area. |
| Best soil | Rich, well drained; pH 6.5–6.8. |
| When to plant | Start indoors April to mid-July, then transplant out after 6 to 8 weeks. |
| How to plant | Space transplants 18 to 20 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. Sow seeds ¼ inch deep, 2 to 4 inches apart, then thin seedlings. |
| How much to plant | 5 to 10 plants per person each season. |
| Companion plants | For a positive effect, plant with beans, onions, potatoes, dill, sage, and oregano. Planting with tomatoes and lettuce will have a negative effect on cauliflower. |
| Weeding | Keep well weeded around the base of the plant. |
| Watering | Water deeply at least once a week around the base of the plant. Hand watering or drip irrigation are best; if an overhead sprinkler is used, the large leaves will block the water from the roots. |
| Fertilizing | Start to fertilize about 3 weeks after setting out the transplants and regularly until you harvest them. |
| Pests and diseases | Root maggots, cabbageworms, and club root are common. Crop rotation is essential for prevention of pests and disease. |
| When to harvest | Kale usually matures in 55 to 75 days. |
| How to harvest | Cut off leaves as you need them and the plant will keep producing for you all season long. Mature plants can be harvested at the base. |
| Storage | Eat the leaves as soon as possible after harvesting; they lose nutrients when stored. They will stay in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. |