Broccoli – Romanesco
€1.95
Description
Broccoli – Romanesco is a most unusual and attractive summer broccoli with conical shaped heads.
Sowing:
Make successional sowings every 3 to 4 weeks from April until mid June.
Sow one seed per module about 1.5cm deep. About 4 weeks later plant out.
Spacing:
Between rows: 45cm
Between plants in the row: 30cm
Approx. seed Count: 50
Family:
Cruciferae
Related to:
Cauliflower, Cabbage, Broccoli, Radish, Turnip, Kale, Swede, Rocket, Cress and also Kohlrabi.
Botanical classification:
Brassica derives from the Celtic bresic, which is the name for cabbage. Oleracea means ‘as a herb’ – the wild cabbage.
Soil and site:
Broccoli – Romanesco is very hardy and will grow on most sites. It should be planted in very fertile soil. Therefore it is important that the soil has been well prepared with compost together with decomposed manure. The ideal pH is 6.5 to 7.0.
Rotation:
It is absolutely essential to keep them in the brassica section of your rotation. This is vital because it prevents a build up of the numerous brassica pests and diseases.
Potential problems:
Broccoli is susceptible to all common brassica problems.
About Broccoli – Romanesco
It resembles a cauliflower and similarly has a conical-shaped head. It’s an old vegetable which dates back to the 16th century and was grown in Italy. In addition, it is also one of the mathematical wonders in the plant world.
Uses:
The texture of this unique vegetable is very crunchy and it has a delicious nutty flavour.
How much to grow?
To start off with, sow a few seeds at each sowing date as they all mature at the same time and do not store for more than a week.
Popularity:
Romanesco is a highly sought after vegetable crop and restaurants are using it as a curiosity vegetable.
For more information have a look at my monthly newsletters on:
https://greenvegetableseeds.com/newsletters/
Have a look at the Irish Garden magazine:
