Photo by Ali Graney (CC BY 2.0).

Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea Italica Cultivar Group

Common Name: Broccoli 'Green Sprouting Calabrese'

Family: BRASSICACEAE (Broccoli, Mustard & Cabbage)

Etymology

Brassica: Cabbage; Latin
oleracea: Edible Vegetable
Italica: Italian

Origin

Green Sprouting Calabrese is an Italian heirloom Calabrese Broccoli cultivar.  This variety was introduced into English speaking countries by Italian immigrants during the 1880's.

Description

An early, prolific Calabrese Broccoli variety that produces a medium sized bluish-green broccoli head with additional smaller side shoots.  This variety will produce over a longer period of time than singular headed varieties.  This broccoli is mild in flavour, sweet and tender in texture.

Uses

Harvest the broccoli heads when they are still compact well before the flower buds begin to mature and open for best flavour.  Use in any way you would normally use broccoli, steamed or stir-fried works well.

Germination

Sow Green Sprouting Calabrese Broccoli seeds 6mm deep, spacing plants 35cm apart.  Broccoli seeds take 7-10 days to emerge.  Broccoli seedlings can be unstable and fall over during heavy wind, to help then send out additional roots to anchor them better you can remove the cotyledons (the first two seed leaves) once the first set of true leaves are formed and cover up to this point in soil.  In temperate areas you should sow Broccoli seeds from mid-Summer until the end of August.  In really cold areas where Winter growing is impossible, try sowing the seed during Spring and growing broccoli as a warm season crop.  In the subtropics green looping caterpillars can be a major pest of broccoli so sow the seed from April to May to avoid their peak period of activity in Autumn.  Broccoli is not suited for growing in the tropics as it is too hot and humid, try growing Asian or other tropical greens instead.

Cultivation

To get additional, smaller heads of broccoli, harvest the main plant then gently bend the stem towards the ground, anchoring it with a rock, to promote the grow of side shoots which will each form their own smaller head of delicious broccoli.  Takes six to ten weeks from planting seed until harvest.  Heavy feeder, incorporate compost into the soil is lacking and fertilise well during the growing season.  Requires full sun to thrive.  Keep well watered.