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Broccoli began to grow IV-V centuries BC in the Mediterranean. Italian vegetable growers have managed to get a variety grown as an annual crop. Today there are over 200 varieties of broccoli.
In Russia, this type of cabbage began to be cultivated not so long ago, so many gardeners are interested in how to plant broccoli cabbage at home for seedlings. The rules and features of growing this vegetable from seeds will be discussed in the article. We hope that the material will be useful not only for novice vegetable growers.
About the benefits of a vegetable
Broccoli is the most valuable vegetable because it contains a large amount of minerals and vitamins. For this, doctors recommend it for various diseases. For instance:
- thanks to vitamin U, ulcers heal faster;
- potassium removes salts;
- magnesium is essential for the heart muscle;
- calcium - essential for the health of hair, nails;
- selenium removes radionuclides;
- sodium is necessary for the stable functioning of nerve cells;
- zinc, copper, magnesium - participate in the process of hematopoiesis;
- beta-carotene - improves vision, heals the nervous system, improves skin condition.
Often, doctors prescribe cabbage as a maintenance diet after complex surgeries. Pediatricians recommend broccoli for feeding babies.
Species and varietal diversity
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If you cook about the types of broccoli, then there are three of them:
- The Calambrian inflorescences are rounded or conical in green, purple or white.
- Red is similar to cauliflower.
- The stem is small in size. Differs in crispy stems.
Popular varieties
Broccoli varies ripening terms, so you need to plant cabbage at different times.
Early varieties, from sowing for seedlings to technical ripeness 60-100 days:
- Batavia;
- Linda;
- Lord F1;
- Monaco F1;
- Tone.
Mid-season 105-130 days:
- Ironman F1;
- Dwarf.
Late 130-145:
- Agassi F1 "
- Marathon F1;
- Parthenon F1.
How ripening dates are related to sowing seeds
To grow healthy cabbage seedlings at home, you must take into account the timing of the growing season. If you want to receive valuable products continuously, broccoli seeds should be sown at intervals of at least two weeks, taking into account the ripening time.
When to plant broccoli seeds for seedlings in 2019 according to the lunar calendar:
- February - 5-8, 19-22.
- March - 7, 8, 18, 20, 21.
- April - 4-6, 8-10, 20-23.
- May - 8-12, 19-24.
When deciding when to plant broccoli for seedlings, remember that seedlings must be planted in the ground until they outgrow. If the spring is protracted, then the timing of planting broccoli cabbage seeds for seedlings is postponed for two weeks.
Preliminary work
You can grow broccoli at home by seedling or sowing seeds directly into the ground. Vegetable gardeners advise using seedlings, point to the benefits:
- Possibility of getting early vegetables.
- The cost of purchasing seed material is reduced, since the plants do not have to be thinned out.
- Seedlings are easier to care for than outdoors.
- After disembarking to a permanent place, he is less sick.
Seed preparation
Before planting broccoli for seedlings, you need to take care of the seeds:
- Sorting... First of all, cabbage seeds are sorted out, small and puny ones are removed.
- For accelerated emergence, seed warm up... A solution of wood ash is prepared (a liter of water up to 50 degrees + a large spoonful of ash). The procedure is conveniently performed in a canvas bag, dipping it into a hot solution for a third of an hour. After that, it is poured into cold water for 2 minutes. Unripe seeds will float up, they are thrown away.
- So that broccoli does not suffer from various diseases, the seeds pickle in a solution of potassium permanganate or boric acid.
- Soak seed in ash solution - a necessary procedure, lasts 5 hours.
- Then seeds for a day, before planting in the soil, tempered in the fridge. Use a cloth or gauze to wrap. After a day, the inoculum is taken out, dried to a free-flowing state.
It is important not only to know how to plant broccoli seeds for seedlings, but also to take measures to prevent fungal diseases.
Preparing the soil
While the seed is being processed, you need to prepare the soil. Planting broccoli seeds for seedlings will require nutritious, breathable soil. Sod soil is mixed with compost, wood ash is added. It not only prevents fungal diseases, but also neutralizes the soil.
A small amount of sand will not hurt: with it the roots develop better. If you are preparing the soil for broccoli seedlings at home, then in the country you choose an area where the cabbage itself and its fellow tribesmen, cruciferous, did not grow, so as not to bring disease.
The soil can be prepared in different ways:
- steaming in the oven;
- spill with boiling water, with dissolved potassium permanganate, Gamair, Alirin-B, Fundazol. Preparations are diluted, taking into account the recommendations on the package.
You can use ready-made soil for vegetable plants. They are full of nutrients. It can also be spilled with hot pink potassium permanganate solution before sowing broccoli seeds.
Broccoli growing video:
Preparation of containers
Broccoli seedlings are grown in different containers: boxes, cassettes, pots, peat tablets, the main thing is that their depth is at least 5 cm.
If the container is new, then it is enough to pour boiling water over it. If it was used before, then you need to disinfect it by adding potassium permanganate to the water (the solution must be saturated).
Features of planting seedlings
And now about how to plant broccoli at home.
We put in boxes
If you use boxes for growing broccoli seedlings (the height should be at least 5-7 cm), then soil is poured into them, grooves are made - a step of 3-4 cm.The seeds are laid out at a distance of at least 3 cm in order to plant the plants in the ground with less loss of seedlings. The embedment depth is at least 1 cm.
How to grow broccoli without picking
This type of vegetables responds negatively to picking. Therefore, it is best to use containers in which cabbage seedlings of different varieties of broccoli are grown before planting in the ground.
- Peat tablets are an excellent option, since the diameter (4 cm) is sufficient for the growth of strong seedlings. The tablets are soaked in water, get rid of excess water. You need to sow 2 seeds into the recess, sprinkle with peat 1 cm.
- If vegetable growers choose cassettes or pots for growing seedlings, then their height should be at least 7 cm, diameter 4-5 cm.Put 2 seeds in each container.
The excess seedling is cut off at the ground. You can't pull it out.
The containers are placed in a well-lit warm place (from +18 to +20 degrees), covered with glass or cellophane on top until shoots appear.
We create conditions
Although broccoli is not a picky vegetable, conditions must be created to grow seedlings.
Temperature and light conditions
Broccoli seedlings stretch out at too high a temperature and low light and become unviable. Therefore, when the first sprouts appear, the containers are placed on a lighted windowsill, where the temperature does not rise above 17 degrees in the daytime, and 12 at night. To grow strong seedlings, broccoli seedlings will have to be highlighted, since daylight hours in spring are less than the required 15 hours.
Features of watering and feeding
All types of cabbage love moisture, but not excess moisture. Therefore, water the broccoli sparingly so as not to provoke the development of a keel or black leg.
The cabbage seedlings are fed with potash fertilizers. You can use a pink solution of potassium permanganate or furnace ash.
Hardening
Before planting seedlings in open ground, they need to be prepared. In two weeks they open the window. First, for half an hour, then the time of air procedures is increased to 4-5 hours.
If there is a balcony or loggia, the containers can be taken out, but only when the plants have been hardened.
If you follow all the rules, then by the time of planting in the ground, seedlings of broccoli cabbage, which you grew yourself, will look like in the photo: 6-8 real leaves and a strong root system.
Let's summarize
If you like broccoli cabbage, growing it yourself is not too difficult.
It is important to remember that you need to sow seeds one and a half months before planting in the ground.
Early maturing varieties of broccoli cabbage in the summer can be sown with seeds directly into the ground, as soon as the soil is thawed and ready. If there is a greenhouse, seedlings are planted earlier, then the first harvest will ripen quickly.
