Content
Growing cabbage of different varieties in gardens and summer cottages is a common occurrence. But not everyone, even the most experienced gardeners, know about the exotic cabbage with the unusual name Romanesco. It attracts not only with its useful properties, but also with its unusual shape and beauty.
Since Romanesco cabbage is a very rare guest in the gardens of Russians, many questions arise related to the peculiarities of cultivation and care. We will try to take into account all requests and present an exotic vegetable in all its glory.
What a miracle
It is not surprising that many Russians, and not only them, do not know about the Romanesco variety. After all, this exotic cabbage began to be grown in Russia only at the end of the last century. The homeland of the vegetable is Italy. Although, according to historians, Romanesco cabbage was grown during the Roman Empire.
Romanesco is considered a hybrid broccoli and cauliflower. It is popularly called Romanesque broccoli or coral cabbage. By its appearance, it resembles a magic flower or a shell of a long-extinct shellfish. But scientists see a certain pattern in it and believe that some kind of genetic code is embedded in the appearance of the Romanesco variety.
Mathematics and the Romanesco variety are related:
No wonder, because of its bizarre appearance, many believe that Romanesco cabbage "came" to Earth from space, that its seeds were scattered by aliens. A person who sees Romanesco cabbage for the first time does not immediately believe that such a beautiful flower can be edible.
Description of the variety
Now let's turn to the botanical properties of the plant.
Romanesco belongs to the Cruciferous family. Cabbage is grown as an annual plant. Its size depends on compliance with the standards of care. Some fans of the Romanesco variety received specimens almost a meter high, and the weight of each inflorescence was 500 grams. Inflorescences no wider than 10 cm are suitable for eating.
Romanesco cauliflower consists of many inflorescences. If you look closely at them, then they repeat the mother plant in shape many times.
The shape of each cabbage inflorescence is a spiral, and the buds also develop in a spiral manner. The flowers are pale green, collected in intricate pyramids, which makes the plant look unusual. The inflorescences are very tightly pressed against each other. Around the beautiful pyramid are integumentary leaves of a contrasting dark green color.
The taste of cabbage prepared according to different recipes is distinguished by its tenderness and sweetish aftertaste. The aroma is nutty.
Scientists have been studying the types of Romanesco cabbage for many years, but until now all its valuable qualities have not been fully clarified. Although it can be unequivocally argued that this is a very healthy vegetable.
Varieties of varieties
There are four types of Romanesco cabbage in the State Register of the Russian Federation. They are recommended for cultivation on private plots. The varieties of Romanesco cauliflower include the following varieties:
- Puntoverde is a medium-ripening cabbage variety with a large head up to one and a half kilograms.
- Veronica is also of medium duration, but the head is larger, about 2 kg.
- Romanesco variety Pearl - medium late ripening, weighing up to 800 grams.
- Emerald goblet - medium early ripening, head about 500 grams.
The germination rate of seeds of the Romanesco variety, unfortunately, is not 100%. Therefore, when sowing, take one large seed and two small ones. In packs, as a rule, 25, 50 and 100 seeds.
One of the Romanesco cabbage hybrids:
The benefits of the Romanesco variety
As we already mentioned, today all the beneficial properties of a vegetable have not been disclosed by scientists. But it is already known for certain that he has:
- antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties;
- is an antioxidant and antidepressant;
- antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic and anticancer properties.
The presence of a large number of various vitamins, trace elements, fiber, carotene, as well as the rare earth elements selenium and fluorine, makes the Romanesco varieties attractive for nutritionists and doctors.
The use of cabbage in the diet has a beneficial effect on blood vessels, improving their elasticity. Useful vegetable with "thick" blood. Doctors have already established that the presence of isocyanates helps in the fight against the disease of the century - cancer. Doctors recommend that the Romanesco hybrid be introduced into the diet for people with problems of the gastrointestinal tract, because it removes cholesterol, toxins, toxins.
The Romanesco hybrid is widely used in cooking. After all, it can be cooked like ordinary cabbage varieties. But exotic cabbage turns out to be more tender, with a light nutty taste.
Along with its benefits, the vegetable can be harmful. It is undesirable to eat dishes from it for people with diseases of the heart and thyroid gland. In raw (although only a few can eat it) or undercooked, bloating is possible due to the formation of gas, as well as diarrhea.
Growing and care
According to gardeners growing the Romanesco hybrid, agricultural technology is much more difficult due to the capriciousness of the plant. The slightest mistakes lead to negative results. Perhaps this is precisely what prevents this variety of cabbage from gaining popularity among gardeners.
What you need to know in order for the cultivation and care of Romanesco cabbage to be successful:
- Changes in temperature and humidity are extreme conditions that adversely affect head formation.
- Failure to comply with the sowing time leads to the fact that inflorescences are not formed.
- The formation of the head is facilitated by a temperature of up to +18 degrees. If you deal with late-ripening Romanesco cabbage, then you need to calculate the timing of sowing seeds in such a way that the inflorescences are formed in early September, when it is already cool at night.
Seedling preparation
Romanesco cabbage, as a rule, is grown in seedlings due to the climatic characteristics of Russian regions. Only in the southern regions is it possible to sow seeds directly into the ground.
In order for the seedlings of exotic cabbage to grow by the time of planting, the seeds must be sown 40-60 days before planting in the ground.
A box of soil is prepared for seedlings. Sow, as mentioned above, 2-3 seeds with a margin. The distance between future sprouts of cabbage should be at least 3-4 cm, and between the grooves about 4 cm.
The box with seeds is placed in a warm place, and until they hatch, the temperature is maintained at + 20-22 degrees. When the first shoots appear, the daytime temperature should be from 8 to 10 degrees, and at night it should be 2 degrees lower.
During the growth of Romanesco cabbage seedlings, the lighting should be good, and the watering should be moderate (drying out of a clod of earth is unacceptable when growing seedlings). These agronomic standards are necessary for the formation of a powerful root system. In addition, by the time the seedlings are planted in the ground, it should be squat.
Planting seedlings in the ground
When the air warms up to 12 degrees and the threat of a return of night frosts disappears, the seedlings of the Romanesco hybrid are planted in open ground. The beds are prepared in the fall. They add the necessary fertilizers, rotted manure or compost to them. To prevent soil acidity, you can add lime fluff or wood ash. Digging is imperative so that during the winter harmful insects and disease spores die under the influence of low temperatures.
It is not recommended to choose a place where cruciferous relatives grew, but after legumes, potatoes, cucumbers, onions, you can safely plant a Romanesco hybrid.
Before planting seedlings, holes are prepared at a distance of 45-50 cm.There is a little more between the rows so that you can safely walk. The earth is spilled with hot water or a solution of saturated pink potassium permanganate. Seedlings are chosen carefully so as not to damage the roots, and sprinkle with soil until the cotyledon leaves. The soil around the seedlings must be squeezed for better adhesion of the roots to the ground, then watered.
Plant care
In the future, leaving is reduced to the usual procedures:
- Abundant watering, preventing the soil surface from drying out. It is best to arrange a drip irrigation system, then the Romanesco variety will not need water.
- Loosening the soil after watering and removing weeds should become the norm.
- Top dressing with organic and mineral fertilizers at different periods of plant development. If you prefer organic, then use an infusion of mullein, chicken droppings or green fertilizer (infusion of cut grass without seeds). From mineral fertilizers, gardeners use ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, potassium chloride and others. As a rule, Romanesco cabbage is fed three times.
- The Romanesco variety is susceptible to the same diseases and is damaged by the same insects as ordinary cabbage. To notice the danger in a timely manner, you need to monitor the condition of the plants. When diseases or pests appear, treat the plantings with special preparations in accordance with the instructions.
Instead of a conclusion
You need to collect inflorescences as they ripen, you cannot be late, as the vegetable will begin to rot. You need to cut the cabbage early in the morning, in dry weather. Unfortunately, keeping the Romanesco variety fresh is problematic due to the short period of time: it lasts no more than a week in the refrigerator. It is best to freeze cabbage or prepare various snacks, then the healthy vegetable can be eaten all winter.
