Amateur Gardening – 20 July 2019

Sow seeds of sprouting broccoli
in July, in a seed bed or in pots.
Thin out, or prick out into 3½in (9cm)
pots. Plant out 2ft (60cm) apart, preferably
in a sheltered place, later in summer.
Support with stout stakes, one per
plant, in autumn.
Sow regular broccoli from March to
August; it can react badly to transplanting,
so sow in pots, move seedlings into
3½in (9cm) pots, then plant out.
Grow in a new site each year – this
will prevent the build-up of soil-borne
problems that will ruin your crop.
Protect both types from pests – right
from before the seeds germinate to
when the crop is finished (see below).
When cropping is over, remove plants
promptly and put on the compost heap.

Prick out seedlings into 9cm pots

Broccoli sowing, planting and care

Beating pests – large and small

Micromesh keeps pests off your crop

YOU can avoid club root by never
growing brassicas in the same site twice;
however, root fly, caterpillars, pigeons,
flea beetle, rabbits and other pests are
a very different matter. All of these are
highly destructive, and can waste your
effort and decimate your broccoli crops
with alarming speed. Physical barriers
are the best solution – in particular, very

YOU can use spacing to control the size

of the heads produced by regular broccoli

(or calabrese). The basic rule is this: the

bigger the space, the larger the head.

Plants can be set 9in (23cm) apart for a quick

crop of heads cut when they’re about the size of

a tennis ball; smaller side shoots will then develop.

Alternatively, set them 16in (40cm) apart for large

heads that take a little more time to develop.

Cabbage white caterpillars can

do a lot of damage

Which broccoli?

IN addition to sprouting and non-

sprouting, there’s also quite a range

of other, less widely grown broccoli

varieties. These have been

developed by crossing together

different types of brassicas, and

while none of them yet have AGMs,

they’re all worth looking out for.

‘Kailan’ broccoli is a cross

between regular broccoli and

Chinese cabbage, and is ideal

for stir-frying. ‘Atlantis’ is a green-

speared hybrid of regular broccoli

and Chinese broccoli. Tenderstem

broccoli varieties are hybrids

between broccoli and Chinese kale

• look for ‘Inspiration’ or ‘Stemia’;
  their tender, tasty green spears are
  packed with flavour and goodness.

fine pale green (or white) plastic mesh,

sometimes sold as micromesh, that

keeps large and small insect pests out.

It’s ideal, because it will keep insects

and larger pests off your crop, while

still allowing rainfall, irrigation and

liquid feeds through. And as long

as you look after it, the same micromesh

can be used year after year.

Plant out later in the summer

Tenderstem is a cross between

Chinese kale and regular broccoli

Spatial awareness

24 AMATEUR GARDENING 20 JULY 2019

a tennis ball; smaller side shoots will then develop.

Larger heads need

more room