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Broccoli Belstar F1 - Brassica oleracea italica

Brassica oleracea italica Belstar F1
Broccoli

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I have been growing the BELSTAR broccoli for a long time and I am glad to see it featured on this website (unfortunately not available). It is a very mild variety (no bitterness like some other broccolis). The first heads are beautiful, and throughout the winter, I harvest well-formed side shoots with smaller heads. This winter, they have withstood -8°C (17.6°F) without any protection.

christianne, 08/03/2019

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A variety, awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society, that produces lovely small heads with a firm texture and excellent taste. Productive and resistant, the harvest of this Broccoli spreads over a long period. Sowing from April to June for a harvest from June to October.
Ease of cultivation
Beginner
Height at maturity
45 cm
Spread at maturity
40 cm
Soil moisture
Damp soil
Germination time (days)
14 days
Sowing method
Direct sowing
Sowing period April to June
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Harvest time June to October
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Description

The 'Belstar F1' Broccoli Cabbage is a variety awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society, which produces beautiful small bouquets that are firm and with excellent taste. Productive and resistant, this Broccoli can be harvested over a long period. Sow from April to June for a harvest from June to October.

Offering beautiful firm bouquets, primarily green but sometimes purple or white, the Broccoli Cabbage, commonly known as Broccoli, is a vegetable whose flowers are consumed just before they bloom. It belongs to the large Brassicaceae family (formerly Cruciferae) and has the Latin name Brassica oleracea italica.

Although introduced to France by Catherine de Medici under the name Italian Asparagus, Broccoli has only been widely cultivated since the 1980s.

Originally from southern Italy, this cabbage is now very popular with its mild flavour as it lends itself to many preparations. It is best consumed quickly, cooked with steam, and then prepared in various ways: sautéed, gratin, quiche, mashed, soup, etc. It is a low-calorie vegetable and rich in vitamin C.

Like almost all cabbages (Brussels sprouts being an exception), Broccoli Cabbage is a demanding vegetable, requiring excellent fertilisation and regular moisture.

NB: This variety is labelled F1 for "F1 hybrid" because it results from the cross-breeding of carefully selected parents to combine their qualities. This results in a variety that can be particularly tasty and early while resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticised or wrongly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrid seeds are attractive for their uniformity and resistance. Still, unfortunately, their qualities do not pass on to the next generations: it will, therefore, not be possible to recover the seeds for later sowing.

Harvest: Broccoli is harvested by cutting with a knife in two stages: the terminal bouquet and the lateral bouquet.

Storage: Broccoli Cabbage does not keep very well. It is best to consume it quickly after harvesting. It can be kept for a few days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it after blanching for 3 minutes in salted boiling water.


Gardener's tip: In recent years, the Cabbage Fly (Contarinia nasturtii), a petite-winged piercing and sucking fly, has been causing havoc on Broccoli Cabbages in certain regions. We recommend opting for prevention by installing an insect-proof cover on market arches, tightly sealed, throughout the flight period, from mid-May to mid-July. These covers are easy to set up and reusable to protect, for example, your carrot and leek crops.

Harvest

Harvest time June to October
Type of vegetable Flower vegetable
Size of vegetable Medium
Interest Flavour, Colour, Very productive

Plant habit

Height at maturity 45 cm
Spread at maturity 40 cm
Growth rate normal

Foliage

Foliage persistence Annual
Foliage colour medium green

Botanical data

Genus

Brassica

Species

oleracea

Cultivar

italica Belstar F1

Family

Brassicaceae

Other common names

Broccoli

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Annual / Perennial

Annual

Product reference22911

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Planting and care

Sowing:

The germination temperature of the 'Belstar F1' Broccoli Cabbage is around 15° and takes about 14 days.

It can be sown from April to June for a harvest from June to October.

You can sow directly in place or prepare seedlings that will then be planted in their final position in the garden.

Preparing seedlings: at home or in a heated shelter from late autumn to late spring or a cold greenhouse for the rest of the year, sow the Broccoli Cabbage seeds at a depth of 1 cm (0in) in good seed compost. Lightly cover with compost or vermiculite. Remember to keep the substrate moist but not soggy!

When the young plants appear strong enough to handle, transplant them into pots and, for sowing in heated shelters, gradually acclimatise them to cooler temperatures before transplanting them to the garden when there is no longer any risk of frost.

Direct sowing: In suitably amended and finely worked soil, make furrows about one centimetre deep, spaced 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24in) apart. Sow the seeds and cover them with a thin layer of fine soil. When the seedlings are well developed, thin them out, leaving one plant every 50 cm (20in) or so.

 

Cultivation:

Broccoli Cabbage is a demanding vegetable that requires well-composted soil rich in nitrogen and potassium. It is advisable, preferably in autumn, to generously apply mature compost (about 3/4 kg per m2), by scratching the soil to a depth of 5 cm (2in), after having loosened the soil as for any vegetable cultivation. It is not very tolerant of soil pH, which should be between 5.6 and 6.5. In acidic soil, it will be necessary to gradually raise this pH by adding calcium in the form of Dolomite or Lime.

Broccoli Cabbage, like all cabbages, is quite susceptible to diseases such as Clubroot and pests (Cabbage White Butterfly, Cabbage Fly, Flea Beetle, Leaf Miner...), so it is essential to pay attention to crop rotations for this cultivation.

It is beneficial to associate it with many vegetables, such as tomatoes and lettuce. But avoid planting it next to other Brassicas and zucchini, fennel, lamb's lettuce, leeks, and strawberries.

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Seedlings

Sowing period April to June
Sowing method Direct sowing
Germination time (days) 14 days

Care

Soil moisture Wet
Disease resistance Average
Pruning No pruning necessary

Intended location

Type of use Vegetable garden
Hardiness Hardy down to -29°C (USDA zone 5) Show map
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light), 192
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