Broccoli Summer Purple - Brassica oleracea italica

Sowing:

The germination temperature of the 'Summer Purple' Broccoli is around 15°C (59°F) and takes about 14 days.

It is sown from March to June for a harvest from July to November.

You can proceed with direct sowing in place or prepare seedlings that will later be planted in their final position in the garden.

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

When the young plants appear strong enough to handle, transplant them into pots and, for seedlings in a heated greenhouse, gradually acclimatise them to cooler temperatures before transplanting them into 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 by keeping only one plant every 50 cm (20in).

Cultivation:

Broccoli is a demanding vegetable that requires well-fertilised soil and is rich in nitrogen and potassium. Applying a generous amount of mature compost (about 3/4 kg per m2) is recommended by scratching it into the soil to a depth of 5 cm (2in), preferably in autumn, after loosening the soil as you would for any vegetable crop. 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 the pH by adding calcium in the form of Dolomite or Lime.

Broccoli, like all cabbage plants, is quite susceptible to diseases such as Clubroot and pests (Cabbage White Butterfly, Cabbage Fly, Flea Beetle, Leafminer...), so this crop needs to practice crop rotation.

It is beneficial to associate broccoli with many vegetables, such as tomatoes and lettuce. But avoid planting it near other Brassica, aubergine, fennel, lamb's lettuce, leeks and strawberries.