
For most gardeners, that means starting seeds indoors in seedling trays 6-8 weeks before the average last frost date for spring harvest, or direct-sowing outdoors in mid- to late summer for fall harvest. When to Plant Broccoliīroccoli is a cool-season vegetable that does best in temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees F, and the heading (flowering) process will be disrupted by hot weather, so you’ll need to time your planting so that heads can form either before or after the heat of the summer. Then, once the florets arrive, the harvest window is quite short, so you have to be paying close attention! But, anyone can successfully grow broccoli by following the right steps. Broccoli takes longer than other greens like kale and cabbage to mature, since you are waiting for the flower stalks rather than harvesting leaves. Growing your own broccoli takes a little more patience and know-how than many other green vegetables.

#BROCCOLI RABE SEEDLINGS HOW TO#
Read on to learn how to grow this classic in your own garden! Broccoli was first developed in the ancient Roman Empire, and has traveled over the centuries to become a favorite all over the world. It is a member of the cabbage family ( Brassicaceae ) but unlike cabbage, it is eaten for its flower heads and stalks, which are packed with vitamin C and vitamin K as well as iron and other minerals. They readily cross-pollinate with turnips, mustard (including wild varieties), and any other close cousins.Broccoli is a delicious, nutritional-powerhouse vegetable that’s hard to beat. One last note don’t expect this slippery fellow’s seeds to breed true.

Recipes abound for cooking this versatile veggie. Planting in succession will give you enough for a meal without overloading your fridge. While the stalks will store in your refrigerator for about ten days, for fresh from-the-garden flavor, plant only of few seeds every four or five days to prolong the harvest of your broccoli rabe. A day or two can make the difference between a tasty treat and a dinner debacle. Waiting even a day can ruin your broccoli rabe growing season because this sneaky fellow tends to bolt overnight. All varieties should be cut just as the flower buds form. When it comes to growing broccoli rabe, never believe those labels. They all are ready for cutting well before the days they claim. Planting such varieties as Quarantina (40 days), Sessantina (60 days), or Novantina (90 days) can cause trouble if you rely on their names. This veggie villain fools you once again with the names of his varieties of broccoli rabe. The key to growing broccoli rabe, she says, is to grow the smaller and quicker growing varieties and harvest early, which brings us to another of this veggie’s crimes. She claims the broccoli rabe growing season begins right after the last spring frost and doesn’t end until the first frost of winter. Ask the authorities how to grow broccoli rabe and they will tell you it is a cool-season vegetable and should only be grown in the spring and fall, but my Italian neighbor says “pfftt” to that. The broccoli rabe growing season is another point in question. Snip off the roots and add the washed seedlings to your other salad greens. Do your best and thin to 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.) when the seedlings are about. Seed catalogues recommend planting the seeds about 4 inches (10 cm.) apart, but the seeds are so tiny, it’s next to impossible. How to Grow Broccoli Rabeīroccoli rabe planting is easy and it grows quickly enough that it can be planted directly into the garden. However, how to grow broccoli rabe properly seems to be another part of the mystery where this shady character is concerned.
#BROCCOLI RABE SEEDLINGS PATCH#
What is broccoli rabe? Whatever it is, it’s easy to grow and worth a small patch in your vegetable garden. It’s quite popular in some areas of Italy, where it originated, but in other parts of the world, it’s considered only good food for barnyard stock. Rabe is more closely related to the lowly turnips and mustards, and like turnip and mustard, its leaves have a somewhat bitter taste.

What is broccoli rabe? By its name, this conman has led many a gardener to believe it’s related to that prince of the garden, broccoli, but in truth, they are only distant cousins.

Some botanists label it Brassica rapa and others Brassica ruvo. Even in Latin, this villain plant can’t catch a break. This bad boy is also known as broccoli raab, rapa, rapini, taitcat, and Italian turnip and in some parts of the world, it’s known as rape. What is broccoli rabe (pronounced rob)? It’s a garden vegetable with a rap sheet as long as your arm. For something a little different in the garden, consider growing broccoli rabe.
