Broccoli Green Magic F1 - Brassica oleracea italica

The 'Green Magic F1' Broccoli is an exceptional variety, both for its flavour and its tolerance to heat and diseases. Compact and productive, it offers beautiful bluish-green heads. Rapid growth (60 days after planting, 95 days from direct sowing). Sow from May to June for a harvest from September to November.

Offering firm and attractive heads, usually green but sometimes purple or white, Broccoli, commonly known as Broccoli, is a vegetable whose flowers are consumed just before they bloom. It belongs to the large family of Brassicaceae (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 cultivated on a large scale since the 1980s.

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

Like almost all cabbages (Brussels sprouts being an exception), Broccoli is a demanding vegetable, requiring excellent base 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 exceptionally flavourful and early while also 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 subsequent 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: first, the terminal head is harvested, then the lateral heads.

Storage: Broccoli does not keep very well. It is best to consume it quickly after harvesting. It can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days. You can also freeze it after blanching it 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 in certain regions. We recommend prevention by installing an insect-proof cover tightly on vegetable hoops during the entire flight period, from mid-May to mid-July. These covers are easy to put in place and reusable to protect, for example, your carrot and leek crops.