Broccoli Premium Crop F1 - Brassica oleracea italica

The 'Premium Crop F1' Broccoli Cabbage is a fast-growing variety that tolerates heat well. Sow from February to April under cover and from April to June in open ground for a harvest 55 days later.

Offering beautiful firm bouquets, mostly green but sometimes purplish or white, Broccoli Cabbage, 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 bears the Latin name Brassica oleracea italica.

Although introduced to France by Catherine de Medici under the name Italian Asparagus, Broccoli has only been extensively cultivated 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 consumed quickly, steamed and then prepared in various ways: sautéed, gratin, quiche, mashed, soup... It is a low-calorie vegetable and rich in vitamin C.

Like almost all cabbages (Brussels sprouts being the exception), Broccoli Cabbage 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 flavourful and/or early while resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticised or wrongly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrid seeds are interesting both for their uniformity and resistance, but 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 bouquet is harvested, then the lateral bouquets.

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 it for 3 minutes in salted boiling water.

The gardener's tip: In recent years, the Cabbage Gall Midge (Contarinia nasturtii), a small winged piercing and sucking fly, has been wreaking havoc on Broccoli Cabbages in certain regions. We recommend opting for prevention by installing insect-proof netting tightly on market garden arches throughout the flight period, from mid-May to mid-July. These nets are easy to set up and reusable to protect, for example, your carrot and leek crops.