Broccoli Red Arrow - Brassica oleracea italica

Sowing:

The germination temperature of 'Red Arrow' Broccoli Cabbage is around 15°C (59°F) and takes about 14 days.

It is sown from late March to mid-June for planting a month later and harvesting from February to March the following year.

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

Preparation of 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. Cover lightly 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 a heated shelter, 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, keeping only one plant every 60 cm (24in).

Cultivation:

Broccoli Cabbage is a demanding vegetable that requires well-fertilised soil, rich in nitrogen and potassium. It is advisable, preferably in autumn, to generously add mature compost (about 3/4 kg per m2), by scratching it into the soil to a depth of 5 cm (2in), after having loosened the soil, as with any vegetable crop. It is not very tolerant of soil pH, which should be between 5.6 and 6.5. Care should be taken in acidic soil 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, Cabbage Midge...), so this crop needs to pay attention to crop rotation.

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