Brassica oleracea Atlantis F1

Broccoli Atlantis F1 is a vigorous hybrid variety, fast-growing, resistant to heat and to running-to-seed.  It produces a beautiful round and green head weighing 500 grams 75 days after transplanting, then smaller side heads. This variety is naturally resistant to diseases. It is sown from February to May and harvested from June to December.

Offering pretty firm heads, mostly green, but sometimes purplish or white, this 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 of Brassica oleracea italica.

Originally from Southern Italy, this Brassica, with a mild flavour, is now highly appreciated as it lends itself to many preparations. It can be 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 Brassica (Brussels sprouts being an exception), broccoli is a demanding vegetable, requiring excellent organic manure and regular moisture.

NB: This variety is labelled F1 for 'F1 hybrid' because it is a variety resulting from the crossbreeding of carefully selected parents to combine their qualities. This results in a variety that can be particularly tasty and/or early while being resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticised or wrongly associated with GM foods, F1 hybrid seeds are interesting both for their homogeneity and their resistance, but unfortunately, their qualities do not pass on to the next generations: it will therefore not be possible to recover the seeds for a subsequent sowing.

Harvest: Broccoli is harvested by cutting, with a knife, in two stages: first, the main head is harvested, then the side heads.

Storage: Broccoli does not keep very well. It is best to consume it quickly after harvesting. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it after blanching it for 3 minutes in salted boiling water.

Gardener's tip: In recent years, the Cabbage Midge (Contarinia nasturtii), a small winged piercing and sucking fly, has been wreaking havoc on broccoli in some regions. We recommend opting for prevention by installing an insect-proof covering, such as a horticultural fleece, tightly on hoops, throughout the 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.