Broccoli Early Purple Sprouting

'Early Purple Sprouting' Broccoli is a beautiful British heirloom variety. It forms attractive purple spears in the spring. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold its colour when cooked but its flavour and texture are excellent. Sow this frost hardy variety from March to October and harvest from May to December.

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica) is a popular vegetable belonging to the large Brassicaceae family (ex-Cole family). This biennial plant is grown as an annual for its edible flower heads that are harvested just before they start to bloom. It is native to Southern Italy where it has been grown for human consumption since Roman times. Broccoli has a mild taste with just a hint of bitterness. It is delicious lightly steamed and added to gratins, quiches, purées or stews. From a nutritional point of view, it is remarkable: its energy value is low but it is very rich in vitamins A, C, B6 and B9; it also contains lots of fibre, potassium and iron.

Broccoli is an easy vegetable to grow as long as you meet its basic requirements: deep, rich soil, and regular watering. It enjoys plenty of sun and generally does well in cool and rainy climates.

Harvesting: Broccoli is harvested in two stages. First, remove the central flower head with a a sharp knife. Then leave the rest of the plant in place until the side shoots are ready to be harvested.

Storage: Fresh broccoli does not keep very well. It is best to eat it quickly after harvesting, although it will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. It is also possible to freeze it, after having blanched it in boiling salty water for a few minutes.

Good to know: For the past few years, swede midges (Contarinia nasturtii) have been causing considerable damage to brassica plants. We recommend protecting your crops with insect netting from mid-May to mid-July.

Even if the vegetable garden is first and foremost a place for growing great quality veg, it’s always a good idea to leave a bit of room for flowers. Growing flowers alongside your vegetable plants will make your general gardening experience more enjoyable and is a great way to attract pollinators and repel garden pests! Flowers such as gaillardia, marigolds, zinnias, cosmos or nasturtiums can be sown in and around the rows of vegetables. Herbs such as dill can be very useful also. Bear in mind that some companion plants self-seed easily and can be a bit invasive (borage, chives, lemon balm etc.)

NB. Organic seeds (in French "AB" for "Agriculture Biologique") are produced from plants that aren't treated with phytosanitary products (insecticides, weed killers). The seeds do not undergo post-harvest treatment. They carry the AB label and are approved by Ecocert, an independent structure.