Growing broccoli from seeds: basic rules and secrets
Cooler seasons are the best time for broccoli to grow. This vegetable is capable of producing 2 harvests a year: in spring and autumn. Particularly fruitful are varieties with rapid ripening that can easily withstand high temperatures and adverse weather conditions.
If we compare this vegetable with cauliflower, we can note that broccoli contains more proteins, vitamins, mineral salts, and carbohydrates. The vegetable is consumed to stop the development of cardiovascular diseases, gout, and nervous system disorders. The taste of broccoli is pleasant, milder than cauliflower. For a rich harvest, proper cultivation of broccoli from seeds is required, using some secrets.
One head of broccoli rich in vitamins, such as B1, B2, B6, PP, C, K, E, fiber, beta-carotene, folic acid. In addition, the composition contains minerals. These are calcium, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, magnesium, iron. This dietary product is used to prevent many diseases. Anetholtritheone is obtained from broccoli. This substance is used to treat breast cancer.
If a person regularly consumes broccoli, the risk of developing diabetes and atherosclerosis is reduced. The substances in this vegetable destroy bacteria. But to obtain a good harvest of this useful product, knowledge of planting techniques is required.
Content:
Place for planting broccoli, soil
For normal growth, broccoli requires at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. This vegetable loves fresh air. Therefore, it is better to choose a place that is well ventilated.
You should also pay attention to the soil. It must be fertile, light, so that water penetrates into it. If necessary, organic fertilizers are added to the soil. For example, compost, rotted manure. This should be done without fail if the soil is not saturated with organic matter and minerals. When planting broccoli in the spring, the soil should be fertilized in the fall.
The growth of cabbage also depends on acidity. It should range from 6 to 7 pH. In other words, the soil should be neutral and contain a small amount of alkali. From acidic soil, vegetables become saturated with toxins, as heavy metals penetrate into them. To reduce the acidity level, add manure and compost.
This level is determined using litmus paper. It is not difficult to buy it in a store. In order for the acidity to decrease by one level, about 9 kg of compost or 3 kg of manure is required per 1 square meter. In neutral soil, not only broccoli, but also other plants develop better, since such conditions provoke the absorption of nutrients, and the microflora is well developed here. This makes the soil airy and loose.
To maintain the required temperature and humidity mulching of the soil is used, since the roots should not overheat. Various mineral fertilizers that are saturated with nitrogen improve plant growth.If it is not possible to add organic matter, it is recommended to use chemical or organic granular fertilizer. It can also be purchased.
Broccoli planting time
To ensure that the harvest appears as early as possible, the seeds are planted as seedlings. The growing season is about 100 days, then the crop begins to ripen. It should be borne in mind that the vegetable grows well in cool seasons, so its development is suspended if extreme heat sets in. Therefore, it is difficult to grow broccoli in warm areas.
Even in winter, you should start planting seeds for seedlings. Until the beginning of spring it will get stronger, then it can be planted in open ground in a permanent place of growth.
Features of planting broccoli seeds and seedlings
Preparing seeds for planting
Often purchased seeds in bags are already ready for planting. But often people collect them themselves. To plant them, preparation is needed. The seeds are soaked for 2 hours in a non-concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. Instead, you can use any disinfectant solution.
Washed recommended place seeds in liquidwhich stimulates growth. This is not a mandatory procedure, but it can push you in the initial stages of growth. After this, the seeds are dried if planting will take place in the near future.
How to plant broccoli seeds?
To begin with, prepare pots and containers in which the seeds are planted. It is recommended to use peat vessels. The soil should be at least 7 degrees when the seeds are planted. The following rules should be followed when landing:
- In open ground, the distance between seeds should be at least 45 cm
- If rows are planted, maintain a distance of 60 cm
- Seeds are buried to a depth of 2.5-3.5 cm
When planting, the soil should be moist. This will allow the broccoli to germinate faster, resulting in large clusters of buds.
Planting seedlings
Seedlings are planted in open ground when they have reached 10-15 cm in closed ground. The seedlings should get stronger. You should also pay attention to weather conditions, since in the cold season it is better to delay planting. To prevent the plant from dying, it is first hardened off. To do this, it is enough to periodically expose it to the sun for a short time. You can gradually increase the period of exposure to air. This will allow the broccoli to get used to the sun and temperature changes.
Soil in containers thoroughly moistened before planting seedlings. You should select the right place for planting in advance, then plant the seedlings there. If the ground is wet, the seedlings are easily dug up and the roots are not damaged. When planting, abundant watering is not required if the seedlings were grown in peat pots.
Holes are dug on the prepared soil; their depth should be about 10 cm. The soil must be saturated with fertilizers in advance. Broccoli should be planted a few centimeters deeper than when it grew indoors.
Broccoli care
After planting in open ground, caring for broccoli does not stop. The quantity and quality of the harvest also depends on it. Care includes:
- Regular watering
- Loosening the earth
- Feeding
- Pest treatment
To do this, you should take into account all the secrets of growing. Broccoli grows well at temperatures of 15-25 degrees. The vegetable is not afraid of severe autumn frost, but its development slows down due to lack of moisture. The soil should not be allowed to dry out.In dry weather, constant watering is necessary. This must be done every morning and evening. You need to especially listen to this rule. When watering in the heat of the day, you can damage the leaves.
For the normal development of this plant, the soil is loosened. This procedure should be repeated once a week. For this purpose, ordinary hand-held gardening tools are used.
When growing broccoli, you can encounter various diseases. They appear from a lack of vitamins and improper agricultural practices. Most often, the vegetable is attacked by blight. It affects the leaves, on which yellow spots appear. They appear due to lack of air, so ventilation is very important for broccoli. To increase air exchange, excess leaves are removed.
If the plant has a thin and weak stem, then there is not enough boron in the soil. Because of this, it is important to feed the soil.
You should also be wary of caterpillars, aphids, root flies, snails. These insects are pests for broccoli. The fly larvae cause the roots to rot. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the plant. As soon as the first signs of pest damage appear, the vegetable should be treated with special solutions.
But caterpillars and snails attack grown cabbage. They can often be seen on other species, not just broccoli. To get rid of them, they are collected and destroyed. But sometimes special compounds are used for this purpose that kill these pests.
So, broccoli is a healthy vegetable. But it should be grown carefully, adhering to many rules.
Video about growing conditions for broccoli:
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