Choosing the best varieties of broccoli cabbage for summer cottages
Broccoli has long earned popularity in the West for its taste and vitamin composition. With the development of vegetable breeding, Russian gardeners also became interested in vegetables. Consider which varieties of broccoli cabbage are most suitable for growing in different climatic conditions (see. Romanesco cabbage).
What to consider when choosing a broccoli variety
- Climate. Most varieties of broccoli are thermophilic, so they can only be grown during the warm season. If the above-zero temperature in your region lasts a long enough time, you can choose any early-ripening, mid-ripening or late-ripening variety, except for specially bred cold-resistant hybrids that do not tolerate heat. If you live in the northern region, you should choose varieties that are suitable for growing in a greenhouse, cold tolerant or early maturing.
- Gardening experience. If you're a budding gardener, it might be worth starting with hybrid varieties. They are marked with the special designation F1. These varieties are derived from crossing broccoli with others. types of cabbage, which allows them to be more resistant to pests and less demanding to care for, (* have a high yield *). The advantages of non-hybrid varietal varieties are that they often have a more pronounced taste and can be grown from their seeds the next year.
- Ripening time. By the ripening time, broccoli are divided into early ripening (ripening period up to 100 days), mid-ripening and late ripening (ripening period from 130 days). Early ripening varieties are usually more suitable for raw consumption, and late ripening varieties for heat treatment and storage in frozen form. To consume broccoli throughout the year, you can take several varieties at different ripening times.
- Productivity. Depending on the variety, 1 to 7 kg of fruit can be harvested from 1 square meter.
- Storage methods. Some varieties of broccoli can remain usable for several months without additional processing, while others are suitable for long-term storage only in canned or frozen form.
- Taste qualities. Each variety of broccoli has a special flavor, but it is impossible to understand which one you will like without tasting.
Early maturing varieties
Early varieties of broccoli are ideal for regions where the weather is warm enough to grow vegetables outdoors. Such plants ripen within 2-3 months after planting. Basically, early ripening broccoli varieties have a fragile structure and do not retain their freshness for long without heat treatment. They are ideal for consumption raw.
| Variety | View | Ripening period | Boarding time | Preferred climate | Yield | Head weight | Side shoots weight |
| Batavia F1 | Hybrid | Up to 100 days | Mid March - mid April (from seedlings) | Warm | 2.5KG | 0.7 to 1.5 kg, | From 200 grams |
| Linda | Varietal | 85-105 days | End of March - April
(from 35-day seedlings) | Any | 3-4 kg | 300-400 grams | 50-70 grams |
| Lord F1 | Hybrid | 60-64 days | From April 20 (from monthly seedlings) | Any | Up to 4 kg | About 1.5 kg | Up to 200 grams |
| Vitamin | Varietal | 75-80 days | March, April | Any | From 2 kg | About 300 grams | — |
| Monaco F1 | Hybrid | 70-75 days | Planting 45-55-day seedlings in the warm season | Any | About 4.2 kg | 1.5-2 kg | — |
| Tone | Varietal | 70-90 days | Planting seedlings in March, outdoors - in early May | Any | 1.6-2 kg | From 200 grams | 50-70 grams |
| Caesar | Varietal | 95-110 days | April | Any | — | — | — |
| Curly head | Varietal | Up to 100 days | March, April | Warm | — | 500 grams | — |
Photo and short description
Batavia F1 tolerates heat well and bears fruit until the first frost. It is an ideal broccoli variety for the middle strip. This variety is best consumed fresh, although it does not last long. Retains its taste when frozen.
Linda broccoli is a medium-sized bush with 7 fruit-bearing shoots. The fruits are rich in easily digestible iodine.
The lord is more suitable for outdoor cultivation than in a greenhouse. The bush is resistant to powdery mildew. The fruits are fortified with potassium, which prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases.
The fruits of the broccoli Vitamin cabbage need to be picked 80 days after planting. Otherwise, they become too loose and unsuitable for consumption.
The fruit of the Monaco variety is very juicy. The bush of the plant grows up to 80 cm high and does not have lateral shoots, but this variety is one of the most productive. Plants are resistant to bacteriosis.
The photo shows that the Tonus broccoli cabbage has an unusual appearance. Its fruits have an unusual delicate taste. The plant can bear fruit even in frosts, therefore it is ideal for planting in the northern regions, although the yield of the bushes is not great.
Caesar broccoli has a record vitamin C content.
Broccoli Curly head grows well at temperatures of 16-25 degrees.
Also worth noting is such an early ripening variety as broccoli Lucky F1. The head of the plant weighs about 900 grams, despite the fact that the fruits become ripe as early as 70 days from the moment of planting.
The hybrid variety is resistant to powdery mildew and has a high yielding capacity. Ideal for greenhouse cultivation in cold regions. The broccoli variety Fiesta also has similar qualities.
The early maturing varieties also include white broccoli, popular in European countries.
Mid-season varieties
Mid-season varieties ripen mainly 100 - 130 days after planting. Some of these varieties yield high yields and are dense enough to be transported over long distances, making them ideal varieties for commercial production. These varieties are mainly thermophilic, but some of them can be planted in cold regions.
| Variety | View | Ripening period | Boarding time | Preferred climate | Yield | Head weight | Side shoots weight |
| Ironman F1 | Hybrid | 64-81 days | For seedlings - in March, after 50 days planting in the ground | Any | 2.9 kg | 400-600 grams | _ |
| Gnome | Varietal | 70-75 days
(you need to plant 40-day seedlings) | March, April | Any | 2-4 kg | 300-400 grams | 200 grams |
| Fortune | Hybrid | 80-85 days | After the threat of frost has disappeared | Warm | 2.6 kg | About 150 grams | — |
Broccoli Ironman grows well in open areas, belongs to the high-yielding varieties.
Broccoli "Gnome" has a high content phosphorus, calcium and substances that promote the growth, strengthening and healing of bone tissue.
Fortune is kept fresh for a long time, despite the fact that the structure of the fruits is very juicy.
Residents of the northern regions should pay attention to the Calabrese cabbage. It tolerates cold weather and frost well both in the open field and in the greenhouse.
Late-ripening varieties
Late ripening broccoli will ripen for about 130 to 145 days. The ripening time of seedlings is also taken into account, if necessary. However, these varieties also have their advantages. Some late-ripening broccoli are not only cold-hardy, but also bear fruit outside of broccoli season. They are even in frosty weather (the fruit grows frozen, but edible).In addition, late-ripening broccoli have a particularly delicate flavor.
| Variety | Ripening rate | Head weight | Productivity (per square meter) |
| Marathon | 80-85 days | 800 grams | 3.5 kg |
| Agassi F1 | 65-75 | 700 frames | 3.5 kg |
The broccoli variety Marathon has a very delicate flavor.
Agassi can be kept fresh for up to 5 months.
Broccoli is known for its rich dietary composition. Each vegetable variety has not only a unique composition, but also special taste. By experimenting with the varieties of broccoli, you can choose the variety that suits you best in terms of taste, ease of growing, and yield. Some hybrid varieties are also exotic.
Broccoli fruits do not lose their beneficial qualities when frozen and can be stored in the freezer throughout the year. Thanks to the variety of colors and shapes, the vegetable can be a decoration for any table.