Brassica Section
Broccoli
All season Broccoli. Belstar is the base of the program, with Imperial filling in the hot months, and Marathon the cold months. Choosing Belstar, Imperial, and Marathon will provide you with fresh Broccoli, on a monthly basis, from June until November.
Spacing & Yield
On a 30” Bed, 2 rows of Broccoli can be planted, with plants spaced 1’ apart; expect yields of 1 large head per plant, 2 per bed foot, with smaller side shoots after the main head is harvested.
On a 4’ bed, 3 rows of Broccoli can be planted with plants spaced 1’ apart; expect yields of 1 large head per plant, 3 per bed foot, with smaller side shoots after the main head is harvested.
Pest & Disease
Broccoli is highly susceptible to little green caterpillars called Cabbage Loopers as well as Cabbage Worms. Though harmless to mature plants, they are nasty when discovered in a bite of broccoli and can be quite damaging to recently planted transplants.
Season Extension
Broccoli can be extended on both sides of the season by using hoops and floating row covers.
All season Broccoli. Belstar is the base of the program, with Imperial filling in the hot months, and Marathon the cold months. Choosing Belstar, Imperial, and Marathon will provide you with fresh Broccoli, on a monthly basis, from June until November.
Spacing & Yield
On a 30” Bed, 2 rows of Broccoli can be planted, with plants spaced 1’ apart; expect yields of 1 large head per plant, 2 per bed foot, with smaller side shoots after the main head is harvested.
On a 4’ bed, 3 rows of Broccoli can be planted with plants spaced 1’ apart; expect yields of 1 large head per plant, 3 per bed foot, with smaller side shoots after the main head is harvested.
Pest & Disease
Broccoli is highly susceptible to little green caterpillars called Cabbage Loopers as well as Cabbage Worms. Though harmless to mature plants, they are nasty when discovered in a bite of broccoli and can be quite damaging to recently planted transplants.
- Floating row covers installed at the time of planting are a way of excluding them entirely.
- The OMRI-Approved pesticide Dipel, is a biological control of Loopers and is required every 3-14 days and immediately after rainfall until the population is controlled.
- The OMRI-Approved pesticide Pyganic is a broad-spectrum pesticide that will immediately knock down all insects and is required every 3-14 days and immediately after rainfall until the population is controlled.
Season Extension
Broccoli can be extended on both sides of the season by using hoops and floating row covers.
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Belstar Broccoli
$0.75 / Plant 66 Days Planting (Harvest): 4/4 (6/9), 4/18 (6/23), 5/16 (7/21) “Organic hybrid for spring and summer plantings. Heads are medium-green and well domed with a medium-sized bead. Strong, stress-tolerant plants with good side-shoot production. For summer and fall harvest.” |
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Imperial Broccoli
$0.75 / Plant 71 Days Planting (Harvest): 6/13 (8/23), 7/11 ( 9/20) “Best heat tolerance. Heads are dark green with small, attractive beads. Best suited for harvest in summer and early fall in areas with long days and moderate heat.” |
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Marathon Broccoli
$0.75 / Plant 68 Days Planting (Harvest): 8/15 (10/22), 9/12 (11/19) “Best for overwintering. This late variety is highly tolerant to cold. Grown successfully in the Northeast for late summer and fall crops.” |
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts are a fall favorite; if you select all three varieties you will get the Hestia harvest at the beginning of September, Dagan by mid-September and Divino in October. With season extension you can also have a harvest in November. With Brussels Sprouts you get one stalk harvest per plant. The varieties I chose hold well in the field, which will allow you larger window for harvest. For example: if you would like a stalk a week of Hestia Brussels Sprouts, you will choose four plants and harvest one per week until the next variety is ready.
Spacing & Yield
On 30” and 4’ beds, 1 row of Brussels Sprouts can be planted, with plants spaced 2’ apart; expect yields of 1 stalk per plant per 2 bed feet.
Pest & Disease
As with Broccoli, Cabbage loopers are a problem. Read the Broccoli Pest section for more information on possible treatments.
Brussels Sprouts are a fall favorite; if you select all three varieties you will get the Hestia harvest at the beginning of September, Dagan by mid-September and Divino in October. With season extension you can also have a harvest in November. With Brussels Sprouts you get one stalk harvest per plant. The varieties I chose hold well in the field, which will allow you larger window for harvest. For example: if you would like a stalk a week of Hestia Brussels Sprouts, you will choose four plants and harvest one per week until the next variety is ready.
Spacing & Yield
On 30” and 4’ beds, 1 row of Brussels Sprouts can be planted, with plants spaced 2’ apart; expect yields of 1 stalk per plant per 2 bed feet.
Pest & Disease
As with Broccoli, Cabbage loopers are a problem. Read the Broccoli Pest section for more information on possible treatments.
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Hestia Brussels Sprouts
$1.00 / Plant 93 Days Planting (Harvest): 5/30 (8/31) “Early, firm sprouts hold well in the field. Hesita's medium-small sprouts mature quickly but still hold well in the field - an unusual combination for a Brussels sprout. Plants are short and resistant to lodging. For early and mid-fall harvest.” |
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Dagan Brussels Sprouts
$1.00 / Plant 100 Days Planting (Harvest): 6/13 (9/21) “Tall plants are very attractive for selling "on-the-stalk" sprouts. Dagan's sprouts are medium-large, smooth, and attractive. Holds very well in the field for a midseason variety.” |
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Divino Brussels Sprouts
$1.00 / Plant 110 Days Planting (Harvest): 6/13 (1012), 7/11 (10/29) “New! Tall stalks resist lodging. Firm, uniform, and attractive sprouts hold well on the stalk for whole-stalk harvest. Medium-size sprouts.” |
Cabbage
Each variety takes about 20 days apart in dates to maturity allowing for roughly bi-weekly harvests of fresh cabbage. The sauerkraut variety “Katlin” is scheduled to be ready before the school year is back in session, allowing for summer-time kraut making.
Spacing & Yield
On 30” beds, 2 rows of Cabbages can be planted, with 1’ between plants; expect yields of 1 head per plant, with 2 heads per bed foot.
On 4’ beds, 3 rows of Cabbages can be planted, with 1’ between plants; expected yield is one head per plant, with 3 heads per bed foot.
Pest & Disease
As with Broccoli, Cabbage loopers are a problem. Read the Broccoli Pest section for more information on possible treatments.
Each variety takes about 20 days apart in dates to maturity allowing for roughly bi-weekly harvests of fresh cabbage. The sauerkraut variety “Katlin” is scheduled to be ready before the school year is back in session, allowing for summer-time kraut making.
Spacing & Yield
On 30” beds, 2 rows of Cabbages can be planted, with 1’ between plants; expect yields of 1 head per plant, with 2 heads per bed foot.
On 4’ beds, 3 rows of Cabbages can be planted, with 1’ between plants; expected yield is one head per plant, with 3 heads per bed foot.
Pest & Disease
As with Broccoli, Cabbage loopers are a problem. Read the Broccoli Pest section for more information on possible treatments.
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Farao Cabbage
$1.00 / Plant 65 Days Planting (Harvest): 4/4 (6/8), 4/18 (6/22), 5/16 (7/20), 6/13 (8/17), 8/15 (10/19) “Delicious early cabbage. Attractive deep-green, 3-lb. heads are filled with tender, thin, crisp, peppery-sweet leaves. Holds well in the field and is slow to split.” |
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Capture Cabbage
$1.00 / Plant 87 Days Planting (Harvest): 4/4(6/30), 4/18 (7/14), 5/16 (8/11), 6/13 (9/8), 8/15 (11/10) “Capture is a vigorous grower that produces 3-6 lb. heads depending on planting density. Heads are round when grown in the South but will be flat-round when grown in the North. Good flavor makes it suitable for fresh market or cole slaw.” |
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Red Express Cabbage
$1.00 / Plant 63 Days Planting (Harvest): 4/4 (6/8), 4/18 (6/22), 5/16 (7/20), 6/13 (8/17), 8/15 (10/19) "Compact plants and solid, round, 2-4 lb. heads with good appearance and flavor." |
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Integro Cabbage
$0.85 / Plant 85 Days Planting (Harvest): 4/4 (6/28), 4/18 (7/12), 5/16 (8/9), 6/13 (9/6), 8/15 (11/8) “A mid-late red with good flavor. Medium-sized heads have a uniform, high-round shape. The leaves are thick and crisp, but not tough. Long standing in the field.” |
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Kaitlin Cabbage
$0.75/ Plant 94 Days Planting (Harvest): 5/16 (8/18) “Mid-term storage variety for sauerkraut. Kaitlin is a large, late-season cabbage that produces a high-quality, high dry-matter white cabbage for sauerkraut. It is a mid-term storage cabbage that will store well until December or January. Kaitlin's interior remains quite white, not green, after storage.” |
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Bilko Cabbage
$0.75 / Plant 65 Days Planting (Harvest): 4/4 (6/8), 4/18 (6/22), 5/16 (7/20), 6/13 (8/17), 7/11 (9/14), 8/15 (10/19) “Compared to Rubicon, Bilko is slightly bigger at 12", darker green, and a couple of days later. Wide adaptability. Slow-bolting heads have a good, mild, sweet flavor.” |
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is not boring in a Wilson Home Farms’ Garden. With three varieties of white Cauliflower you can be eating for most of the season. Graffiti and Puntoverde provides you with colorful and interesting specimens. I removed summer plantings of Cauliflower due to poor performance in the past.
Spacing & Yield
On 30” & 4’ beds, Cauliflower is planted in 3 rows, with 2’ between each plant; expect 1 head per plant, with 3 plants on 2 bed feet.
Pest & Disease
As with Broccoli, Cabbage loopers are a problem. Read the Broccoli Pest section for more information on possible treatments.
Cauliflower is not boring in a Wilson Home Farms’ Garden. With three varieties of white Cauliflower you can be eating for most of the season. Graffiti and Puntoverde provides you with colorful and interesting specimens. I removed summer plantings of Cauliflower due to poor performance in the past.
Spacing & Yield
On 30” & 4’ beds, Cauliflower is planted in 3 rows, with 2’ between each plant; expect 1 head per plant, with 3 plants on 2 bed feet.
Pest & Disease
As with Broccoli, Cabbage loopers are a problem. Read the Broccoli Pest section for more information on possible treatments.
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Snow Crown Cauliflower
$1.00 / Plant 50 Days Planting (Harvest): 4/4 (5/24), 4/18 (6/7), 5/16 (7/5) “Extra early and adaptable. This hybrid shows unusual seedling vigor. Good-quality, medium-sized heads whether harvested in summer or fall.” |
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Skywalker Cauliflower
$1.00 / Plant 80 Days Planting (Harvest): 6/13 (9/1), 7/11 (9/29) “The best organic variety for fall. Uniform, medium-sized, self-wrapping heads. Large, healthy plants. Cold tolerant. For late summer and fall harvest.“ |
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Denali Cauliflower
$1.00 / Plant 73 Days Planting (Harvest): 8/15 (10/27) “Heads are large, heavy, and self wrapping. Good heat and humidity tolerances make Denali an excellent choice for summer sowings for fall harvest in Eastern conditions.” |
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Graffiti Cauliflower
$1.50 / Plant 80 Days Planting (Harvest): 6/13 ( 9/1), 7/11 (9/29) “Stunning, flashy purple heads. The colorful florets are attractive served raw with dip or as a cooked vegetable. Graffiti produces a true cauliflower head on large plants. Best for fall harvest, but can also be sown in spring. “ |
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Puntoverde Cauliflower
$1.50 / Plant 78 Days Planting (Harvest): 5/16 (8/2), 6/13 (8/30), 7/11 (9/27) “Our most reliable all-season Romanesco. Attractive, high-quality heads for summer or fall harvest. Produces excellent fall crops and, unlike other Romanesco types, produces very good summer crops in areas without extreme summer heat. ” |