Growing broccoli in the Moscow region and caring for cabbage

Do you like cabbage? Regular white cabbage or its red cousin? Or perhaps cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or Savoy cabbage? All these varieties are available in supermarkets and markets.

But if you're guaranteed to get chemical-free vegetables, then broccoli, a cabbage variety, is quite feasible to grow and care for in the Moscow region, and quite successful even for novice gardeners and summer residents without much experience growing cabbage and its relatives. Read about timing of planting broccoli for seedlings.

Broccoli: beneficial properties

Nutritionists around the world recommend broccoli to those struggling with excess weight or simply trying to maintain a stable body weight due to the fact that this variety of cabbage does not contain a large amount of fiber, but does contain protein similar to animal protein.

Broccoli is recommended as a valuable dietary product for stomach problems and even ulcers. Broccoli contains a substance that can kill harmful diseases. It is also recommended for cardiovascular problems, salt imbalances (salt deposits), and during recovery from surgery and long-term illnesses.

Broccoli also contains folate, choline, riboflavin, and methionine. It also contains significant amounts of potassium, magnesium, copper, chromium, iodine, phosphorus, chromium, and vitamins B1 and PP. The unique substance glucoraphanin can kill cancer cells, protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation, and promote the removal of alcohol breakdown products from the liver.

For your information! Fresh broccoli juice can help remove warts and treat some dermatological problems.

Growing conditions for broccoli

BroccoliGrowing and caring for broccoli in the Moscow region begins with sowing broccoli seedlings in late February or early March. Seeds can be planted outdoors no earlier than late April or early May, depending on weather conditions. Seedlings with 4-5 leaves can be planted in the ground at the same time.

Advice! Buy varieties zoned for the Moscow region; they're typically frost-tolerant down to -5-6 degrees Celsius. In fact, cabbage is generally a gentlewoman that easily tolerates light frost.

The growing area for broccoli should be well-lit. The soil should be loose and not acidic. For best results, it's a good idea to fertilize the soil with ash, compost, and superphosphate before planting, according to the instructions.

Broccoli appreciates frequent loosening of the soil around the roots, even hilling, to keep the bed free of weeds. During dry periods, watering and misting are essential. A couple of weeks after planting the seedlings in their permanent location, broccoli should be fertilized with a mullein or urea solution. After another 2-3 weeks, another fertilization with saltpeter is needed.

Advice! Purchase ready-made complex fertilizers for broccoli at specialized retail outlets.

Pests and diseases of broccoli

Broccoli pests include the same ones that destroy crops of other cruciferous garden crops: flea beetles, slugs and snails, various caterpillars, cabbage whites and cutworms, and onion flies. To reduce the number of these pests, avoid growing cabbage in areas where it or its relatives grew in previous years. The best neighbors for broccoli are tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Their aromas will also repel pests.

Broccoli diseases include those transmitted by bacteria and fungi. These include clubroot and powdery mildew, early blight, turnip mosaic, slimy and vascular bacterial diseases, rot, dry rot, and more. Watching videos on growing and caring for broccoli in the Moscow region will help you recognize cabbage diseases early and begin treating them promptly.

Broccoli varieties for the Moscow region:

Early maturing (35-40 days to maturity)	Tonus, Vyarus, Vitaminnaya, Comanche
Early (up to 45 days)	Curly head, Green sprouting,
Mid-season (45-60 days)	Gnome, Arcadia, Atlantic, Genoa, Compacta
Late (from 70 days)	Continental, Marathon

Broccoli: Growing and caring for it in the Moscow region will be easy and fruitful if you use specialized literature and advice from those who already know how to grow this plant.

For your information! The key to cooking broccoli is to keep the lid open. Otherwise, it develops a foul odor.

Broccoli is eaten raw, lightly cooked, boiled, stewed, steamed, and fried. If you read the forum on growing broccoli in the Moscow regionYou'll find tons of simple and delicious recipes for preparing this vegetable. Moreover, all parts of this plant are edible before it's overripe—leaves, stems, roots, and, of course, the heads.