Growing broccoli in open ground

Several centuries later, Americans began growing broccoli themselves, appreciating not only its wonderful flavor when cooked but also its immense health benefits, unlike other varieties. It's crucial to plant and care for broccoli in the open ground so it thrives; this will ensure a firm, juicy head.

This type of vegetable resembles regular cauliflower, but broccoli is a more nutritious vegetable. These varieties also have their own differences, including taste, flower density, and head color. Of course, many options are available in stores and supermarkets these days, so buying fresh or frozen broccoli is easy. But wouldn't it be better to learn about broccoli, planting, and caring for this vegetable outdoors (video), and then grow cabbage in open groundIn your own garden. Homegrown cabbage has a richer flavor, a less vibrant color, and contains a wealth of beneficial vitamins, making it significantly inferior to store-bought frozen vegetables.

Growing this cabbage in your garden isn't difficult at all; you just need to know how to properly care for and plant this variety. This article will cover the most important aspects of planting and growing broccoli. By following these tips, even a novice gardener can grow this plant.

How to grow broccoli seedlings correctly

If a gardener decides to germinate their own seedlings rather than buy them, they should begin growing them as early as the first half of March. Some gardeners even begin planting in several stages, with seeds being sown as late as June 20th. If a gardener decides to sow cabbage seeds outdoors, this should only be done on warm May days, when the air temperature is warm enough for the seeds to germinate.

Before planting seeds in the soil, special preparation is necessary to ensure that broccoli, when planted and cared for outdoors (photo), has high disease resistance. First, all the seeds are carefully sorted. This is necessary to remove all unwanted and weak seeds, while leaving the large and strong ones, which can produce stronger seedlings. Next, create a solution containing beneficial micronutrients and soak the seeds in it for 60 minutes. Afterwards, all the seeds are dried on a paper towel. All the most interesting things. about picking cabbage after germination.

When sowing, it's important to maintain proper depth. If the seeds are planted deeper than one centimeter, they won't germinate. Therefore, it's recommended to plant them no deeper than one centimeter, but no less than one centimeter. Afterward, you can feed the small seedlings with specialized fertilizers designed for vegetable crops. Once the seedlings have four to five leaves, they are transplanted to their permanent location, that is, into open ground. Before planting, the seedbeds must be thoroughly watered, as it is not recommended to wet the soil after planting. In May, the seeds are sown outdoors. In this case, planting and caring for broccoli in open ground in July will be different than for sprouted seedlings.

Proper care of broccoli

If a gardener is wondering where best to plant this cabbage, they should find the brightest spot for their broccoli; this variety loves full sun. It doesn't matter where the vegetable grows—even if planted between trees, it will sprout—but it's still important to ensure the spot receives sufficient sunlight. This cabbage variety thrives only in neutral soil; the soil shouldn't be too acidic, otherwise the plant won't survive.

If a gardener doesn't know the acidity of their soil, it's a good idea to add chalk and lime a month before planting. When possible, improve the soil quality by adding ash and a little compost. Superphosphate is also an important component, applied at a rate of ten grams per square meter of the garden bed. Only with good fertilization will broccoli produce a wonderful harvest when planted and cared for outdoors in the Urals.

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If a gardener can take the time to regularly loosen the soil around the broccoli's root zone, the plant will grow more vigorously and produce a bountiful harvest. Loosening not only helps oxygenate the soil but also eliminates harmful weeds that can affect broccoli yield. Planting and caring for this variety outdoors should be done in a timely manner. It's crucial to remove dandelions from the beds, as a regular hoe won't remove them. The plant also requires regular watering; don't overwater, but be careful not to let the soil dry out. If the weather is too hot, mist the broccoli in the evening with a spray bottle.

Plant fertilizing

Like any other vegetable, broccoli requires feeding, but overfeeding it will reduce its yield. The first feeding should be done with mullein only: add one mayonnaise-sized bucket of fertilizer to a bucket of water and mix. It is also recommended to add a teaspoon of urea to the resulting mixture. This feeding is very effective, but it should only be done after transplanting and allowing the seedlings to establish themselves in the open ground, which happens within a couple of weeks. If the cabbage was planted from seeds in a permanent location, then this feeding should be done three weeks after the first shoots emerge.

The next type of feeding should only occur three weeks after the initial application of fertilizer to the soil; in this case, saltpeter is used for feeding. Some gardeners confidently claim that without this fertilizer, it is simply impossible to grow a good cabbage harvest. To measure the correct amount of fertilizer, simply fill a matchbox of saltpeter and add it to ten liters of clean water for irrigation. Since the first signs of a harvest should appear in late summer, it is necessary to use fertilizers that contain as little nitrogen as possible, while potassium and phosphorus will not harm the plants. Find out. How to fertilize tomatoes when plantingto get a big harvest.

Diseases and pests: control

This cabbage variety is most often attacked by caterpillars, which are easily removed by hand. However, there is another effective method that will help get rid of these harmful insects for good. To protect the harvest from insects, simply cover the cabbage with a thin layer of lutrasil, remove all weeds from the area, and avoid planting any cruciferous crops nearby. The harvest time will depend on the cabbage variety chosen; some broccoli varieties take a long time to mature, while others may produce a harvest within a couple of months after planting.