Broccoli has skyrocketed in popularity, becoming one of the top ten vegetables eaten in the United States. While we're all familiar with the classic, green-domed broccoli heads, there are other unusual types, too.
All these broccoli relatives like cool temperatures to grow and mature, so plant in early May for an early summer crop or in mid to late summer for a fall crop. Thwart cabbage worms by growing under floating row covers or spraying with the pesticide BT.
Here are three broccoli relatives to try this year:
- Broccoli Heads: This vegetable is composed of clusters of small flower buds. The flavor is milder than regular broccoli and it's best grown as a transplant in mid-summer and harvested as a fall crop.
- Broccoli Rabe: The leaves, stem and head are all eaten on this small-headed plant. The flavor is strong, but delicious when sautéed with olive oil and garlic. Harvest when the flower heads have buds that haven't opened.
- Broccolini: A newish vegetable, broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It produces multiple, small heads of broccoli on asparagus-like stems. The flavor is milder than broccoli or broccoli raab.
For this week's tip:
Remove mulch from garlic plants once you see the sprouts emerging from the soil. Use the straw or hay as mulch in the pathways. Once they start actively growing, apply an organic fertilizer, weed and keep well-watered.
