Calabrese
Brassica oleracea var. italica
Calabrese (broccoli) produces a large central head of tightly-packed green buds, followed by smaller side-shoots after the main head is cut. It’s a cool-season brassica crop. Grow it in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil and keep plants watered during dry spells. Harvest the heads while firm, then leave the stem in the ground to allow side-shoots to develop.
Growing Guide
Step-by-step instructions for growing Calabrese
Planting Calendar
Growing Guide for
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Growing Calabrese broccoli for a mid-summer harvest in the UK (sown in late winter or early spring).
1 Sow Seeds Indoors
Fill trays or modules with peat-free seed compost and sow 1–2 seeds about deep. Cover lightly with compost, water gently, and keep trays in a warm propagator or bright spot until seedlings appear.
2 Harden Off Seedlings
April in Adwell is a good time to start hardening off seedlings. Move the trays outside for a few hours each day and bring them back in at night. Increase the time outdoors gradually over about a week.
3 Transplant Outdoors
When all risk of frost has passed, plant out seedlings deeply into well-prepared soil. Bury each plant up to its top leaves to encourage strong roots. Space plants about apart in rows with the same spacing between rows. Firm in well and water thoroughly.
4 Water and Protect
After planting out, keep soil moist by watering regularly (especially during dry weather). Scatter crushed eggshells or grit around each plant to deter slugs, and cover plants with horticultural fleece or netting if pigeons or caterpillars become a problem.
5 Fertilise
About 3–4 weeks after planting out, feed the plants with a general or comfrey fertiliser. Repeat feeding every 4–6 weeks to promote vigorous growth and good head development.
6 Harvest Main Head
When the main head is large, firm and the florets are still tightly closed, cut it off with a sharp knife. Do not pull the plant up; the remaining stem will produce smaller side-shoots for later harvest.
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