Broccoli and Beyond

[digitS']

1 Beyond Broccoli
2 What's Up with Brassicas
3 Pesky Pests
4 Down to the Roots
5 Love Them or Leaf Them
6 Flowers, Bud!

This is part of a University of Maryland Master Gardening blog and my hope is that I have provided an index above. The author writes well and this is a very good introduction to this healthful family of vegetables.

Steve

 

[Alasgun]

Broccoli became a lot easier when we tried “gypsy” (johnny’s). Of course, 50 miles down the road they’ll tell you “xyz” is their favorite.

 

[Marie2020]

I've already added this clay question into @baymule s thread. Surround kaolin clay,
If this is any good then I may actually grow some vegetables this year.

I love brocoli cabbages and most greens. Something to stop the slugs would be a godsend

 

[Alasgun]

I've already added this clay question into @baymule s thread. Surround kaolin clay,
If this is any good then I may actually grow some vegetables this year.

I love brocoli cabbages and most greens. Something to stop the slugs would be a godsend

Some of us are having some luck keeping Slugs at bay, using electroculture, as detailed elsewhere.

 

[digitS']

Slugs aren't much of a problem for me here — once the plastic is down over the temporary hoop house. In there, it's a battle with baiting them.

I have imagined that I am gaining help from the House Sparrows but it may just be the arid Summers.

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

i saw a few slugs going across the driveway the other morning. it's not something i see very often (because i hardly ever get up that early). i don't notice slug problems in the gardens but i'm sure that having them surrounded by crushed rinsed limestone and encouraging birds to forage helps, but also we have snakes and frogs and toads around and the raccoons also seem to look for them (based upon how many times i have to put boards back that they've flipped over).

 

[Dahlia]

I've already added this clay question into @baymule s thread. Surround kaolin clay,
If this is any good then I may actually grow some vegetables this year.

I love brocoli cabbages and most greens. Something to stop the slugs would be a godsend

I have tried many natural remedies to battle slugs. I think the most creative and surprisingly effective method was this:
Put several mini Dixie cups half full of beer in several places in your garden. Sink them into the dirt so that the top of the cup is flush with the soil. The slugs go to the bar and get drowned while drowning their sorrows!

 

[digitS']

Perhaps this brassica thread will be of help to @ducks4you in her new venture into kale!

The family of kale is something of a confusing one (and that confusion can be compounded multiple times by the larger family of brassicas!). At one time, the Australian government seemed to feel the need to introduce the subject of Asian vegetables, perhaps because trade was developing with China. They were mostly providing names. That was fine, and helpful for me to sorta, sort things out.

A university there took on what seemed to be the same information and put it on their website. It was made more complex and now, I don't even find it . That's mostly okay since the information on Asian types can be found elsewhere but not brought all together.

Here is a simple chart of what might be found in most folks' gardens and not focused on Asian brassicas. The chart took up so much room I reduced the size. I hope that it is still readable but the link below will take you to the webpage which ALSO has similar charts for Most of the Veggies you might want to grow .

The chart shows how the name "kale" is found in several groups & species of brassica. First off, "Chinese kale" could, and often is, called Chinese broccoli. The attempt to use the Chinese name "gai lan" may be the best idea and this annual vegetable with its tasty flowering stalks isn't what I think of as a kale .

"Tronchuda cabbage." You can find seed for this online as Tronchuda Beira "Portuguese Kale." Fine. Oh, and it is especially good in soup!

Gardeners often want colorful "Russian" or "Siberian" kale. Look at its scientific name – it's in the same species with Rutabagas!

So, where is "KALE?" Well, it's identified as "Kale, collards." Yes, collards are closely related to Scotch kale and Italian kale. I don't find that these 3 taste much alike. You may be like DW and me in that we prefer 1 or 2 and not the 3rd . I'm gonna throw 2 more names for Italian kale in but I wish to heck the seed companies didn't use the names "dinosaur" and "lancinato" to sell what could be called Italian! Anyway, these are all in the same family with cabbage but they are certainly different.

LINK

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

OMGOSH! I missed this thread!!!
Yes, this Will help me.
Looking forward to growing broccoli and cauliflower this year, especially romanesco, and I have about 15 of those seeds in my cabinet:

 

[heirloomgal]

OMGOSH! I missed this thread!!!
Yes, this Will help me.
Looking forward to growing broccoli and cauliflower this year, especially romanesco, and I have about 15 of those seeds in my cabinet:
View attachment 70850

Love the look of these. Don't think I've ever eaten them though.