Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Fall Broccoli

I may have watered my broccoli to death trying to keep the seedlings moist while we were in Oregon for 5 days. Today, I'll plant some back-up seedlings in the event these don't do well. The ones pictured here are about 2 weeks old.

This fall, I'm trying out three different varieties of broccoli, all from Johnny's seeds: Gypsy, Marathon, Arcadia. All three had interesting properties:

Arcadia - cold tolerant and recommended for either summer, fall or winter production.

Marathon - cold tolerant and rated the #1 fall and winter variety. Johnny's also said this is widely planted in California, so I figured I'd give it a try.

Gypsy - heat tolerant and resistant to downy mildew. Johnny's says it's versatile for summer or fall harvest.

I figured I'd try all three at various different times during the year and see which ones do best when. Last year, the starts I picked up at Friedman's and planted in August did beautifully. I tried planting starts again in February but I think the frost got them. They all buttoned, so I pulled them when it was time to put in my summer veggies. This time, when I try to plant early spring broccoli, I'll cover the plants to protect from frost.

We love broccoli, and with the early success I had, I'm determined to figure out how I can make this a near-year-round staple in the garden.

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