西兰花是一种被低估的美味作物,在许多气候条件下都很容易生长,而且在厨房里用途广泛。如果你是花椰菜新手,或者只是想提高你的收成,找到一些种植这种经典作物的技巧和技巧。
Varieties of Broccoli
There are more exciting types of broccoli than most people imagine, like thispurple winter broccoli. There are early, late and winter hardy varieties of broccoli so if you don’t have success with one type of seed, try another next season!
(Note: Some seed catalogs classify broccoli as “brassicas,” others as “crucifers.” Don’t be confused if you see them listed differently in different catalogs—it’s all still broccoli.)
Broccoli loves temperate weather. In hot areas like California it is a winter crop, while in the mild Pacific Northwest it can be grown starting in early spring through most of the summer and into the fall until the hard frosts.
In the places with hot summers and cold winters—like the Midwest—growers can aim for a spring crop and a fall crop.
Try growing several varieties to see what does best in your climate, and ask for tips from your local garden store, agricultural extension office, or from farmers growing broccoli at the farmer’s market.
Planting and Growing Broccoli
As always, prepare your beds bytesting and amendingthe soil. Broccoli likes soil with acidity between 6.5 and 7 pH, and good drainage.
Particularly, brassicas like broccoli need correct levels of calcium and boron to develop. A boron deficiency causes broccoli stems to rot from the inside, and calcium deficiency causes tipburn — the disintegration of the heads.
If you have acidic soils, adding lime will help both your pH and your calcium levels, to give you a more successful crop.
You can start your broccoli whenever you want if you have a greenhouse, or if you’re in an area that doesn’t frost. If you do get frost, wait until after thelast frost date.
按照种子袋上的说明,根据品种的不同,将植株移栽或疏栽至12至18英寸的距离。
For a consistent supply of broccoli, plant several successions. Broccoli bolts fast, especially when the temperature rises above 80F. We plant broccoli once every two weeks.
Common Broccoli Pests And How To Control Them
Like all brassicas,broccoli is quite vulnerable to pests, likeaphids, flea beetles, and cabbage worm.
Rotating crops is always a good strategy for pest management. Always rotate broccoli with plants that aren’t related, like tomatoes or carrots. Legumes are also susceptible to aphid infestations so they are not as effective in rotation for pest control, although their nitrogen-fixing benefits the soil.
However, crop rotation will likely not be enough to prevent the pest pressure on your brassicas, and if you have a small garden, your rotations may not be far enough from each other to prevent pest populations from spreading.
Someorganic tips for pest controlinclude planting seedlings instead of seeds, because transplants are hardier; using row-cover as a barrier between the plants and the soil; and staying on top of weeding, so that weeds don’t harbor pests.
Organic Pest Spray For Broccoli
如果你还在与病虫害作斗争,我用番茄叶制成的有机喷雾和jalapeños成功地控制了西兰花上的蚜虫。
Ingredients
- 1 cup tomato leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup jalapeño peppers, diced
- 1 pint water
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then let sit overnight to steep.
- Strain out the green matter and pour the liquid into a spray bottle.
Spray this mixture liberally on your broccoli plants. For a more professional remedy, most organic farmers use apesticide made from chrysanthemums. Always use protective gear when applying pesticides—just because it’s organic doesn’t mean it’s not toxic.
Common Broccoli Diseases And How To Cure Them
Broccoli is also susceptible to a couple of troublesome diseases, that, once established, can plague your garden for years.
Black rotis a common disease in all brassicas which causes yellowing and withering, followed black spots and veins. A bacteria causes the disease.
The bacteria can get into the plant from infected ground, or be transmitted by infected seed. Always buy your seed from trusted, reputable seed sources, who test their seeds for pathogens.
You can buy resistant varieties available for broccoli and cabbage, but if your garden gets infected you will have trouble growing brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and other brassicas.
Another common disease, especially in wet climates, is broccoliclubroot.
这种真菌生活在土壤中,导致根系异常生长,从而降低作物产量。俱乐部根真菌在社区花园和教学农场很常见,那里有很多人来来往往,可以在受污染的土壤中从一个地方转移到另一个地方。
Infected soil can hold the fungus for up to 18 years, but can be controlled with a 7-year rotation out of brassicas. If you visit other agricultural operations, always wash and bleach your boots before and after, or wear a different pair, to prevent transferring soil diseases.
If you notice a plant showing signs of disease, address the problem quickly. Best practices in biosecurity, crop rotation and early action can save you big headaches in brassica diseases.
How To Harvest Broccoli
当整个花椰菜都长得很饱满,但个别的小花蕾很紧时,就可以收获了。一旦单个的绿色花蕾开始变得丰满,脱颖而出,花椰菜就要开花了。开花的西兰花仍然可以放心食用,但当整个花头开花时,它就不太好吃了。
Harvesting broccoli is quick and easy. Using a knife, chop the top off. After you harvest the main head, over the next couple of weeks you can harvest the side shoots that grow back, to get a second crop off each plant.
西兰花在冰箱里可以保存大约两周,但保存选择有限。保存西兰花的唯一方法就是冷冻。
How To Freeze Broccoli
- Wash and chop the broccoli.
- 烧开一锅水,将花椰菜放入锅中浸泡约2分钟,直到花椰菜呈鲜绿色但不鲜嫩。这种焯水会阻止酶的活性,酶的活性会在冷冻后逐渐降低蔬菜的质量。
- Cool the broccoli rapidly in a bowl of ice water, and freeze.
My Favorite Broccoli Recipe: Broccoli Sesame Saute
在我看来,西兰花最好的烹饪特色是它那浓密的小花,它比任何其他绿色蔬菜都能更好地储存酱汁、调味汁和烹饪汁。芝麻炒是一种快速简单的炒菜方法,用西兰花花来保持美味。
Ingredients
- Cooking oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms (your favorite kind), chopped
- Ground beef or pork(optional)
- 1个红辣椒,切丁
- 1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 调味:2份酱油或日本酱油,1份米酒或雪利酒,1份米酒醋,芝麻,胡椒,蒜末,姜末(全部调味)。
Directions
- Mix the seasonings together in a bowl and set aside.
- Pour a small amount of oil into a saute pan over medium heat.
- When the oil shimmers, add the onions, mushrooms, and ground meat.
- Saute until the meat is cooked through, and the onions are soft and beginning to brown.
- Add the red pepper and broccoli.
- Pour in the seasoning mixture, stir rapidly, and cover as the broccoli steams.
- Remove the lid when the broccoli is bright green and just beginning to become tender. Serve hot with rice, garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Whether you are just starting out or if you are an experienced broccoli grower who is looking for new tips, always remember to ask other gardeners, local experts, farmers at the market, specialists at yourcounty extensionor members of your local master gardener program. As always, when we are farming or gardening, the most important thing we are cultivating is community.
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