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Brassicaceae
Brassica oleracea( Alboglabra Group)
Chinese Broccoli
Chinese broccoli is an annual vegetable long popular in Asia and increasingly grown in Western gardens. This cool-season green traces its ancestry to Brassica oleracea, a fleshy-leaved, short-lived perennial from coastal areas of western and southern Europe. It is grown for its loosely clustered green flower buds and pungent leaves, which are harvested and eaten before the flowers open. The flower buds are borne on thick erect stems furnished with blue-green, paddle-shaped, long-stalked leaves. Both the buds and the leaves taste similar to broccoli, but with tangy hints of mustard. Plants are relatively tolerant of heat compared to Italian broccoli, but may become lanky and flower prematurely ("bolt") in extremely hot weather. Depending on the variety, Chinese broccoli takes 40 to 70 days from sowing to harvest.
This cool weather crop prefers full sun and fertile, organic-rich garden soil with ample drainage. Chinese broccoli should be sown in early spring before temperatures heat up, or in summer for fall harvest. In relatively moderate climates it can be harvested through summer. It makes an excellent winter or early spring crop for areas with mild winters. Harvest heads promptly to prevent bolting and to initiate development of flowering side shoots. Use them in stir-fries or steamed. Harvest young leaves for salads and older ones for cooking.
This vegetable is rewarding to grow and well worth the effort. As with all members of Brassica oleracea, it is susceptible to cabbage loopers and several other types of caterpillars.
6 - 1
7 - 11
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vegetable
Full Sun, Partial Sun
10"-18" / 25.4cm - 45.7cm
Spring, Summer
Southern Europe, Western Europe, Mediterranean
Acidic, Neutral
Well Drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Salt
Fast
Average Water
Upright/Erect
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Insignificant
Yellow, Light Yellow
Blue Green
No
Yes
Single
Bold
Matte
Semi-Evergreen
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
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