Why does broccoli fade and how to prevent it?

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Kira Stoletova

A head of broccoli grows with many heads. Broccoli blooms after ripening. If the broccoli has bloomed, the gardener made a mistake in care or did not properly harvest the garden.

Reasons why broccoli blooms

Why does broccoli fade?

Broccoli florets used for cooking may bloom prematurely.

Let's look at the main reasons why broccoli began to bloom without gaining its mass:

• insufficient amounts of nutrients, macro- and microelements, as well as their excess;
• change in temperature: at temperatures above +25°C, the head of cabbage begins to bloom;
• interruptions in the watering regime: due to lack of watering, the vegetable will stop setting and will go into bloom;
• untimely harvesting: failure to comply with the growing season leads to flowering of the vegetable.

Why is broccoli blooming bad?

Broccoli is picked and sold or eaten until it blooms. At this time, the green heads of cabbage have not yet opened and they contain the largest number of vitamins, microelements and other useful substances.

When flowering, the plant begins to spend all its energy on producing seeds. The stems lose moisture, become hard and fibrous, and the inflorescences and leaves become bitter. This product is not suitable for sale.

Agricultural technology

Broccoli is an easy-to-care vegetable. All it needs is watering, loosening, hilling, weeding and fertilizing. Cabbage grows quickly, so you need to cut off the large head at the base in time, thus allowing the side shoots to grow.

Watering and fertilizing

Watering when growing broccoli is very important. It should be done once every two days, preferably in the evening. In order for the plant to develop normally, grow and bear fruit, the soil must be constantly moist to a depth of 15 centimeters. Broccoli loves to “eat”, so it’s worth taking care of feeding. From the moment the seedlings are planted in a permanent place and begin to grow, they are fertilized with natural products: infusion of mullein or chicken droppings. The feeding process is repeated once every two weeks.

Pest Control

This variety of cabbage differs from its other “brothers” in that it is more resistant to pests and diseases. To avoid any troubles while growing this vegetable, you should follow simple rules to prevent possible difficulties:

1. broccoli is not planted in the ground after other cruciferous plants;
2. Do not allow the soil to become soaked or dry out;
3. Since this plant is light-loving, do not plant it in a shady place.

The biggest pests of broccoli include cruciferous flea beetles, cabbage flies, cabbage moths and cabbage aphids. There is a different method to combat each species.

What to do if it blooms

Let's take a closer look at what to do with cabbage that has bloomed and find out whether it can be eaten.

Is it necessary to fight color?

Broccoli loses color in any case - this is its natural property. If the plant has already bloomed, you should not cut it down. In many varieties, after cutting off the central head, new young large shoots are formed. But if it is clear that there will be no result, it is better to remove the vegetable from the garden and make room for other crops.

Proper care of cabbage

Broccoli is very demanding when it comes to fertilizing with organic and inorganic fertilizers. Particular attention should be paid to potassium and phosphorus fertilizing, since they directly affect the growth of cabbage. It is also influenced by minerals such as molybdenum, magnesium, boron.

The first fertilizing must be done after the seedlings take root. This is done with a solution of chicken manure (1:20) or mullein infusion (1:10). After 14 days, this procedure should be repeated. It is recommended to carry out the third feeding after the formation of the first young inflorescences.

To do this, you need to mix the following ingredients in 10 liters of clean water:

• superphosphate - 40 g;
• ammonium nitrate - 20 g;
• Potassium sulfate - 10 g.

When growing this vegetable, special attention should be paid to the watering regime. The soil under the plant should be constantly moist. If the soil is too dry when tying the head, the cabbage will definitely go into color.

Important! The main secret of growing is that heads of cabbage are formed only at a temperature of +16...+18°C. To do this, it is advisable to sow late varieties in such a way that the setting of a head of cabbage occurs during a period with low temperature conditions.

In hot summers, cabbage should be irrigated at the root, to a depth of 12–15 cm, 2 times a day. To increase yield in dry weather, plants are sprayed leaf by leaf.

Signs of flowering

When growing cabbage, it is necessary to constantly monitor the appearance of the head of cabbage, by the condition of which you can determine the time of harvest. When ripe, the head of cabbage has a dense shape with green buds.

As soon as the heads of cabbage change their color, the plant must be picked immediately. The cabbage heads should not be allowed to loosen, as they will subsequently begin to bloom. It is recommended to harvest cabbage before the inflorescences open, when it contains a large amount of minerals and vitamins.

To avoid flowering of broccoli, special attention should be paid to the weight of the head. You should not wait for the fruit to become large, but cut the plant when its weight is slightly less than the recommended weight on the package. Then the vegetable will not have time to outgrow and certainly will not bloom. On a personal plot it is necessary to plant varieties that are resistant to flowering, for example, Marathon F1, Calabrese.

Important! If a vegetable in your garden begins to turn yellow, this is a signal that your plant does not have enough nitrogen nutrition.

Before flowering begins, slight spots of a yellowish tint appear on the head of the cabbage. If your plant blooms with yellow flowers, then this is the first sign that the cabbage is overripe and it is too late to cut it. Farmers use the overripe harvest only for technical purposes, for example, as feed for livestock.

How to store

Broccoli is cut, leaving a petiole up to 10 cm in length. Immediately after harvesting, fresh cabbage can be stored in air for up to 6 hours.

Broccoli will keep in the refrigerator without blooming for 2 weeks. The head of cabbage is not washed, but placed in a paper bag, wrapped in a damp towel and placed at the bottom of the vegetable tray.

The vegetable, placed by cutting the stem in a vessel with water, is stored for 2-3 days. However, once flowering has begun, this will encourage more flowers.

One of the most reliable ways to store broccoli is freezing. At the same time, the vegetable does not go into flowering and retains all its beneficial properties.

Important! When storing broccoli, do not place bananas or apples near it.

Is it possible to eat broccoli if it blooms?

During the flowering stage, it is recommended to use it for cooking, since all nutritional and vitamin complexes are preserved in it, only the presentation of the plant deteriorates and the taste deteriorates slightly. Flowering cabbage does not accumulate any poisons or substances harmful to humans.

During flowering, cabbage leaves will become bitter and the stems will become fibrous and tough. During this period, the vegetable directs all its energy to the formation of seeds. In some countries of the world, flowering broccoli is used to prepare first courses.

Benefit

Broccoli is an extremely healthy vegetable. The calorie content of 100 g of fresh asparagus cabbage is 28 kcal, boiled - 34 kcal, fried - 46 kcal. The vegetable is considered to be a low-calorie product, so nutritionists recommend using it to normalize body weight.

The energy value of the vegetable per 100 g is:

• proteins - 2.8 g (3.41%);
• fats - 0.4 g (0.62%);
• carbohydrates - 6.6 g (5.16%);
• dietary fiber - 2.6 g (13.0%);
• water - 89.3 g (3.49%).

• The beneficial qualities of broccoli depend on its chemical composition and are as follows:
• normalizes the functioning of the kidneys, liver and gall bladder;
• promotes the removal of toxins, carcinogens and heavy metals from the body;
• protects the body from the formation of malignant (cancerous) tumors;
• reduces the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke by strengthening blood vessels;
• normalizes intestinal motility, relieves chronic obstruction;
• restores the functioning of the nervous system;
• due to the content of vitamin B9, it has a positive effect on the body of pregnant women;
• normalizes metabolism and also helps reduce excess weight;
• Regular consumption prevents the development of atherosclerosis and the onset of premature aging of the body.

Broccoli is also called petiole cabbage because the side leaves (petioles) are suitable for consumption.

Harm

Despite all the benefits, broccoli can also cause harm to the human body.

• Cabbage, raw or fried, should not be eaten by people who:
• suffer from increased stomach acidity;
• have stomach ulcers, as well as acute gastritis and pancreatitis;
• have individual intolerance to the product.

How to prevent broccoli from blooming early?

A gardener can influence broccoli yields even when the weather is not favorable. It is important to properly organize watering of plants immediately after transplanting seedlings into open ground. The crop should not be allowed to lack moisture.

When the thermometer rapidly creeps up, breaking the +25 degree mark, broccoli is shaded in the midday hours. In extreme heat, the need for moisture increases, so watering is increased more often. The beds are irrigated in the evening, then the water has time to penetrate to the roots and does not evaporate from the heat.

Attention! As soon as the gardener discovers the beginnings of the heads on the plants, it is recommended to cover them with the lower leaves, collecting them in a bunch.

Cauliflower, growing

The stem of the cauliflower seedling has become thin, even dried out a little from the bottom. How to save?

Such seedlings should be thrown away, as this is a sign of an incipient blackleg disease (the lower part of the stem is thin and black). Blackleg disease is caused by too thick crops and excess moisture in the soil. Thickened crops become very elongated, and the lower part of the stem begins to dry out. To avoid this, it is enough to at least cover such seedlings with soil if there is no time to plant them.

Why doesn't cauliflower set its head?

The reason may be a lack of nutrition and moisture during growth, planting overgrown seedlings, dry soil, especially at an early age, too hot weather or, conversely, a prolonged cold spell during growth. Cabbage should not be grown in partial shade or in an area exposed to sun only half the day.

Why does cauliflower produce a very small head?

This occurs in the case of insufficient nutrition and insufficient soil and air moisture, on poor soils, on dense, clayey, acidic soils, with clubroot disease, and with a lack of microelements, especially boron and molybdenum.

Why does the cauliflower head crumble?

Either the head has overgrown, or you added excess nitrogen to the soil, especially if there is a lack of potassium, or the seedlings grew with a lack of moisture.

The reasons for the appearance of a fuzzy, loose head: very elongated, overgrown seedlings, lack of moisture, prolonged cold spell, extreme heat (above 25 ° C).

Our cabbage has not yet set its head by the end of September. Can I leave it in the garden for growing or will it be destroyed by frost?

In fact, in the fall, cauliflower is more resistant to light frosts than at an early age, and can tolerate frosts down to -3 without damage. -4 °C, but just in case it is better to cover it with lutrasil. So don’t rush to pull out plants with large leaves that have not yet set heads by the end of September.

Or do this. If the cabbage has grown a good leaf apparatus, but has not set a head by the end of September, it can be grown until frost in a greenhouse and even in the basement, in the dark. To do this, they dig it up with a lump of earth, place it in boxes close to each other and leave it in a greenhouse or basement. The cabbage will set or grow newly set heads to normal size due to the nutrients it has accumulated in the covering leaves.

Broccoli blooms: why?

1. Cause: Cold, dry and hot

Broccoli is considered less demanding of environmental conditions than cauliflower. She matures quickly and practically does not get sick. But still, the weather can play a cruel joke on the gardener and completely deprive the harvest:

Dry, hot weather in the summer causes the broccoli head to begin to crumble: individual flowers in the inflorescence open, although the head is still very small. You have to cut off the head of cabbage prematurely before it fully blooms.

Drought is especially dangerous during the period when the heads begin to set. If the plants at this time suffer from lack of moisture for 3-4 days in a row, there will not be a good harvest.

With a lack of moisture, the heads turn out small and loose. But overmoistening the soil is also harmful - the roots can rot.

Vegetable growers know that cauliflower should be shaded. And broccoli is shaded only at the initial stage of ripening of the heads. The literature emphasizes that in direct sunlight the heads will turn out small and “disheveled.”

Prolonged cold snap and air temperature within +2 - +8 degrees causes premature shooting and reduces the quality of the heads. The moment of planting seedlings in the ground is very important: if it was very cold, the heads will also form small.

For good growth and development of broccoli, you need an air temperature within +16 - +25 degrees.

What to do?

Broccoli loves moist air and moist soil. In dry weather, it is necessary to water it abundantly to the depth of the roots. Additionally, you can provide cabbage with moisture by placing low, wide containers of water around the perimeter of the beds.

It is important not to miss the moment of cutting the main head of cabbage. In hot weather, flowers open especially quickly, even on large heads.

If it is not possible to water the cabbage abundantly, you can mulch the soil under the plants - this will preserve valuable moisture.

Broccoli pick

2 weeks after emergence, the seedlings are transplanted from a common box into separate containers. It is best to use peat pots for this, in which it will be convenient to transplant the seedlings into the garden bed.

After picking, the seedlings should be protected from the sun for several days; for this it is recommended to cover them with paper. The room temperature should be increased to 21 degrees.

When the seedlings take root in a new place, they need to be fed with fertilizers containing microelements such as boron and molybdenum, and the temperature regime must be changed:

• During the day it is necessary to maintain the temperature at 17 degrees;
• at night - 9 degrees.

A couple of weeks before planting in open ground, seedlings begin to harden.

Incorrect harvest mode

The basic rule of harvesting is timely cutting of ripe heads of cabbage. If you miss the moment, the broccoli will definitely bloom.

Its color grows quickly and covers the entire head of cabbage in a few days. Flowering vegetables lose their tender juicy core and become tough and tasteless. Broccoli is grown for its vitamins and micronutrients: if you leave a head of cabbage in the open ground, it will spoil and cook poorly - such a dish will not bring any benefit.

First signs of flowering

An overcooked vegetable gradually changes - this is the first sign by which one can judge that cabbage is not suitable for consumption. In its normal state, cabbage is compressed into dense dark green buds. There should be no stains, signs of rot or dry heads on the head.

Be sure to monitor the condition of the head of cabbage: the harvest time is determined by its appearance. Immediately before the flowering of the head of cabbage, which extends from the main stem, its shoots begin to turn yellow. First, uneven yellow-brown spots appear. Within a few days, the head of cabbage becomes covered with a characteristic color, which is difficult to get rid of.

If the cabbage is covered in color, it is too late to harvest. The harvest is cut and used for household needs (feeding livestock). Prudent housewives subject the cabbage heads to heat treatment, but it is no longer possible to obtain all the beneficial substances from cabbage. A product that has bloomed rarely causes negative reactions, but it is not recommended to eat it.

Improper storage

If stored improperly, cabbage will bloom.

A healthy harvest for sale or storage at home is also capable of blooming. Cabbage is stored in 2 ways:

• for a short period - within 2-3 days;
• for a long period of time - several weeks.

If you manage to grow a healthy vegetable without flowering, it should be stored correctly. Even a recently healthy head can become covered with yellow flowers in a few days. In this case, the product loses all its beneficial properties.

Storage Features

There are several ways to ensure that a vegetable lasts as long as possible. First, you need to pay more attention to the nuances of harvesting techniques. It is advisable to cut the head of cabbage for storage with a petiole 8–10 cm long, and not under the inflorescence itself.

Did you know? According to statistics, 79% of US residents eat broccoli. Every year Americans eat 76 thousand tons of this vegetable.

It is also necessary to remember that early-ripening varieties are not suitable for long-term storage, unlike late-ripening varieties.

The shelf life of broccoli is affected by temperature, air humidity and the quality of the cabbage itself. Before storing cabbage, you should not wash it under running water, as this will significantly reduce its shelf life.

Short term

Fresh cut heads of cabbage are stored for a short time. To do this, you need to place them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with small holes for ventilation or in a special container. Cut heads of broccoli can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 weeks at a temperature of +4...+7°C. Optimal humidity is 95%.

Freshly cut broccoli can be stored at room temperature, but no more than 2-3 hours, otherwise the healthy vegetable may wither and spoil.

Long-term in the refrigerator

For longer storage, the vegetable is frozen; in this form it can be stored in the freezer for 6 to 10 months.

Did you know? American John Evans managed to grow the largest broccoli in the world. The weight of the vegetable was 15.8 kg.

Blast freezing, which involves freezing in a very short period of time, preserves all the beneficial properties of the vegetable and helps preserve its presentation. This method will allow the broccoli to last as long as possible.

Proper agricultural technology and care against flowering

Broccoli is one of the capricious crops that does not tolerate neglect in care. You can count on a good harvest only by following all the growing rules.

You can plant broccoli with seedlings and seeds. To prevent broccoli from blooming, it is important to correctly determine the timing of planting. Taking into account the characteristics of the variety, it is necessary to calculate so that at the time of formation of the heads the air temperature does not rise above +18°C.

Late varieties are planted with the expectation that the formation of heads will begin in the second half and even the end of September. Early varieties of broccoli must be harvested by the end of May. In the hot summer, you can only enjoy broccoli in the northern regions.

Top dressing

Seedlings are planted in fertilized, well-moistened soil. Plant nutrition must be balanced and dosed.

Broccoli requires only 3 feedings:

1. The first is carried out 2 weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground.
2. The second - a few weeks after the first
3. The third is when the heads are formed.

At the beginning of growth, organic or nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizers will be needed, which are applied during planting. During the growing season, broccoli needs phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, boron, magnesium, and molybdenum. It is good to feed plants with liquid humate with microelements.

Watering

Throughout the entire growing season, and especially at the stage of leaf development and head formation, it is necessary to provide the plants with regular watering. The garden bed should not be turned into a swamp, but there is no need to keep it dry either.

Even if the soil dries out for a short time, the broccoli will definitely bloom. A crust should not be allowed to form on the soil surface. The next day after watering, it is loosened for this purpose. The required humidity in the root zone is provided by drip irrigation systems, which have proven themselves very well for this crop.

Mulching will help maintain the desired level of humidity. To do this, it is better to use well-rotted compost or humus, which will also serve as top dressing.

If broccoli grows in the shade, it does not form heads, but in hot weather it is recommended to shade it. This technique helps prevent premature flowering.

How to harvest?

The basic rule for harvesting is the timely cutting of ready-made inflorescences with petioles 8-10 centimeters long, which can be eaten. If the moment is missed, the broccoli will definitely bloom.

Growing rapidly, the color can cover the head in a few days. Flowering vegetables become tasteless and tough, losing their juicy, tender core. After pruning, cabbage forms new inflorescences on the side shoots. They will not fade into color quickly, but will form small heads the size of a walnut, which are perfect for freezing.

There is another method in the arsenal of experienced vegetable growers. To prevent broccoli from blooming, they recommend monitoring the weight of the head: if a head weight of 400 grams is recommended on a package of seeds, then you should not expect a large head, you need to cut it off when it weighs 350 grams, then the cabbage will not bloom.

It is recommended to cut the head of cabbage with a knife without damaging the side foliage. After fertilizing the crop, you can expect new side shoots after some time.

Method for cooking broccoli that has bloomed

This vegetable can be consumed both raw and after heat treatment. Broccoli can be boiled and baked in the oven. It is added to omelettes, pizzas, puree soups, salads, pies, etc. But it should be remembered that frying the vegetable is not recommended, since harmful carcinogens are released under the influence of high temperature. The ideal cooking option is steamed.

Every summer resident dreams of getting a good harvest of broccoli. By studying the basic rules of selection, as well as growing conditions, you can achieve the desired result.

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Broccoli is the healthiest vegetable for women

Broccoli is the healthiest vegetable for women

Scientists will use broccoli to develop a cure for breast cancer. The substance sulforaphane contained in broccoli actively helps destroy diseased cells. Sulforaphane prevents the division of cancer cells and the growth of malignant tumors and does not harm health. This could be a real breakthrough in the treatment of breast cancer.

Experiments confirm that if a woman constantly eats broccoli, then the risk of cancer is reduced to almost zero. In addition, broccoli is generally a very healthy vegetable. It is extremely rich in beneficial vitamins and minerals. This cabbage removes toxins from the body, eliminates cellulite, makes hair beautiful, helps with hangovers and slows down the aging process.

I grow broccoli and love it. And you?

Early varieties

Emperor F1 - 75 - 80 days pass from the growth of the first shoots to harvest.

Comanche - the heads are cut off 3 months after planting the seeds. The bushes tolerate low and high temperatures well.

Laser F1 - broccoli heads, dense and emerald green, are removed after 75 days.

Samme King is a variety that can easily withstand heat. They reap a high yield, regardless of planting time.

Tone - from the appearance of sprouts to the growth of heads, 75 - 90 days pass. The harvest ripens together. The head of cabbage is dark green, medium density, weight 0.15 - 0.25 kg, has an excellent taste. If the weather is too cool or hot, it may have a brownish-brown color.

Re: Broccoli – the healthiest vegetable for women

Olya, to prevent broccoli from blooming, it must be planted early, just like early cabbage. And then, when the flower heads begin to set, you need to cut them off immediately (small ones, don’t wait for them to grow large and bloom). In this place, several more will then grow instead of just one. And cut again. And they will grow a lot again. And so you can collect many inflorescences from one plant. If you miss cutting it a little, it will bloom. This cabbage is not like cauliflower - it does not grow to large sizes. And there is no need to shade - it will bloom even faster. And there is no need to cover it with grass - let it grow in the open! It's very simple.

Cold storage

Without preparation in the refrigerator under normal conditions, the vegetable will quickly spoil. Signs that cabbage is not suitable for consumption: a changed color of the head of cabbage and flowering that covers most of the head of cabbage. To prevent the appearance of inflorescences, it is necessary to properly prepare the place in the refrigerator.

Place a damp, wrung-out napkin on the bottom of the vegetable storage tray (it should be clean and larger in size than a head of cabbage). The head of cabbage is placed in a bag that cannot be closed, and then left on a napkin. Before putting cabbage in the refrigerator, do not wash or trim it. If the inflorescences have already appeared, this storage method is not suitable. It is important to respect the proximity in the refrigerator: apples or bananas should not be placed next to each other. The shelf life of cabbage without inflorescences in this form is no more than 2 weeks.

History of broccoli cultivation

Broccoli is native to the eastern Mediterranean. Archaeologists discovered a description of this cabbage in sources dating back to the beginning of our era. The ancient Romans cooked broccoli in wine sauces and ate it with various seasonings.

Broccoli settled in other European countries about 300–400 years ago, and in the 18th century it was transferred to America, where it took root so much that it was from there that the fashion for this vegetable began to spread throughout the world. And now in the USA it is one of the most popular vitamin products.

Because broccoli tastes similar to asparagus, it is sometimes called asparagus kale.

Frozen gifts of the fields

Try storing broccoli frozen for the winter. Experienced housewives claim that when properly frozen, the crop retains its excellent appearance and maximum nutrients.

Find out how to store other types of cabbage at home in winter: white cabbage, cauliflower, Peking cabbage, kohlrabi.

Let's start with preparation

To freeze broccoli for the winter, you need to prepare it properly. Select strong, healthy green heads with a diameter of 8-15 cm. Cut off the stalk, remove the leaves, and disassemble the cabbage itself into single inflorescences.

Before freezing, do not forget to get rid of any insects that may remain between the flowers. For this:

1. Fill a basin or bowl with water, add 40-45 g of salt per 1 liter of water.
2. Lower the inflorescences, leave for 20-25 minutes, then remove and rinse thoroughly.
3. Drain in a colander to drain excess moisture.

The stem of the plant contains the lion's share of nutrients. It can be successfully eaten by first cleaning the top layer

Freezing without blanching

You can freeze broccoli for the winter without blanching:

• First, rinse and place on a napkin to dry.
• Then pack into bags and freeze.

Some housewives complain that after defrosting, cabbage changes color and becomes soft. Yes, it will not be as elastic as before, but the color will remain. To prevent the inflorescences from becoming soft, it is recommended to freeze them using a different recipe.