Focus on… Calabrese
CALABRESE, also known as Italian broccoli or green sprouting broccoli, is an anomaly in the large brassica family, preferring to develop its harvest in summer rather than winter. Early sowings should be ready now, or you can sow now for later harvests. But how do you get the best from it?
Stretching the harvest window
This sturdy form of Brassica oleracea belongs to the same species that gives us our stalwart winter brassicas, yet it was developed in the Calabria region of Italy. While calabrese will grow through winter in an unheated greenhouse, most of us grow it as a summer crop.
“Help plants to develop ample leaf surface area”
The age-old issue of gluts is easily avoided if you sow small batches once a month from March until June; you can even store transplants in a fridge to plant out once a fortnight. Opting for early-maturing
