Piracicaba Non-Heading Broccoli

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Item: 3327-A
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Brassica oleracea (botrytis group)

This broccolini type has garnered many accolades. About halfway between a heading broccoli and a broccoli raab, these succulent tender small green heads with very large beads make delightful eating, raw or lightly cooked. Very loose heads, lots of side shoots, sweet stalks. Even the fairly large leaves make excellent greens. Alan LePage says sidedressing it in summer yields great cuttings in the fall. Without doing anything except harvesting regularly, Elisabeth’s 2024 spring planting produced a steady crop of florets into October. NY State trialers report it is best as a fall crop with relatively good frost tolerance. Remarkably, it was bred in Brazil in the city of Piracicaba (peer-a-SEE-cah-bah) to withstand heat.

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Additional Information

Broccoli

  • About 100-300 seeds/g. Average varies by cultivar.
  • Days to maturity are from transplant date.

Culture: Start broccoli indoors March–May for setting out May–July, or direct-seed in May or June for fall crop. Easier as a fall crop because many varieties perform poorly in hot summers. For better stands in dry conditions sow in trenches and keep irrigated. Broccoli dislikes the extreme temperature and moisture fluctuations we have endured in recent seasons. Climate change is making it a challenge to grow even the more heat-tolerant varieties in the summer, while at the same time broadening opportunities in our longer more temperate falls.

Nutrition and disclaimer: Broccoli contains significant levels of sulforaphane, a substance that helps detoxify carcinogens from the body. Some years back, research indicating that broccoli seed sprouts are higher in sulforaphane than the vegetable itself caused a run on open-pollinated broccoli seeds. The broccoli seed we offer is seed grade, and it is not fit for human consumption as sprouts. It is not stored in food-safe sanitary conditions before it reaches us. For sprouting seed, please contact your natural foods supplier.

Disease: Head Rot
Cultural controls: use well-domed varieties, harvest heads when tight, cut stalks at an angle.
Material: copper

Brassicas

Days to maturity are from transplant date.

Culture: Start brassicas indoors March-May for setting out May-July, or direct-seed in May, or in June for fall crop. Minimum germination soil temperature 40°, optimal range 55–85°. Easier grown for the fall because many varieties perform poorly in hot summers. For better stands in dry conditions, sow in trenches and keep irrigated. Wire hoops and row cover should be used at early stages to keep out flea beetles and swede midge.

Note: because of a rule issued by Oregon, we cannot ship brassica packets larger than ½ oz. (14 grams) into the Willamette Valley, except those that have tested negative for Black Leg and Black Rot. Check descriptions for information.

Diseases:

  • BL: Blackleg
  • BR: Black Rot
  • BS: Bacterial Speck
  • DM: Downy Mildew
  • FW: Fusarium Wilt
  • FY: Fusarium Yellows
  • TB: Tipburn
  • WR: White Rust

Pest and Disease Remedies for all Brassicas

Major pests: Cabbage Looper, Diamondback Moth, Imported Cabbageworm
Cultural controls: control cabbage-family weeds near crop fields, till under crop debris of early-season brassicas after harvest.
Material controls: Spinosad, Bt.

Pest: Flea Beetle
Cultural controls: floating row covers, mulch with straw, time plantings for fall harvested crops only, crop rotation, perimeter trap cropping.
Material controls: AzaMax, Spinosad, PyGanic.

Pest: Cabbage Root Maggot
Cultural controls: time planting to avoid first hatching, use row covers, control weeds.

Major diseases: Black Rot, Alternaria Leaf Spot, Blackleg, Club Root, Downy Mildew, White Mold
Cultural controls: avoid transplanting plants with yellow leaves or v-shaped lesions, crop rotation, destroy crop debris after harvest, avoid overhead irrigation, control weeds, allow for good air movement.
Material controls: Copper.

Disease: Head Rot
Cultural controls: use well-domed varieties, harvest heads when tight, cut stalks at an angle.
Material control: Copper.

Swede Midge—not as cute as it sounds!

Alert! Heading brassicas in the Northeast are seeing consistent damage from swede midge, a tiny gall midge. Its effects result in a non-heading plant. Wire hoops and row cover at early stages of heading brassica crops are becoming crucial for success. Some research also suggests garlic sprays as a possible organic repellent. Consult your Cooperative Extension resources for further information.

Germination Testing

For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.

Our Seeds are Non-GMO

Non GMO

All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.