Many girls and women who know about diets and watch their weight always have such a dietary delicacy in their arsenal, like broccoli cabbage . But in addition to low calorie, this green miracle carries a lot of benefits in the form of vitamins and trace elements. These are vitamins of group B, vitamin A, C, E, PP, and also magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron. And thanks to the content of choline and menthonin, broccoli fights with the accumulation of cholesterol in the body. So the plant is also curative.
If you have at least a small household plot, you can seriously think about its cultivation. Well, since you've already landed it in your beds, but do not know when to harvest a broccoli cabbage, we'll give you a clue.
When to harvest broccoli?
You can not tolerate the yellowing of the heads of broccoli, harvesting must be done before the buds open and small yellow flowers appear. The head should be green, otherwise it will not be suitable for food.
Usually the main head is already ready for 75-110 days after sowing (all depends on the variety). It reaches a weight of 400 grams and has a diameter of about 20 cm. If you chase the size and wait for the cabbage to grow, you can miss the moment. For some 2-3 days, the inflorescence will dissolve and the heads will lose not only the presentation, but also the ability to eat.
Harvesting of broccoli begins with pruning of the central stem. It should reach a length of 10-15 cm. After this time, the harvest is harvested from the side shoots. All the inflorescences need to be cut off along with the shoots, because they are juicy, like the heads.
It is best to harvest the broccoli cabbage in the early morning, when the dew still lies on the grass. The last thing is late evening. This is to ensure that the head does not fade longer. Cut with a sharp knife obliquely.
Do not rush after cleaning the main head immediately tear out the bush - on it in the course of time, lateral shoots are formed. If you continue to care for the plant, you can remove from it many more small heads. Of the axillary buds shoots will grow, and on their tops heads are formed with a mass of 200 grams and 6 cm in diameter. This increases the yield of broccoli and stretches the season of its arrival on the table.
Knowledgeable gardeners even grow cabbage in cellars and deep greenhouses. Before digging, the plant is pre-watered well (1-2 days). To grow the bushes with a well-developed rosette of leaves.