Organic Broccoli Santee F1

Broccoli: Santee F1

Brassica oleracea
Approx. 250-350 seeds per gram
The succulent spears of purple sprouting are ready in Spring when little else is cropping in the garden. The delicate flavour and obvious health benefits of the spears lift the spirits and the taste buds after all that winter. The plants will reach nearly a meter in height and spread.

Santee F1 is a dual purpose type to give a whole new season to purple sprouting. It is very fast growing and seed sown from February to May will give succulent tasty spears from June to November of the same year. It can also be sown in June/July and transplanted in August to overwinter for picking in early spring.

How to grow:
Sow the seeds in February to May in a seed bed in a shallow drill. Allow 15 cm between drills. Thin to 7 cm between the plants as they grow and then transplant in summer when the plants are about 15 cm tall. Alternatively, sow June and July for overwintering.
To transplant lift the plants carefully with a fork. If the ground is dry give the transplants a good soaking first. Dig a planting hole in the growing site and plant the transplants quite deep – even up to the first leaves is fine.
Sprouting broccoli likes to be well-watered.
The bit we eat are the green stems and purple flower buds. Harvest before the buds open revealing the clusters of yellow flowers.
Keep picking and the side shoots will follow after the main shoots are cut.