Romanesco. Secrets of growing outlandish cabbage

Description and properties of Romanesco

Do you grow Romanesco? This question will certainly cause confusion for most of our gardeners. Meanwhile, Romanesco, and in translation from Italian - Roman, is nothing more than a new variety of cabbage, bred by Italian breeders. It is a hybrid of cauliflower and broccoli.

In Europe, Romanesco has been known since the 90s of the last century and is quite popular due to its useful properties and, of course, unusual taste.

Considering the amount of vitamins, minerals, trace elements it contains, the benefits of this cabbage are indeed undeniable.

For example, this type of cabbage contains more vitamin C than others, which strengthens our blood vessels and makes them elastic, vitamin K, which ensures blood clotting. Romanesco is also rich in vitamins B, A, E, carotenoids, mineral salts, minerals such as selenium and fluorine, which not every vegetable can boast of. In addition, Romanesco contains isocyanates, cancer-fighting substances.

Cabbage has a delicate, creamy nutty taste, it has no bitterness, which is felt in other species, and practically does not have the smell characteristic of cabbage. The number of culinary recipes using Romanesco is enormous. And the low calorie content of cabbage (25-30 kcal per 100 g) allows it to diversify any dietary menu.

Taking into account the growing interest in this crop, it's time to take a closer look at the agricultural technology of its cultivation.

Growing cabbage seedlings

It should be noted that this is not a simple matter. To grow this type of cabbage, it is very important to observe temperature regimes, which are different depending on the stages of plant development.

It takes 4 months from the moment of sowing to ripening of cabbage.

The optimum temperature for tying the head for this type of cabbage is +18 degrees. Accordingly, the time of sowing seeds must be calculated in such a way that the formation of the head falls on a month for which such a temperature is the norm. In some regions, this is already the end of August, September, and somewhere in October.

Seeds are sown 1.5-2 months before planting in open ground. Before germination, crops must be kept at a temperature of + 20-22 degrees. Two weeks after the seedlings have appeared on the surface, the temperature is lowered to +8 - 10 degrees. During the growth of seedlings, before planting them in the ground, it is necessary to provide moderate soil moisture and good lighting. Properly grown seedlings should be squat, with strong stems and a well-developed root system.

In order to exclude damage to the root system when planting cabbage, which will appropriately affect the timing of its development, it is better to grow each plant in a separate container.

Planting cabbage in the ground

Romanesco seedlings are planted in the ground when the late frosts have passed, and the air temperature will be at least 12 degrees.

This type of cabbage, like all others, does not like sour soil. Therefore, in addition to organic fertilizers, it is better to add wood ash to the soil. If you are preparing a garden bed in the fall, then you can add lime. During the winter, its aggressive effect will decrease, and the roots of young plants will not suffer from burns.

The place for landing should be chosen taking into account that the cabbage is in partial shade for most of the daylight hours.

When planting, the distance between plants should be 45-60 cm. It must be remembered that the height of the plant can reach 1 meter or more, and the rosette is quite spreading.

After planting in the ground, the seedlings need to be watered abundantly. If the weather is sunny, then you should shade the plants a little.

Cabbage care

As we remember, cabbage is one of the most moisture-loving crops, and this species is no exception. Therefore, it is important to ensure regular and abundant watering of the plants, especially during the period of rosette formation and head formation. Also, regular weeding and loosening of the soil is necessary to ensure access of moisture and air to the roots of plants.

You should not be zealous with feeding the plant, otherwise, you will get a tall and powerful bush, without any hint of inflorescences.

Experts recommend applying fertilizer three times. The first time, a week after planting the seedlings, the plants are fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. After 2-3 weeks, a second feeding is done with a solution containing ammonium nitrate, potassium, superphosphates. And the third time fertilization is applied when the plant begins to form inflorescences. For this top dressing, both organic and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are used.

Also, in order to prevent the appearance of cabbage pests, marigolds, calendula, nasturtium can be planted between the plants.

Given such a number of conditions and requirements, it is likely that not many will take up this culture. But, after all, once and broccoli was exotic in our plots, and now most gardeners cannot imagine their autumn harvest without it. So that "The eyes are afraid, but the hands are doing."