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Once
summer has passed, it’s time to start planting winter
vegetables. Broccoli is a great vegetable favourite and is
enriched with many essential nutrients, especially vitamin
C. They are great to add into stir-fries, pasta dishes, along
side traditional roast dinners or to accompany just about
any meal.
PLANTING
Broccoli can be either grown from seed & transplanted
out, or you can buy them as seedlings. Either way they love
a rich well prepared soil. Before planting, dig into the soil
generous quantities of Searles 5 in 1® Organic Plant Food
& Searles® Real Compost.
When planting out, space them 45cm apart. This will give them
the room they need to grow into big bunches. After planting
give the plants a good watering.
FERTILISING
As Broccoli are heavy nutrient feeders, you will need to top-up
the nutrients in the soil by using a liquid organic fertiliser.
Apply Searles® Fish & Kelp Liquid Fertiliser every week
over the foliage & drench the soil (Searles® Fish &
Kelp Liquid Fertiliser is certified fully organic and does
not contain any chemicals or synthetic additives). Not only
will Searles® Fish & Kelp promote better growth, but it
will also help protect the Broccoli from pests & disease.
WATERING
As Broccoli are a reasonably fast growing vegetables, they
will do well with regular watering. By watering the soil about
every 2 days (except in periods of rain) Broccoli will grow
strong and sweet, producing the wonderful sweet Broccoli heads.
If they are allowed to dry out in between watering, they can
become bitter.
TIP
Now the trick for sweet & tender Broccoli is to cut the
head while they are still tight & compact. If left for
too long on the plant they become bitter. After the main Broccoli
head has been cut off the plant, keep fertilizing with Searles®
Fish & Kelp Liquid Feriliser & continue to harvest
the small axial Broccoli shoots. The small Broccoli shoots
can continue to produce for a couple of months, providing
continued food. Once the Broccoli plant starts to flower,
it will no longer produce anymore Broccoli shoots. |
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So
Remember
• Prepare soil with Searles 5 in 1® & Searles® Real
Compost
• Plant 45cm apart
• Fertilise weekly with Searles® Fish & Kelp Plus
• Harvest when heads are tight & compact |
If
you do this, you’ll have delicious vitamin rich Broccoli
in about 2 months. Ready for all your hearty winter dishes.
Happy Gardening with Searles from the Searle family.
© Copyright 2002 JC & AT Searle Pty Ltd
You may make a copy of this Fact Sheet for your personal,
non-commercial use only. Please do not make any other use
of this Fact Sheet without first obtaining our permission. |
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