It has a very open growth habit and small heads. It is like the Hydra in Greek mythology. Cut the first head and two come back. Cut those and then you have four.
 |
| Not my picture |
In my climate it will produce heads and tender stalks (which outweigh the heads 5-to-1) until November if you keep it watered and feed it a bit of nitrogen and potash. Aphids, the little waxy-looking ones, become an issue late in the season. It is incredibly productive and I was sad when Johnny's stopped carrying it, but it looks like it is back in stock.
I think the open architecture of the plant makes it easy for little-brown-birds to find and eat the worms. Any frass (bug poop) is washed away by the rain.
A second possibility
Birds seem to be more efficient at finding and eating caterpillars on purple plants. Go figure. Cabbage worms are neon green.
There are several purple broccoli cultivars available. I linked to Johnny's because Happy Rich is an exclusive and shipping costs add up, but other suppliers also carry purple broccoli, although most of them are for "over-wintering" which doesn't work so well in Zone 5 and Zone 6.
A third possibility
Maybe floating row covers?
For my cruciferous veggies I use B.t spray as needed. I find it effective in my hothouse climate (central FL). Low toxicity to humans and most other insect species.
ReplyDeleteI made tall cages with 1x1s and window screen which I can reuse every year. Floating row covers work well if the pieces are big enough to keep the plant covered as it grows. Floating row covers are suppose to be reuseable, but I've had mixed luck in using them more than a year or two.
ReplyDeleteI tried tunnel covers when the plants were small, but never tried the bigger floating covers. My understanding is the moths might fly under the covers, and I would get worms anyway.
ReplyDeleteI would soak the heads after picking, but never got them all.
We used to get aphids every time we grew Brussels sprouts, so gave up on those too.
Thanks for the advice!
Southern NH
Southern NH, the floating row covers only work if the edges are buried or held snug to the ground in some way. They exclude the moths from getting to the plants, but only work if there is no way in.
DeleteWe use a 2"x2" x 4'x8' wood frame and attached 1/2" PVC arches from side to side, with crop cover cloth on it. They fit tight over 4'x8' bed boxes. Keeps the moths out. Light enough to tip up on one edge. Be a lot of work though, for long row crops.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information!
ReplyDeleteWhen I could do more I used to use hoops made out of electrical conduit with a bender from Johnny’s. Weighted the edges of the row cover fabric with bags of rocks and used ground cover over drip tape and had good luck with all the cole vegetables. Now I’m growing less being retired with the kids having left home I have two 12’ by 24’ hoop houses with side beds 30” wide and a 3’ by 20’ center beds. Put the cole crops along the outside over ground fabric and plant rows of things like carrots and beets in front, all watered with drip tape. One center bed is devoted to three double rows of onions. Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers plus odds and ends are in a similar size green house with wood heat option. This is all in Copper Basin Alaska and I can work from a garden stool and haul needed supplies with my four wheel walker! No bug problems on the cole crops!
ReplyDeleteThe hoop houses were also made from chain link top rail with a different bender from Johnny’s.
Delete