BRASSICAS web: www.growmyownfood.com email: permaculturegardens@ gmail.com Backyard Cultivation Booklet

Brassicas are a highly nutritious and diverse family of seasonal plants (annual/ biennial) that provide food from almost every part of the plant (seed - mustard Brassicas are versatile seeds; flower - cauliflower; bud - brussel sprouts, cabbage; leaves - kale, collards; roots - turnips, radish; stem - broccoli). and fast growers, Brassicas generally fall into two categories in our gardens; those we grow for their leaves providing bountiful leafy and those that we grow for their roots. The brassicas we grow for leaves are all descended from the wild cabbage and are members of the same species (Brassica oleracea). These greens and crisp roots includes many commonly grown varieties, including cabbage, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi and gai lan (Chinese broccoli). It’s amazing that so many different loaded with vitamins and shapes and sizes of brassica can come from the same species. One consequence of this close relation between plants is that it’s much harder to collect seed for these varieties because minerals. they will potentially interbreed.

Brassicas are sensitive to heat and light, and as days get longer and temperatures get warmer, these seasonal changes tell the brassica plant to start flowering. In most cases we want to postpone this process as long as possible (even for broccoli and cauliflower, where early flowering will severely limit the size of the heads). Since brassicas prefer colder weather, the best seasons to cultivate them are in the Spring or Fall. However, many brassicas are also susceptible to hard frost, so you will need to plan ahead for the best window of time to grow them in your climate.

One key advantage to growing brassicas is that they develop very quickly. Some European Radish types can be ready in under a month after sowing seed. separating the HEIRLOOM CORNER CURDS from the STEM

Brassicas come in all shapes and sizes, but they also appear in many Varieties to take a different colors as well.

look at… We’ve gotten used to our broccoli coming in green and our cauliflower in white, but there are interesting heirloom varieties of cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage GREEN GOLIATH(BROCCOLI). that come in green, purple and even blue. These varieties are not only beautiful, A truly gigantic broccoli that can get they contain anthocyanins, which have been found to be good for controlling up to 2 feet tall, the abundant stems blood sugar levels and fighting cancer. and leaves can also be eaten for an epic harvest. One side benefit of growing these beautiful colored varieties is that they look just as TATSOI. An asian green, the good in your garden as on your plate. Use spoon-shaped leaves are easy and them as decorative elements in your front fast to grow and taste wonderful in yard to wow your neighbors and home stir fries. owners association. Romanescu Broccoli illustrate PURPLE TOP GLOBE (TURNIP) how fractal patterns are When you harvest them you’ll realize their beauty is not just skin deep, as many of Beautiful round turnip with gorgeous common in natural systems coloring; easy to grow. Both greens these varieties have subtle sweet and nutty and roots can be used in dishes. overtones.

SCOTCH KALE A classic curly kale, this variety gets larger than most other kale plants with multiple cut-and-come again harvests. If established early, it survives hard frost and can be grown as a biennial.

GREEN MACERETA (CAULIFLOWER). Beautiful lime- green head with nice tender curls. Grows fast and produces fairly early.

Delicious cauliflower heads come in white, lime green, purple and even orange “cheddar” Saving the Collards

A subspecies of cabbage that grows new leaves are produced, for a continuous larger leaves with better heat harvest. tolerance, collards are associated with the cuisine of the American South but Some nice varieties of heirloom collards actually pre-date modern cabbage include Alabama Blue, which produces varieties back to Roman and Greek beautiful alternating leaf patterns of times. purple and bluish-green leaves, and White Mountain Cabbage Collard, which produces Collards are the hardiest leafy brassica and large leaves on an open head up to 3ft some varieties can take cold temperatures across. down to 0F. Collards are not cultivated as much in modern vegetable gardens and Collards are robust and will retain their many varieties are in danger of becoming strong texture even with stir-frying, so lost. The Collard Project (https:// pair them up with strongly flavored foods. heirloomcollards.org/) is interested in Smoked ham, strong garlic, fiery onions all preserving the southern tradition of Collards are the ultimate brassica pair well with stir-fried collards. growing collards by collecting and saving seeds for interesting heirloom varieties. to withstand frost, able to take a beating down to 0 ° F Most collard varieties are open-leafed, meaning that they won’t form heads. Instead, harvest large, older leaves as DIGGING IN THE DIRT

Versatile Brassica Root Crops

Radishes, Turnips, Rutabagas and Kohlrabis are brassicas prized for their roots. Discover how you can incorporate their different textures and tastes into your meals.

Most gardeners are familiar with spring radishes, one of the fastest-growing vegetables, producing small red bulbs with a peppery spiciness that gets woody as it gets too big. Winter radishes are another category of radish that are quite different than their spring cousins. They take much longer to mature and actually improve in taste as they get bigger.

A variety of winter radish called daikon Turnips have a bad reputation as food fit is prized in East Asian cooking, where for the pigs, but small heirloom turnips centuries of careful cultivation have and rutabagas have a texture similar produced radishes that are sweet and crisp, to potatoes with slow cooking and are perfect for pickling or fresh eating. wonderful in stews.

One variety, Sakurajima Giant Radish, is so Kohlrabi form small green bulbs that are large the bulbs can get to 100lbs, while still some of the sweetest brassicas while still being tender. remaining crisp. Brassica Hunters There are a number of insects and worms most colorful eggs, looking like small black that love to devour brassicas as much as and white barrels. Unfortunately, these humans. Unfortunately, some years it barrels quickly swell and form an army that can seem like a race to see who will eat the will spread over brassica leaves and be hard tasty brassica leaves first. to eliminate. Picking off the eggs when they are all lined up is the easiest way to The key to dealing with these hungry deal with them. varmints is to first be able to identify them. Once you have confirmed that a brassica Cabbage loopers start out as tiny thin, predator has targetted your plants, usually bright green worms, but quickly swell into by laying eggs on the leaves, eliminating improbably large caterpillars that randomly them early will prevent the problem from chew holes in young brassica leaves. literally growing out of control. Fortunately, they are easy to spot once you know what to look for, and birds and Harlequin beetles lay some of nature’s predatory wasps love to eat them.

Garden Tip #1 Garden Tip #2 Garden Tip #3

Interplanting brassicas with aromatic Brassicas like it a bit more neutral and Harvesting leaves regularly from the top herbs like dill, chamomile, rosemary, are also heavy feeders, so don’t plant of your cabbage, kale, and collard plants and basil will fool pests that specifically them near nightshades like tomatoes, will slow down their natural urge to bolt target brassicas. These aromatic herbs peppers, or eggplant. Since many and produce flower stems. The leaves also attract beneficial insects that prey brassicas are medium-sized vegetables, will not be as large, but you’ll be able to on the larvae of insects that attack you can grow other plants in the same extend your harvest through hot periods. brassicas. space that either cling to the ground (creeping thyme, celery, oregano), or If your brassicas are well-established, Instead of planting brassicas in rows, like afternoon shade, like lettuce or you can use this technique to help them tuck them in alongside alliums like garlic chard. survive through the summer and collect or onion. These companion plants help large harvests in the fall. the roots and also improve the diversity in your garden.

The Brassica Tree Although not common, tree collards Start Growing Your are perennials that grow in temperate climates and reach heights up to 10 Own Food Today feet.

It may be a weird sight to see kale leaves sitting at the top of a palm-like trunk, but these amazing plants from Europe are definitely worth a look if you live in climates with mild climates (zones 7 to 10). www.growmyownfood.com The leaves get sweeter in the fall, with the purple leaves being sweetest.

If you can, obtain cuttings before year 3, when the stems get too woody to easily germinate.