In the symphony of pawn that make up an orchestra , there are strings , woodwinds , and rhythm section and establishment legal document . In the symphony of vegetables that make up a garden , there are nightshade , legumes , cucurbit , alliumsand brassicas . Just as the orchestra would be missing a critical piece of its supporting players if the brass legal document were missing , your vegetable garden would lack brassicas if they were n’t represented .
What are Brassicas?Simply defined , genus Brassica are a group of vegetables , includingcabbage , broccoli , cauliflowerandkale , that flourish in cool climate , are remarkably hardy and frost - resistant and are noted for their nutritional note value . However , to fully sympathize the kinetics of this across-the-board kinsperson of vegetables , you must explore the larger flick .
Brassicas are species of theBrassicaceaefamily ( the “ leaf mustard ” sept ) , which is also interchangeably called theCruciferaefamily , hence the reference term “ crucifers ” or “ cruciferous vegetables ” for cabbages and standardized vegetable . The wordCruciferaeis derived from the Grecian word meaning “ thwartwise - bearing , ” and refers to the four - petaled , cross - similar appearance characteristic of many plant in this family .
Confusingly enough , several species in theBrassicaceaefamily are not a part of theBrassicagenus . Horseradish , arugula , watercress and Japanese radish are all of member of theBrassicaceaefamily but belong to theArmoracia , Eruca , NasturtiumandRaphanusgenuses , severally .
TheBrassicagenus itself is further subdivide , with theBrassica oleraceaspecies being the largest , with seven main cultivar . These admit the intimate head - shaped brassicas ( broccoli , cabbage and Brassica oleracea botrytis ) , leafy brassicas ( kale and collard putting surface ) , Brussels sprouts and turnip cabbage . A second coinage , Brassica rapa , includes cultivar like mizuna , Formosan cabbage and white turnip . Yet another specie , Brassica napus , encompasses swede and Siberian kale .
And if all of that information is n’t enough to make you feel like a gelt head , thrash in the fact that brassicas are sometimes referred to as cole crops and that the full mathematical group is sometimes referred to as the cabbage kinfolk . But never fear — one delectable taste sensation of homegrown broccoli or cauliflower and any terminology confusion will be quickly forgotten .
Planting BrassicasBrassicas are a stale - clime crop , ideally suited to regions with mild summer and passably cool springs and fall . nurseryman in regions with hot summers should endeavor for two crop of brassicas per year : an former spring crop , harvested before the temperatures top out in the summer months , and a recent - fall harvest , planted mid - summertime for harvest time in the fall . With suited climate conditions and deliberate scheduling , it ’s even possible to harvest three harvest of brassicas in one growing time of year .
“ Our early spring transplanting get plant the start of May , with all varieties of brassica craw seed or transplanted by mid - May . We have a June 15 frost date , ” says Jenny Tuckey , atomic number 27 - proprietor of EverGood Farm in northerly Wisconsin , which bring forth organically grow vegetables . “ Our salad crops are planted every hebdomad ; Brussels sprouts once per time of year ; broccoli , cauliflower and cabbage are engraft every three weeks ; and turnip cabbage every two weeks . This allows us to continually harvest our brassica crop from early July to mid - October , with salad greens harvestable from other June to mid - October . We in the main get about three crops of our Brassica oleracea italica and cabbage plantings . ”
Rotate brassicas with other veggie syndicate , such as genus Allium or nightshades , to reduce their susceptibleness to disease and louse problems .
“ Crop revolution is substantive for keep ahead ofpests , ” Tuckey says . “ At the start of the year , we seek to put brassicas in their own field , which has n’t had brassicas the year before . As we replant each workweek after that , we try not to put brassicas in the same bed double . ”
In terms of soil preparation , most brassicas prefersoil pHbetween 6 and 7 . Soil quality is , of course , a major retainer .
“ Like all vegetables , brassicas like good , fertile stain , but I ’ve go steady brassicas develop successfully in guts as long as they ’re give the right amount of nutrient , ” Tuckey say . “ summate [ fertilizer ] into the beds [ base ] on how long the harvest will be in the soil . unretentive - term crops require less [ dressing ] , and longer - terminal figure crops apparently want more . The best advice I have is to drop a line out aplan . Then once planted , watch over for dirt ball pressure or mark of slow growth . After a craw has been in the undercoat for a calendar month , more [ fertilization ] will in all probability be needed . For us , this was in the mannequin ofcompostor compost tea . Brassicas savor well when grow quickly and in coolheaded climate . ”
Keeping Pests Off BrassicasFor all of their splendid attribute , brassicas are plagued by one major job : a widespread susceptibleness to pests and disease .
“ Brassicas are hard hit by gadfly and are likely [ the ] most bug - prostrate vegetables at the farm , ” Tuckey read . These pests admit a grasp of lettuce insect ( such as cabbage measuring worm ) and aphids . Cutworms , borers , mallet and maggots also occasionally damage brassicas .
gratefully , there ’s a examine method for diminishing the effect of dirt ball : floating dustup screening . Frequently used to minimize plague wrong to brassica plants , floating row cover are an ideal method acting for deter insects without the use of pesticide . Another important benefit of row cover is that they often grow plants with declamatory veggie than their non - row - covered opposite number ; however , row cover lean to slow up the plants ’ maturity date due to want of sun .
“ We cover the retentive - term brassica craw with Agribon ( a breathable fabric quarrel cover ) on the day of planting , ” Tuckey says . “ The cover is only taken off to weed and to harvest or when the plant gets too heavy for the hoop . Our destination is not to eliminate plague , but to puzzle out around them and hopefully create an environment where natural predators can help us , as well . There is always some release due to insect pest in organic husbandry , and we design for this . We did have chou worms on our long - time of year brassicas but found they did less damage because they were not able to find the Brassica until we removed the row cover . At this point , the plants were large enough to handle the pest pressure . ”
Tuckey also credit right timing with a rock-bottom relative incidence of worm impairment to her brassica crop .
“ Getting the craw in and out speedily to beat the louse life cycle is significant . We engraft and harvest most of the salad brassica crops within four week and only take one rationalise off these crops when insect pressure is high . We ensure to take away as much works residue as possible to help with blighter , as well . ”
Such a remarkable family of vegetables deserves a prominent place in any garden . Choose a few brassica varieties and get growing . A symphony of garden joy await !
Brassica Crop ProfilesWith so many brassicas at your fingertips , where ’s the good place to set about ? Click below to get a quick overview of the most conversant members ofBrassica oleracea .
