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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] transplanting broccoli

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  • From: "Liz Pike" <liz AT laughingbrookfarm.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] transplanting broccoli
  • Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 11:22:18 -0400

> the ground was dry enough today. I feel like I'm pushing them, but I've
> never had a good spring broccoli crop.

One of the secrets I've discovered to successful spring harvests is fall
planting of both broccoli & cabbage to overwinter for spring production.
Even up here in the mountains this method works. I'm in zone 7a, not sure
how it would work in other areas but it's worth a try. We had alot of snow
this year, alot of continuous freezing weather in the 'teens and the plants
looked like they'd died but I've been harvesting for 2 weeks now from the
90% of plants that made it through.

I set out 4 week old transplants in November and pile mulch/compost around
the seedlings, up to the very top of the plant, not covering the topmost
leaves. I chose not to use row cover because I didn't want to have to fight
to keep it on during our ferocious winter storms, but for colder zones it
might work if row cover is used in addition to the mulch/compost.
Occasionally over the course of the winter I rearrange what has blown away
which surprisingly is very little or add more to keep the protection but
other than that it's a low labor crop--no weed or insect pressure. Before
this planting method I could never get in a crop early enough to avoid
insect damage.


Liz Pike
Laughingbrook Farm
Westfield NC
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