Broccoli, but it is a strong-land plant, and a well-tilled clay should
yield first-class crops. But there are so many kinds coming into use at
various seasons, that the cultivation may be regarded as a somewhat
complex subject. We will therefore premise that the best must be made
of the soil at command, whatever it may be. The Cornish growers owe
their success in great part to their climate, which carries their crops
through the winter unhurt; but they grow Broccoli only on rich soil,
and keep it in good heart by means of seaweed and other fertilisers.
All the details of Broccoli culture require a liberal spirit and
careful attention, and the value of a well-grown crop justifies
first-class treatment. On the other hand, a badly-grown crop will not
pay rent for the space it covers, to say nothing of the labour that has
been devoted to it.
The Seed-bed.—Broccoli should always be sown on good seed-beds and be
planted out; the seed-beds should be narrow, say three or three and a
half feet wide, and the seed must be sown in drills half an inch deep
at the utmost—less if possible; and where sparrows haunt the garden it
will be well to cover the beds with netting, or protect the rows with
wire pea guards. A quick way of protecting all round seeds against
small birds is to put a little red lead in a saucer, then lightly
sprinkle the seed with water and shake it about in the red lead. Not a
bird or mouse will touch seed so treated.
The seed-beds must be tended with scrupulous care to keep down weeds
and avert other dangers. It is of great importance to secure a robust
plant, short, full of colour, and free from club at the root. Now,
cleanliness is in itself a safeguard. It promotes a short sturdy
growth, because where there are no weeds or other rubbish the young
plant has ample light and air. Early thinning and planting is another
important matter. If the land is not ready for planting, thin the
seed-bed and prick out the seedlings. A good crop of Broccoli is worth
any amount of trouble, although trouble ought to be an unknown word in
the dictionary of a gardener.
Manuring Ground.—As a rule, Broccoli should be planted in fresh ground,
and, in mild districts, if the soil is in some degree rank with green
manure the crop will be none the worse for it. But rank manure is not
needful; a deep, well-dug, sweet loam will produce a healthy growth and
neat handsome heads. However, it is proper to remark, that if any rank
manure is in the way, or if the ground is poor and wants it, the
Broccoli will take to it kindly, and all the rankness will be gone long
before they produce their creamy heads. Still, it must be clearly
understood that the more generous the treatment, the more succulent
will be the growth, and in cold climates a succulent condition may
endanger the crop when hard weather sets in.
Method of Planting.—Broccoli follows well upon Peas, early Potatoes,
early French Beans, and Strawberries that are dug in when gathered from
for the last time. But it does not follow well upon Cabbage, Turnip, or
Cauliflower; if Broccoli must follow any of these, dig deeply, manure
heavily, and in planting, dust a little freshly slaked lime in the
holes. The times of planting will depend on the state of the plants and
the proper season of their heading in. But everywhere and always the
plants should be got out of the seed-bed into their permanent quarters
as soon as possible, for the longer they stay in the seed-bed the more
likely are they to become drawn above and clubbed below. As regards
distances, too, the soil, the variety, and the season must be
considered. For all sorts the distances range from two to two and a
half feet; and for most of the medium-sized sorts that have to stand
out through the winter for use in spring, a distance of eighteen to
twenty-four inches is usually enough, because if they are rather close
they protect one another. But with strong sorts in strong soils and
kind climates, two feet and a half every way is none too much even for
safe wintering. Plant firmly, water if needful, and do not stint it;
but, if possible, plant in showery weather, and give no water at all.
Watering may save the crop, but the finest pieces of Broccoli are those
that are secured without any watering whatever.
Autumn Broccoli.—To grow Autumn Broccoli profitably, sow in February,
March, and April, the early sowings in a frame to insure vigorous
growth, and the later sowings in the open ground. Plant out as soon as
possible in fresh land that has been deeply tilled. If the soil is
poor, draw deep drills, fill them with fat manure, and plant by hand,
taking care to press round each root crumbs from the surface soil. This
will give them a good start, and they will take care of themselves
afterwards. When they show signs of heading in, run in shallow drills
of Prickly Spinach between them, and as this comes up the Broccoli will
be drawn, leaving the Spinach a fair chance of making a good stolen
crop, needing no special preparation whatever. Another sowing of
Broccoli may be made in May, but the early sowings, if a little nursed
in the first instance, will pay best, because early heads are scarce,
whereas late Broccoli are plentiful.
Winter Broccoli should not be sown before the end of March and thence
to the end of April. As a rule, the April sowing will make the best
crop, although much depends on season, soil, and climate. Begin to
plant out early, and continue planting until a sufficient breadth of
ground is covered. Within reasonable limits it will be found that the
time of planting does not much affect the date when the heads turn in,
and only in a moderate degree influences the size of them.
Spring Broccoli are capricious, no matter what the world may say. It
will occasionally happen that sorts planted for cutting late in spring
will turn in earlier than they are wanted, and the sun rather than the
seedsman must be blamed for their precocity. In average seasons the
late sorts turn in late; but the Broccoli is a sensitive plant, and
unseasonable warmth results in premature development. Sow the Spring
Broccoli in April and May, the April sowing being the more important.
It will not do, however, to follow a strict rule save to this effect,
that early and late sowings are the least likely to succeed, while
mid-season sowings—say from the middle of April to the middle of
May—will, as a rule, make the best crops. Where there is a constant
demand for Broccoli in the early months of the year, two or three small
sowings will be better than one large sowing.
Summer Broccoli are useful when Peas are late, and they are always over
in time to make way for the glut of the Pea crop. Late Queen may, in
average seasons, be cut at the end of May and sometimes in June, if
sown about the middle of May in the previous year, and carefully
managed. This excellent variety can, as a rule, be relied on, both to
withstand a severe winter in an exposed situation and to keep up the
supplies of first-class vegetables until the first crop of Cauliflower
is ready, and Peas are coming in freely. Generally speaking, smallish
heads, neat in shape and pure in colour, are preferred. They are the
most profitable as a crop and the most acceptable for the table. An
open, breezy place should be selected for a plantation of late
Broccoli, the land well drained, and it need not be made particularly
rich with manure. But good land is required, with plenty of light and
air to promote a dwarf sturdy growth and late turning in.
Protection in Winter.—Various plans are adopted for the protection of
Broccoli during winter. Much is to be said in favour of leaving them to
the risk of all events, for certain it is that finer heads are obtained
from undisturbed plants than by any interference with them, provided
they escape the assaults of winter frost. But in such a matter it is
wise to be guided by the light of experience. In cold districts, and on
wet soils where Broccoli do not winter well, heeling over may be
adopted. There are several ways of accomplishing the task, the most
successful method being managed thus. Open a trench at the northern
end, and gently push over each plant in the first row so that the heads
incline to the north. Put a little mould over each stem to settle it,
but do not earth it up any more than is needful to render it secure.
Push over the next row, and the next, and so on, finishing off between
them neatly and leaving the plants nearly as they were before, save
that they now all look northward, and their sloping stems are a little
deeper in the earth than they were in the first instance. This should
be done during fine weather in November, and if the plants flag a
little they should have one good watering at the roots. In the course
of about ten days it will be scarcely perceptible that they have been
operated on. They may be lifted and replanted with their heads to the
north, but this is apt to check them too much. In exceptionally cold
seasons cover the plot with straw or bracken, but this must be removed
in wet weather. When it is seen that the heads are forming and hard
weather is apprehended, some growers take them up with good balls of
earth and plant them in a frame, or even pack them neatly in a cellar,
and the heads finish fairly well, but not so well as undisturbed
plants. It is impossible, however, to cut good heads in a very severe
winter without some such protective measures. In many gardens glass is
employed for protecting Winter Broccoli, in which case the plantations
are so shaped that the frames will be easily adapted to them without
any disturbance of the plants whatever. There must be allowed a good
space between the beds to be covered, and the plants must be fifteen to
eighteen inches apart, with the object of protecting the largest number
by means of a given stock of frames.
Sprouting Broccoli, both white and purple, are invaluable to supply a
large bulk of a most acceptable vegetable in winter and early spring.
Sow in April and the plants may be treated in the same way as other
hardy winter greens. They should have the most liberal culture
possible, for which they will not fail to make an ample return. The
Purple Sprouting Broccoli is a favourite vegetable in the kitchen,
because of its freedom from the attacks of all kinds of vermin.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Brassica oleracea bullata gemmifera
Brussels Sprouts are everywhere regarded as the finest autumnal
vegetable of the strictly green class. They are, however, often very
poorly grown, because the first principle of success—a long growing
season—is not recognised. It is in the power of the cultivator to
secure this by sowing seed at the end of February, or early in March,
on a bed of light rich soil made in a frame, and from the frame the
plants should be pricked out into an open bed of similar light fresh
soil as soon as they have made half a dozen leaves. From this bed they
should be transferred to their permanent quarters before they crowd one
another, the object being at each stage to obtain free growth with a
sturdy habit, for mere length of stem is no advantage; it is a
disadvantage when the plant is deficient of corresponding substance.
The ground should be made quite firm, in order to encourage robust
growth which in turn will produce shapely solid buttons. This crop is
often grown on Potato land, the plants being put out between the rows
in the course of the summer. It is better practice, however, to plant
Kales or Broccoli in Potato ground, because of the comparative slowness
of their growth, and to put the Sprouts on an open plot freely dressed
with somewhat fresh manure. If a first-class strain, such as Sutton’s
Exhibition, is grown, it will not only pay for this little extra care,
but will pay also for plenty of room, say two and a half feet apart
every way at the least; and one lot, made up of the strongest plants
drawn separately, may be in rows three feet apart, and the plants two
and a half feet asunder. For the compact-growing varieties two feet
apart each way will generally suffice. Maintain a good tilth by the
frequent use of the hoe during summer, and as autumn approaches
regularly remove all decaying leaves. Those who have been accustomed to
treat Sprouts and Kales on one uniform rough plan will be surprised at
the result of the routine we now recommend. The plants will button from
the ground line to the top, and the buttons will set so closely that,
once taken off, it will be impossible to replace them. Moderate-sized,
spherical, close, grass-green Sprouts are everywhere esteemed, and
there is nothing in the season more attractive in the markets.
Crops treated as advised will give early supplies of the very finest
Sprouts. For successional crops it will be sufficient to sow in the
open ground in the latter part of March, or early in April, and plant
out in the usual manner; in other words, to treat in the commonplace
way of the ordinary run of Borecoles. With a good season and in
suitable ground there will be an average crop, which will probably hold
out far into the winter. It is important to gather the crop
systematically. The Sprouts are perfect when round and close, with not
a leaf unfolded. They can be snapped off rapidly, and where the
quantity is considerable they should be sorted into sizes. The season
of use will be greatly prolonged, and the tendency of the Sprouts to
burst be lessened, if the head is cut last of all.
CABBAGE
Brassica oleracea capitata
The Cabbage is a great subject, and competes with the Potato for
pre-eminence in the cottage garden, in the market garden, and on the
farm, sometimes with such success as to prove the better paying crop of
the two. It may be said in a general way that a Cabbage may be grown
almost anywhere and anyhow; that it will thrive on any soil, and that
the seed may be sown any day in the year. All this is nearly possible,
and proves that we have a wonderful plant to deal with; but it is too
good a friend of man to be treated, even in a book, in an off-hand
manner. The Cabbage may be called a lime plant, and a clay plant; but,
like almost every other plant that is worth growing, a deep well-tilled
loam will suit it better than any other soil under the sun. It has one
persistent plague only. Not the Cabbage butterfly; for although that is
occasionally a troublesome scourge, it is not persistent, and may be
almost invisible for years together. Nor is it the aphis, although in a
hot dry season that pest is a fell destroyer of the crop. The great
plague is club or anbury, for which there is no direct remedy or
preventive known. But indirectly the foe may be fought successfully.
The crop should be moved about, and wherever Cabbage has been grown,
whether in a mere seed-bed or planted out, it should be grown no more
until the ground has been well tilled and put to other uses for one
year at least, and better if for two or three years. There are happy
lands whereon club has never been seen, and the way to keep these clear
of the pest is to practise deep digging, liberal manuring, and changing
the crops to different ground as much as possible. A mild outbreak of
club may generally be met by first removing the warts from the young
plants, and then dipping them in a puddle made of soot, lime, and clay.
But when it appears badly amongst the forward plants, their growth is
arrested, the plot becomes offensive, and the only course left is to
draw the bad plants, burn them, and give up Cabbage growing on those
quarters for several years. The question as to why the roots of
brassicaceous plants are subject to this scourge on some soils, while
plants from the same seed-bed remain healthy when transferred to
different land, is deeply interesting, and the subject is discussed
later on in the chapter on ‘The Fungus Pests of certain Garden Plants.’
Here it is sufficient to say that the presence of the disease is
generally an indication that the soil is deficient in lime. A dressing
at the rate of from 14 to 28 or even 56 pounds per square pole may be
necessary to restore healthy conditions. The outlay will not be wasted,
for lime is not merely a preventive, it has often an almost magical
influence on the fertility of land.
For general purposes Cabbages may be classified as early and late. The
early kinds are extremely valuable for their earliness, but only a
sufficient quantity should be grown, because, as compared with
mid-season and late sorts, they are less profitable. In the scheme of
cropping it may be reckoned that a paying crop of Cabbage will occupy
the ground through a whole year; for although this may not be an exact
statement, the growing time will be pretty well gone before the ground
is clear. After Cabbage, none of the Brassica tribe should be put on
the land, and, if possible, the crop to follow should be one requiring
less of sulphur and alkalies, for of these the Cabbage is a great
consumer, hence the need for abundant manuring in preparation for it.
The presence of sulphur explains the offensiveness of the exhalations
from Cabbage when in a state of decay.
Spring-sown Cabbage for Summer and Autumn use.—To insure the best
succession of Cabbage it will be necessary to recognise four distinct
sowings, any of which, save the autumnal sowing, may be omitted. Begin
with a sowing of the earliest kinds in the month of February. For this,
pans or boxes must be used, and the seed should be started in a pit or
frame, or in a cool greenhouse. When forward enough, prick out in a bed
of light rich soil in a cold frame, and give plenty of air. Before the
seedlings become crowded harden them off and plant out, taking care to
lift them tenderly with earth attached to their roots to minimise the
check. These will heart quickly and be valued as summer Cabbages. The
second sowing is to be made in the last week of March, and to consist
of early kinds, including a few of the best type of Coleworts. As these
advance to a planting size, they may be put out a few at a time as
plots become vacant, and they will be useful in various ways from July
to November or later. A third sowing may be made in the first or second
week of May of small sorts and Coleworts; and these again may be
planted out as opportunities occur, both in vacant plots for hearting
late in the year, and as stolen crops in odd places to draw while
young. The second and third sowings need not be pricked out from the
seed-bed, but may be taken direct therefrom to the places where they
are to finish their course.
In planting out, the spacing must be regulated according to the size of
the variety grown. If put out in beds, the plants may be placed from
one to two feet apart, and the rows one and a half to two feet asunder.
All planting should be done in showery weather if possible, or with a
falling barometer. It may not always be convenient to wait for rain,
and happily it is a peculiarity of Brassicas, and of Cabbage in
particular, that the plants will endure, after removal, heat and
drought for some time with but little harm, and again grow freely after
rain has fallen. But good cultivation has in view the prevention of any
such check. At the best it is a serious loss of time in the brief
growing season. Therefore in droughty weather it will be advisable to
draw shallow furrows and water these a day in advance of the planting,
and if labour and stuff can be found it will be well to lay in the
furrows a sprinkling of short mulchy manure to follow instantly upon
the watering; then plant with the dibber, and the work is done. If the
mulch cannot be afforded, water must be given, and to water the furrows
in advance is better than watering after the planting, as a few
observations will effectually prove. If drought continues, water should
be given again and again. The trouble must be counted as nothing
compared with the certain loss of time while the plant stands still, to
become, perhaps, infested with blue aphis, and utterly ruined. As a
matter of fact, a little water may be made to go a long way, and every
drop judiciously administered will more than repay its cost. The use of
the hoe will greatly help the growth, and a little earth may be drawn
towards the stems, not to the extent of ‘moulding-up,’ for that is
injurious, but to ‘firm’ the plants in some degree against the gales
that are to be expected as the days decline.
Autumn-sown Cabbage for Spring and Summer use.—The fourth, or autumn,
sowing is by far the most important of the year, and the exact time
when seed should be put in deserves careful consideration. A strong
plant is wanted before winter, but the growth must not be so far
advanced as to stand in peril from severe and prolonged frost. There is
also the risk that plants which are too forward may bolt when spring
arrives. In some districts it is the practice to sow in July, and to
those who find the results entirely satisfactory we have nothing to
say. Our own experiments have convinced us that, for the southern
counties, August is preferable, and it is wise to make two sowings in
that month, the first quite early and the second about a fortnight
later. Here it is necessary to observe that the selection of suitable
varieties is of even greater consequence than the date of sowing. A
considerable number of the Cabbages which possess a recognised value
for spring sowing are comparatively useless when sown in August.
Success depends on the capability of the plant to form a heart when the
winter is past instead of starting a seed-stem, and this reduces the
choice to very narrow limits. Among the few Cabbages which are
specially adapted for August sowing, Sutton’s Harbinger, April, Flower
of Spring, Favourite, and Imperial may be favourably mentioned, and
even in small gardens at least two varieties should be sown. Where
Spring Cabbages manifest an unusual tendency to bolt, sowing late in
August, followed by late planting, will generally prove a remedy,
always assuming that suitable varieties have been sown.
The planting of autumn-sown Cabbages should be on well-made ground,
following Peas, Beans, or Potatoes, and as much manure should be dug in
as can be spared, for Cabbage will take all it can get in the way of
nourishment. If the entire crop is to be left for hearting, a minimum
of fifteen inches each way will be a safe distance for the smallest
varieties. Supposing every alternate plant is to be drawn young for
consumption as Coleworts, a foot apart will suffice, but in this case
the surplus plants must be cleared off by the time spring growth
commences. This procedure will leave a crop for hearting two feet
apart, and when the heads are cut the stumps will yield a supply of
Sprouts. As these Sprouts appear when vegetables are none too
plentiful, they are welcome in many households, and make a really
delicate dish of greens.
By sowing quick-growing varieties of Cabbage in drills during July and
August, and thinning the plants early, thus avoiding the check of
transplanting, heads may often be had fit for cutting in October and
November.
The Red Cabbage is grown for pickling and also for stewing, being in
demand at many tables as an accompaniment to roasted partridges. The
plant requires the best ground that can be provided for it, with double
digging and plenty of manure. Two sowings may be made, the first in
April for a supply in autumn for cooking, and the second in August for
a crop to stand the winter and to supply large heads for pickling.
SAVOY CABBAGE
Brassica oleracea bullata
The Savoy Cabbage is directly related to Brussels Sprouts, though
differing immensely in appearance. It is of great value for the bulk of
food it produces, as well as for its quality as a table vegetable
during the autumn and winter. In all the essential points the Savoy may
be grown in the same way as any other Cabbage, but it is the general
practice to sow the seed in spring only, the time being determined by
requirements. For an early supply, sow in February in a frame, and in
an open bed in March, April, and May for succession. This vegetable
needs a rich deep soil to produce fine heads, but it will pay better on
poor soil than most other kinds of Cabbage, more especially if the
smaller sorts are selected. Savoys are not profitable in the form of
Collards; hence it is advisable to plant in the first instance at the
proper distances, say twelve inches for the small sorts, eighteen for
those of medium growth, and twenty to twenty-four where the ground is
strong and large heads are required. In private gardens the smaller
kinds are much the best, but the market grower must give preference to
those that make large, showy heads.
CAPSICUM and CHILI
Capsicum annuum, C. baccatum
Capsicums and Chilis are so interesting and ornamental that it is
surprising they are grown in comparatively few gardens. Sometimes there
is reason to lament that Cayenne pepper is coloured with drugs, but the
remedy is within reach of those who find the culture of Capsicums easy,
and to compound the pepper is not a difficult task. The large-fruited
varieties may also be prepared in various ways for the table, if
gathered while quite young and before the fruits change colour.