Space plants 40 - 60cm in all directions, depending on variety.
Calabrese grows very quickly and is harvested from June to November.
Soil Preparation
Dig plenty of farmyard manure or garden compost into the ground. Work the soil so that it is fine and crumbly. Level it off and firm it down. Walk over it several times because calabrese grows best in very firm soil.
Plant Out
Calabrese is ready to plant out when the plants are 10-15cm tall and have at least four true leaves. The tiny cotyledons, seed leaves, don’t count.
Plant calabrese out before the weather warms up.
Harden the plants off by putting the pot outside during the day and bringing it in at night. This will help to get them acclimatised to the conditions outdoors, and should take a week to ten days.
Soak the pot of plants with water the night before planting out.
Take great care not to disturb the roots. Calabrese is very sensitive to disturbance, and checks.
Take the plants out of the pot by placing a hand over the plants and tipping the pot upside down. The soil ball will fall out of the pot into your hand.
Turn the ball the right way up and gently tease the roots apart to separate out one plant.
Make a hole in the ground that is as deep as the roots are long. Place the plant in the hole so that the bottom leaves are almost at soil level. Gently push the soil around the roots to fill in the hole.
Hold the leaves to keep the plant vertical whilst firming the soil down. Calabrese responds to very, very firm conditions.
When all the plants are in, water them well. Keep the soil damp for a week or so, until the plants look well established.
Weeds Pull weeds out as they appear. This will remove any competition for water and nutrients.
Protect the plants with insect mesh. This will keep cabbage white butterflies and birds off the leaves.
Fertilise with a nitrogen fertiliser when the plant is about 20cm high.
Support
After six weeks, when the main head has formed, the plant may become top heavy. Give the calabrese some support to prevent it blowing over in the wind. Knock a stake into the ground so that it is firm and tie the stalk to the stake. Mounding soil around the base of the stalk will also help stabilise the plant.
Harvest
Cut the main head off the stalk with a sharp knife when the head is still firm and before the flowers start to open. Smaller side shoots will then grow out from below the cut stem. These will be ready to pick in a couple of weeks.
Check the plants every couple of days in harvest time. Calabrese will soon flower if not cut. The tight buds open into yellow flowers and the main head is lost.
Varieties
To spread the harvest, and to ensure a constant supply of calabrese, stagger plantings over a few weeks and choose different varieties. Alternative varieties have different maturity rates. Calabrese will soon go to seed once it is ready, so plan when to plant according to how much will be eaten. Planting at different times avoids a glut.
Mon - Fri 8:00am - 5:00pm
Sat & Sun 9:00am - 5:00pm
Any questions? Email us or give us a call on 01904 400092.
