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What is BroccoliniŽ?
BroccoliniŽ is a hybrid of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) and Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale, Chinese name Gai-Lan (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra). It is a brassica and is the result of a number of hybrid trials by Sakata seed. The main difference between BroccoliniŽ and broccoli is that it has long, tender stalks much smaller florets than broccoli and a sweet flavor with a peppery aftertaste. Whilst broccoli florets are the most popular part of the plant broccoliniŽ can be eaten whole, and is becoming very popular with chefs across the world. BroccoliniŽ is a registered trademark of Mann Packing and SanBon Inc, and the name cannot be used by anyone else. However, a number of other broccoli hybrids have been developed, one by a Californian company, called Synergene Seed & Technology Inc, and they call their hybrid sweet baby broccoli. The Osborne Seed company also has a hybrid which they call brokali and a couple of varieties, namely Apollo and Atlantis. You can serach for broccolini seeds but will end up buying the alternative hybrids.
Planting BroccoliniŽ Seeds
This is a cool climate vegetable so plant as soon as the first frosts are over, do not wait too long as it will not start growing in the heat of the summer. If you live in a mild climate area, you could plant in the fall and get a second crop in October or November. Plant the broccolini seeds either in containers or directly in the ground, and cover with about an inch of soil. Mist them with water do not drown them. Plant them in a full sunny spot and mist them so that the soil is damp but not soggy and within 60 to 90 days you will have BroccoliniŽ plants. The tricky nature of BroccoliniŽ is in the harvesting it does not have an easy to cut main stalk, rather, a profusion of side shoots; for commercial growers, this makes it expensive to harvest. This may explain its popularity amongst amateur growers as the taste and flavor are so good, but the plant itself is expensive to buy at the grocers.
Where can you get BroccoliniŽ seeds?
Amazon sells these seeds through Hirts Greenhouse and Flowers, who sell organic seeds. Eden seeds, which is an Australian company, have a variety called "broccoletti" which is a small multiple shoot baby broccoli. If looking for broccolini seeds you will need to search for the alternative, hybrid names, as BroccoliniŽ itself is a commercial hybrid and seems to be restricted to commercial growing. So look for the Atlantis hybrid, the Apollo hybrid, available from Osborne Seeds under the name "Rapini". At Osborne, you will find the Atlantis and Apollo seeds, selling in different quantities with a helpful, seed count and planting guide. Alternatively, try, Gurney Seeds, selling Atlantis Hybrid Broccolli at $3.99 for a packet of twenty seeds. BroccoliniŽ seeds are a bit of an effort to track down, but the resulting vegetable will delight the palate and add a touch of the exotic to your dinner table.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about seeds and gardening articles at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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