Cole Crops: Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower

1
Cole Crops Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower

• Introduction
• Are varieties of Brassica oleracea
• Are members of the _________________ family
• Can be pungent
• Contain ____________________
• Shown to have anti-carcinogen effects
• Environmental requirements
• Cool season
• Biennial
• Head we consume is produced the first year
• Second year after a ___________ treatment it will
  flower

2
Cole Crops

• Keys to producing cole crops
• Transplanted
• Transplant stems _____________ that pencil size
  in diameter
• Rapid growth/ no stress
• _______________ must be controlled

3
What is a cabbageworm?

• A group of 3 _________ that feed on cole crops
• Adults lay eggs on ___________ of leaves
• Overwinter on trash of host plants
• Can be controlled with _________ or synthetic
  insecticides

4
Cabbage (Brasscia oleracea Capitata group)

• Background
• Developed from wild, leafy, ______________
  plants that occur throughout Europe
• History
• Cabbage was in general use by ______ B.C.
• Was a leafy type
• Heading types first described in 1500s
• Could be stored over the winter

5
Cabbage forming a head
6
Cabbage

• Are consuming leaves
• Plant characteristics
• Have a wide range
• Color from ________ to ________
• Leaf character from smooth to savoyed leaves
• Head shape from flat to ________
• Maturity from early (______ days)
• to late (______ days)
• Late maturing used for cabbage grown over the
  winter

Chinese ornamental cabbage
Early Jersey Wakefield
7
Cabbage

• Cultivation
• Planting
• Can withstand temperatures below _____ F
• Can plant at 2 times
• Early spring
• Early summer crop
• Use transplants
• Late summer
• Fall crop
• Transplants used
• Adequate _______________ fertilizer important

8
Cabbage

• Harvesting
• Harvest when ____________ has become fairly firm
  but before it _______________ or splits
• Heads from late maturing cultivars can be stored
  for several months at _______ F and high humidity
  in pits or root cellars

9
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea Italica group)

• Background
• Developed from various leafy cabbage forms in
  southern _________
• Plant characteristics
• Forms a loose flower __________ on a tall, green,
  branching stalk
• Adapted to all parts of the U.S.
• Can harvest over an extended period by harvesting
  _________ heads

10
Broccoli

• Are consuming unopen flower buds
• Harvesting
• Harvest central ____ together with 6 inches of
  stem
• Harvest __________ the flower buds start opening
  and develop a ___________ color

11
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea Botrytis group)

• Background
• Originated from a leafy form of cabbage in
  southern ______________
• Is the most difficult to grow among the cole
  crops
• Must be blanched
• Does not tolerate ______________

12
Cauliflower

• Characteristics
• Grown for white head called a ______________
• Head is formed from shortened flower parts at the
  top of the plant
• Temperature response
• Too much ______________ prevents the head from
  forming
• Plant is more sensitive to ______________ than
  cabbage

13
Cauliflower

• Cultivation
• For best quality cauliflower must be grown
  _________________ through their entire life
• Grown from transplants
• Ensures rapid growth
• ____________ should be a milky-white color

14
Cauliflower

• Blanching
• Some cultivars are self-blanching
• Leaves grow over top of the curd
• If not self-blanching, leaves should be tied
  ______ around the head
• Why blanch?
• Keeps a whiter head
• Protects against __________
• Protects against __________
• injury
• Prevents off-flavor

15
Cauliflower

• Harvest
• Curds are harvested based on their ___________
• Buying a quality curd depends on
• Florets being tightly closed
• White color
• No purple color on stems or florets
• No black spots on curds
• Caused by ______soft rot

16
Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea Gemmifera
group)

• Background
• They have been grown near Brussels, Belgium
• Characteristics
• Type of non-heading _______________
• Develop sprouts or small heads in the __________
  of the leaves
• Start developing at base of the stem and develop
  ____________
• Slow growing

17
Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group)

• __________remains short and ________ forming an
  edible corm
• Originated in northern ________ in 15th century
• Corm two colors
• White or pale green
• Purple

18
Kohlrabi

• What is a corm?

19
Kohlrabi

• A solid, fleshy storage structure formed by
  ____________________ of the stem base
• Fast growing
• Matures in ________ to _______ days
• Harvesting
• Best harvested when young up to the size of a
  tennis ball
• Peeled before cooking because of most of
  _______________ are in the outer skin