When does broccoli ripen and how do you know if the cabbage is ripe?

Broccoli cabbage is the leader in the content of micro-, macroelements, it is not only healthy, but also delicious vegetable if cooked correctly. Unpretentious in cultivation, with simple requirements for agricultural technology, it requires a minimum of attention, but in gratitude it gives people a whole range of vitamins and other useful substances.

Broccoli is a type of cauliflower, but it has distinctive features in appearance and chemical composition. The low-calorie content of the vegetable makes it possible to use it in the dietary menu for weight loss. A crucial time in the process of growing a crop is the beginning of harvesting, it is important not to miss it, otherwise the vegetable quickly outgrows and breaks up into individual inflorescences. The head of cabbage looks sloppy, becomes loose, flowers appear on it. Such a vegetable is not edible.

Step-by-step signs of the ripeness of the head of cabbage:

• weight - more than 250 g;
• size - over 10 cm;
• the head turns dark green and gains a high density.

In any category of ripeness, at least two months must elapse from the time of sowing. If the moment is missed, do not be upset - closer to autumn, the second wave of the harvest will come.... After cutting, the growth points are activated and the formation of daughter heads of cabbage begins in the lateral sinuses. The flowering of broccoli can be delayed a little by putting the leaves of the cabbage together and securing them over it with an elastic band. The method is effective, but it will delay the process by only 2-3 days. Cabbage is not able to survive the frost, therefore, before the frost occurs, the harvest must be harvested if it is a late-ripening cabbage.

There is no exact time when broccoli ripens, since the species is subdivided into different ripeness categories - early ripening and late ripening varieties. Weather conditions, methods of planting and growing, compliance with agrotechnical requirements, care and even the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings have an important effect on the timing. A simple example: the seedlings planted in a permanent place are watered, treated from pests, receive the necessary fertilizing in due time, but the soil is not loosened. As a result, the plant will lag far behind in development from its counterparts growing on breathable soil.

Approximate dates are always indicated on the packaging of planting material, but it must be borne in mind that these are approximate, and not specific numbers. In addition, broccoli seeds can be lowered into the ground immediately in a permanent place, in which case the heads of cabbage will set and reach technical ripeness much later than the same variety grown in seedlings. An important factor is the length of the summer season - in regions with a short summer, cabbage is planted later than in the southern regions, which means that the ripening time is postponed.

If a seedling method of broccoli cultivation is chosen, then young plants are planted in a permanent place at the stage of 4-5 true leaves in mid-May. With an optimal growing regime, the plant will develop successfully and in a month you can cut the first heads of cabbage in the open field. In order to understand when the broccoli is ripe and it is time to harvest it, you should not count the calendar days indicated on the package, you need to carefully monitor the state of the culture.

Despite its unpretentiousness, broccoli is a problem for many gardeners. Very often you can hear questions: how exactly should the head of cabbage be cut, so as not to injure the entire plant and allow it to successfully develop and bear fruit further. Moreover, broccoli tends to bush, and one plant can please the owner of the site with several more fruits, if provided with such an opportunity. This feature allows lovers and connoisseurs of the vitamin product to harvest gradually and enjoy fresh heads of cabbage for a long time, up to the approach of cold weather. In no case should broccoli be allowed to come under the influence of negative temperatures. The unharvested crop will die even after one night of frost.

There are rules for cutting heads of cabbage.

• It is best to shoot ripe heads of cabbage early in the morning or in the evening: at this time they are most juicy.
• When cutting, a part of the stem is left on the head, about 10 cm.
• The remaining bush, like the stepsons on it, are not touched and continue to look after. This will be followed by a second wave of heads of cabbage, albeit of a smaller size.

If heavy rains have passed, it is necessary, if possible, to let the vegetable dump the accumulated moisture. Cut the broccoli with a sharp knife, gently grabbing the head and making a cut so as not to damage the bush itself, as it continues to bear fruit. Cut heads of cabbage are used in preparation immediately or stored in the refrigerator, in a cool basement until the crescent, and also disassembled into inflorescences and deep-frozen.

The heads intended for storage are not washed, they only lower the stem of the stem into a container with water. After that, the head is wrapped in paper towels and slightly moistened. Then the entire structure is placed in a plastic bag, having previously made several holes in it, and placed in a specially prepared container. Only whole heads of cabbage have sufficient keeping quality, without dents and stains. The surrounding space must have a high level of humidity - at least 90%. It is important to have ventilation and a temperature around + 3ºC... Storage containers should be well-perforated; it is even easier to use plastic boxes for fruits and vegetables. The bottom is lined with moistened textiles, heads of cabbage are placed on it and covered with a film on top, making sure that it does not touch the heads.