Produce > Edible Plants

Tenderstem broccoli

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JanG:
I've grown two varieties of what I take to be tender stem broccoli, sometimes called brokali I believe. One is Atlantis (Kings seeds)and the other Inspiration (Johnsons). There wasn't much difference between the two.

I'm not very impressed. It seems to me they go to seed more quickly than conventional calabrese. I find the stems of calabrese tender and tasty anyway, so in effect you're just getting smaller heads and not all that many more of them.

Cima di rapa is turnip tops bred for leafy eating. Some of it is very quick to mature. You can get 40 day, 70 day, 90 day and 120 day varieties I believe - I might have the numbers a little wrong.

You eat the flowering heads but they are looser and the taste is a little stronger and more bitter than Calabrese or other broccolis, I'd say. There is also kailan kich which is another brassica grown for flowering heads, but Chinese rather than Italian. I regard it as rather similar in taste to Cima di rapa but I haven't really given either a fair try.

pumkinlover:
I've bought the  clima di rapa in the end from Seeds of Italy the 120. I'll grow in the tunnel if it survives the winter storms.

We did enjoy the tenderstem when on a family visit  (it came from Sainsbury's ) thank you for your opinion Jan, good to hear from someone who has grown it.

JanG:
I think the 120 day is supposed to produce the best quality heads so good choice I imagine. Also Seeds of Italy the best source. Hope they go well and you enjoy them. Do report back around the turn of the year (?)

pumkinlover:
Well we tried the Cima de rapi the other day and it was not very nice. Bitter I don't know if I haven't watered it enough, I'd grown it in the greenhouse and maybe hadn't ?
Watering well now and will try again. If we still don't like it, I have 5 rabbits who will say Thank you very much as there isn't much else around for treats for them.

I have been given some seeds of the tenderstem brocolli and will sow them.

Obelixx:
I grew this once in Belgium.  It does need a regular and steady water supply to grow fast and stay tender - no problem there with all the rain.   Even so, I found it a bit bitter and also suffered from flea beetles.

I shall stick to growing kale, cavolo nero and PSB.

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