Romanesco or coral cabbage is the most amazing and mysterious representative of the cabbage family. This vegetable is healthy, tasty and striking in its strange shape. We will learn how to grow this unusual cabbage on our site, and what are the difficulties of this process - later in the article.
What is unusual Romanesco?
When you first get acquainted with this vegetable, you will not immediately understand that he is a representative of the cabbage family. Its appearance is too unusual - the plant resembles either a shell or another sea creature.
Romanesco has an amazing form, called a fractal in mathematics. This is the name of the geometric figures in which self-similarity is traced - they are composed of many parts, each of which is similar to the whole figure as a whole.
When describing fractals, mathematicians often cite Romanesco cabbage as a good example - it perfectly demonstrates the properties of these figures. Well, for gardeners and nerds, this cabbage is a game of either nature or selection. Coral cabbage will decorate any site, flower bed or container, and in addition, it is a tasty and healthy vegetable.
Botanical Description
This is a powerful annual plant from the cruciferous family. In appearance and structure it resembles cauliflower. The cabbage head is a compound flower collected from neat, repeating pyramidal light green blossoms. The leaves are dense, dark green, arranged in a circle, bordering the forks. Leaves are not eaten for food - only the head is edible in Romanesco.
The main feature of the vegetable is the structure of the head of cabbage. It consists of many pyramids, composed of several, smaller pyramids. The inflorescences, in close contact, follow in a spiral one after another - a beautiful figure is obtained.
Coral cabbage is often planted in flower beds, along with flowers - original landscape compositions are obtained.
Origin history
It is not known for certain when, where and how coral cabbage appeared. There are several versions:
- According to plant growers, Romanesco is a subspecies and variety of cauliflower. However, it is neither cauliflower nor its hybrid.
- Mathematicians with an interest in studying the Romanesque fractal have advanced the theory that culture was created at the end of the 20th century. The unusual shape of a head is described by logarithmic equations, so mathematicians believe that 3D designers worked on its creation, introducing special genes into it. But historians disagree with them.
- Experts and historians say that the amazing vegetable was known to the ancient Etruscans in the 1st century BC. e. But in the vegetable market, this cabbage appeared only in the 90s of the last century.
- It is believed that Romanesco is the fruit of selection work. It was allegedly bred by Italian breeders, crossing cauliflower and broccoli.
- Another assumption - about a hundred years ago, the Romanesco from the Etruscans came to Tuscany, and from there she went to "travel" in Europe.
Varietal characteristics
The main varietal characteristics of Romanesco:
- The weight of heads of cabbage reaches 2 kg. The mass range depending on the variety and growing conditions is in the range of 0.5-2 kg. Stem height reaches 1 m.
- The taste is delicate, without bitterness. Romanesco is similar to cauliflower, but its taste has a nutty creamy note for which it is appreciated in cooking.
- It has a unique set of nutrients.
- Appointment - the use in food and landscaping. They eat fried, stewed, baked. You can freeze.
- Commodity output of cabbage with 1 square. m - from 1.5 to 4.2 kg.
- Heads are flat, with high marketability.
- He likes moderate heat, demanding watering and top dressing.
Advantages and disadvantages
Benefits:
- Unique composition. Recommended for diet food.
- Low calorie and high nutritional value.
- Presentable "appearance."
- Excellent palatability.
- Ease of preparation. Quickly reaches readiness.
Disadvantages:
- Short shelf life. In the refrigerator, the heads are stored for no more than a week.
- Contraindicated in cardiac diseases, as well as in violation of the thyroid gland.
The benefits of romanesco for the body
Fractal cabbage is an ideal source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. 100 g contains 25 kcal, as well as:
- proteins - 2.9 g;
- carbohydrates - 6.5 g;
- fat - 0.4 g.
In addition to the vitamins standard for any cabbage, Romanesco contains a lot of folic acid, choline, vitamin H1, zinc and selenium.
The benefits of coral cabbage:
- positively affects vascular health;
- speeds up the metabolism;
- relieves constipation;
- improves the digestive tract;
- boosts immunity.
Variety varieties
4 sub-grades of Romanesco have been added to the State Register. They are recommended for cultivation in all regions of Russia. All varieties of coral cabbage and its main characteristics are in table 1.
Table 1
Name | Ripening time | Weight of head of cabbage, kg |
Pearl | mid-late | 0,5-1 |
Emerald goblet | mid-early | up to 0.8 |
Pointovoverde | mid-early | up to 1.5 |
Veronica F1 | mid-season | 1,5-2,0 |
Among gardeners, varieties are also popular: Nimble Turtle, Amphora F1, Gregory.
Cauliflower Pearl
Cauliflower Emerald Cup
Cauliflower Pointovoderde
Cauliflower Veronica F1
Cauliflower nimble turtle
Cauliflower Amphora F1
Gregory Cauliflower
How to plant coral cabbage?
Coral cabbage is a whimsical crop. To grow it you will need certain knowledge and skills. A lot depends on planting - the characteristics of the site and planting material. We’ll find out how best to plant Romanesco.
What conditions are required?
Site Requirements:
- Lighting. Need a sunny place.
- Temperature. This is the most important parameter when growing coral cabbage. The formation and flowering of buds begins only at a temperature of + 15-20 ° C.
- The soil. Soils should be light, moist and nutritious, with a neutral or weak alkaline reaction. If the soil is acidic, then they add lime.
- Predecessors. The best culture grows after tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, onions, legumes, cereals, beets. Bad predecessors - lettuce, radishes, turnips and other cruciferous.
Romanesco should not be planted for 3-4 years in areas where any kind of cabbage grew - white cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and others.
Seedling
Coral cabbage is grown by seeds sown in open ground, or seedlings. Romanesco seeds are grown in the south of Russia, in other regions - only seedlings.
Preparation for sowing seeds for seedlings:
- The soil. The substrate for seedlings is bought in specialized stores. Or prepare the mixture yourself. For this, turf soil, peat, humus and sand are mixed in equal parts. Self-prepared soil mixture must be disinfected - a week before sowing, it is watered with a potassium permanganate solution.
- Capacities. For planting use glasses of 250 ml or peat pots of a similar volume. A drainage layer is made at the bottom - 1-1.5 cm. The soil mixture is poured on top. Seeds are sown in boxes, and then dive, or immediately sown in separate glasses - then picking is not required.
Features of growing seedlings:
- In order for the seeds to hatch safely, they need a temperature of +20 to + 22 ° C.
- After germination, the temperature is maintained at + 8-10 ° C - during the day, and + 6-8 ° C - at night.
- During the growth period, seedlings require daylight hours of 8-10 hours.
- Plantings are regularly watered to prevent the soil from drying out.
Seeds on sale appear under the name "cauliflower." Varieties Veronika, Pearl and others are offered. A 25 g bag of seeds costs 10-15 rubles.
Landing time
Planting dates depend on the climate in the region, on the cabbage and the method of planting:
- The timing of sowing seeds in open ground depends on the variety:
- early ripening - mid-March-mid-April;
- mid-season - in April;
- later - from mid-May.
- Seeds for seedlings are also sown taking into account the ripening time:
- early ripening - the end of April-mid-May;
- mid-season - mid-May-mid-June;
- later - mid-June-mid-July.
It is important to calculate the time for planting seedlings so that during the formation of the buds there would be a temperature of about + 15 ... 18 ° C. When growing late-ripening varieties, head formation should occur during cool nights, in most regions this is the end of August or September.
Soil preparation
Garden beds for Romanesco are prepared in the fall. The soil is dug up, introducing into mineral fertilizers, compost or manure. The rate of manure - 2 buckets per 1 square. m. It is advisable to add lime fluff or wood / dolomite ash - for prevention. The application rate of ash is about 300 g per 1 sq. Km. If the beds were not prepared in the fall, all activities are carried out early in the spring - as soon as the soil thaws.
Step-by-step landing instructions
Seedling is planted 45-60 days after sowing seeds, and only after the threat of return frost has passed. The minimum temperature to start transplanting seedlings into the soil is + 12 ° C.
When planting, growers take into account the features of the upcoming irrigation. If manual irrigation is to be applied, seedlings are planted in holes; if drip irrigation is to be applied, cabbage is planted in rows.
Disembarkation Procedure:
- In the prepared soil, grooves are made. The interval between the holes is 45-50 cm. Between the rows is 50-60 cm, so much that you can move freely.
- The soil is watered with warm water or a saturated pink solution of potassium permanganate.
- Seedlings carefully, trying not to damage the root system, are moved from containers to the wells. In order for the plants to take root well, the roots are removed along with the soil, and directly with it they are placed in a hole.
- To ensure adhesion of the soil to the roots, the soil is carefully compacted by hand.
- After planting, it is recommended to water the seedlings again, and then mulch.
Seeds are extremely small, sowing them in open ground is not easy. Before sowing, the soil is carefully leveled and watered. Seeds are sown as evenly as possible to a depth of 1.5-2 cm in moistened recesses, and sprinkled with a layer of soil 1-2 cm.
Cabbage care
Caring for romanesco is almost no different from caring for cauliflower. You don’t need to do anything special, the main thing is to water, feed, fight diseases and pests on time.
Watering
Romanesco requires abundant watering; drying of the soil must not be allowed. But swamping should not be allowed. The optimal method of irrigation is laying a drip system.
Watering Rules:
- The first time after planting, plants are watered 2 times a week.
- Further watering - once a week.
- Recommended norms at the beginning of the growing season - a bucket of water per 1 square. As the rate of growth increases. The water temperature is not particularly important - you can use both warm and cold water.
- Watering method - under the root.
- After watering - loosening and weeding.
How to water cabbage in open ground, read here.
For Romanesco, it is useful to sprinkle before heading out - to increase the moisture not only in the soil, but also in the air.
Pest and Disease Control
Coral cabbage suffers from the same diseases and is affected by the same insects as cauliflower. Common Romanesco diseases and pests, as well as measures to combat them, are shown in table 3.
Table 3
Diseases / pests | Symptoms and signs of damage | Prevention | How to fight? |
Mucosal bacteriosis | Watery spots appear on leaves and flowers, they rapidly increase and rot. | Preplant seed disinfection - they are kept for 2-3 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Disinfection of containers for sowing. | Stain removal with a sharp knife. If the disease cannot be stopped, the affected bush is torn out and burned. |
Blackleg | The disease begins at the stage of growing seedlings. | Compliance with the irrigation regime, the exclusion of waterlogging of the soil, its disinfection. | Processing plants and substrate with preparations containing sulfur. |
Mosaic | Viral disease, expressed in the appearance of yellowish veins. | Destruction of weeds and wreckers. | Spraying with Bordeaux fluid. |
Cruciferous fleas | Small ulcerations appear on the surface of the leaves. | Compliance with crop rotation. | Spraying with soapy water, a mixture of wood ash and road dust, Karbofos or Aktara. |
Cabbage aphid | Plant growth slows down, leaves lose their normal color - become pink, twist. | Timely watering. | Spraying with insecticides - Karbofos, Iskra, Karate. |
To scare away harmful insects, dill, mint or celery are planted nearby with Romanesco.
Mucosal bacteriosis
The black leg strikes seedlings
Cabbage mosaic disease
Cruciferous flea on a cabbage leaf
Cabbage aphid
You can find out more about all diseases and pests of cabbage, as well as methods of dealing with them, from our other article.
Top dressing
Coral cabbage is very demanding on the composition of the soil and requires the application of fertilizers. The growing season is Romanesco short, therefore, top dressing introduced during the preparation of the soil and beds is more effective. After planting, cabbage is fed 2-3 times. The timing and composition of the dressings are in table 2.
table 2
Application Dates | Top-dressing composition |
A week after transplanting seedlings into the ground | In an aqueous solution of mullein add 1 tbsp. l minerals. |
2 weeks after the first feeding | Superphosphate (40 g), ammonium nitrate (30 g), potassium chlorine (2 g) are added. |
In the period of tying inflorescences | 500 ml of mullein is diluted with a bucket of water, and 30 g of superphosphate, potassium chloride, ammonium nitrate are added. |
If there is no mullein, it can be replaced by infusion of weed vegetation.
There is an article on our site that may be useful to you: “How and when to fertilize cabbage? Rules and walkthroughs. ”
When and how to harvest?
Harvesting begins in October, when tight, tight and well-developed heads are fully formed. It is impossible to delay cleaning, if you delay, cabbage will lose its juiciness and delicate texture, and most importantly, useful substances will be lost.
Features of cleaning and storage:
- Cut off the heads in dry weather, early in the morning.
- Cutting is carried out with a sharpened knife.
- Together with the head, the stems that are adjacent to it are cut off - they can also be used for cooking dishes.
- Romanesco can be put in the refrigerator whether a freezer. Romanesco is stored in the refrigerator for no more than seven days, in the freezer for several months. Before freezing, the cabbage is blanched a little, and then cut into pieces. Coral cabbage fully retains its valuable properties.
Reviews
Tatyana E., amateur gardener, Belgorod region Romanesco is very moody in growing. If the summer does not set, the heads may not mature. First time grown seedlings, care - like broccoli. The taste is excellent, but the heads grew small. On some plants they were not at all. On the packaging with the seeds that I bought was written broccoli Romanesco.
Polina G., amateur gardener, Chelyabinsk region I sowed the seeds in glasses, so I did not have to dive. Planted seedlings in April. Watering, loosening - everything is as it should be. Cabbage was in no hurry to grow, thought that nothing would grow. But by the end of August the movement began, by October heads were tied. They, perhaps, would have matured, but frosts began. Such cabbage is not very suitable for our places, or it is necessary to plant under a film.
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The agricultural technology of coral cabbage is almost the same as that of ordinary cauliflower. This vegetable has many requirements for growing conditions, but all of them are feasible and do not provide for extra effort.If you follow all the rules of cultivation, then by mid-autumn you will get a cabbage of amazing shape - tasty and healthy.
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