Romanesco cabbage variety

Growing cabbage of different varieties in vegetable gardens and cottages is a common occurrence. But not everyone, even the most experienced gardeners, knows about the exotic cabbage with the unusual name Romanesco. It attracts not only with its useful properties, but also with its unusual shape and beauty.

Since Romanesco cabbage is a very rare guest in the gardens of s, many questions arise related to the peculiarities of cultivation and care. We will try to take into account all requests and present an exotic vegetable in all its glory.

What a miracle

It is not surprising that many s, and not only them, do not know about Romanesco cabbage. After all, this exotic cabbage began to be grown in Our Country only at the end of the last century. The birthplace of the vegetable is Italy. Although, according to historians, Romanesco cabbage was grown during the Roman Empire.

Romanesco is considered a hybrid of broccoli and cauliflower. People call it Romanesque broccoli or coral cabbage. With its appearance, it resembles a magical flower or a shell of mollusks that have not existed for a long time. But scientists see a certain pattern in it and believe that some kind of genetic code is embedded in the appearance of the Romanesco variety.

Mathematics and the Romanesco variety are related:

Not without reason, because of the bizarre appearance, many believe that Romanesco cabbage “came” to Earth from space, that its seeds were scattered by aliens. A person who sees Romanesco cabbage for the first time does not immediately believe that such a beautiful flower can be edible.

Variety description

Now let’s turn to the botanical properties of the plant.

Romanesco belongs to the Cruciferous family. Cabbage is grown as an annual plant. Its dimensions depend on compliance with the standards of care. Some lovers of the Romanesco variety received specimens almost a meter high, and the weight of each inflorescence was 500 grams. Inflorescences no wider than 10 cm are suitable for eating.

Romanesco cauliflower consists of many inflorescences. If you look closely at them, they repeatedly repeat the shape of the mother plant.

The shape of each cabbage inflorescence is a spiral, and the buds also develop in a spiral manner. The pale green flowers are collected in intricate pyramids, which makes the plant look unusual. Inflorescences are very tightly pressed against each other. Around a beautiful pyramid, the integumentary leaves are of a contrasting dark green color.

The taste of cabbage cooked according to different recipes is distinguished by tenderness and a sweetish aftertaste. The aroma has a hint of walnut.

Scientists have been studying the types of Romanesco cabbage for many years, but so far all its valuable qualities have not been fully elucidated. Although it can definitely be argued that this is a very useful vegetable.

Varieties of the variety

Romanesco cabbage in the State Register of the Federation is represented by four types. They are recommended for cultivation on personal plots. Varieties of Romanesco cauliflower include the following varieties:

1. Puntoverde is a variety of medium ripening cabbage with a large head up to one and a half kilograms.
2. Veronica is also of medium timing, but the head is larger, about 2 kg.
3. Romanesco variety Zhemchuzhina – medium late ripening, weighing up to 800 grams.
4. Emerald goblet – medium-early ripening, the head is about 500 grams.

The germination of seeds of the Romanesco variety, unfortunately, is not 100%. Therefore, when sowing, they take one large seed and two small ones. In packages, as a rule, 25, 50 and 100 seeds.

One of the Romanesco cabbage hybrids:

Benefits of Romanesco

As we have already mentioned, today scientists have not disclosed all the beneficial properties of a vegetable. But it is already known for certain that he has:

• antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties;
• is an antioxidant and antidepressant;
• antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic and anticancer properties.

The presence of a large number of various vitamins, microelements, fiber, carotene, as well as rare earth elements selenium and fluorine, makes Romanesco cabbage varieties attractive to nutritionists and doctors.

The use of cabbage in the diet has a beneficial effect on blood vessels, improving their elasticity. A vegetable is useful for “thick” blood. Doctors have already established that the presence of isocyanates helps in the fight against the disease of the eyelid – cancer. Doctors recommend Romanesco hybrid to be introduced into the diet for people with problems of the gastrointestinal tract, because it removes cholesterol, toxins, toxins.

The Romanesco hybrid is widely used in cooking. After all, it can be cooked, like ordinary varieties of cabbage. But exotic cabbage is more tender, with a light nutty flavor.

Along with the benefits, the vegetable can be harmful. Eating dishes from it is undesirable for people with diseases of the heart and thyroid gland. In raw (although only a few can eat it) or undercooked, bloating is possible due to the formation of gases, as well as diarrhea.

Cultivation and care

According to gardeners growing the Romanesco hybrid, agricultural technology is much more complicated due to the capriciousness of the plant. The smallest mistakes lead to negative results. Perhaps this is precisely what prevents cabbage of this variety from gaining popularity among gardeners.

What you need to know in order to grow Romanesco cabbage and care for it successfully:

1. Changes in temperature and air humidity are extreme conditions that adversely affect the formation of the head.
2. Failure to comply with the terms of sowing leads to the fact that inflorescences are not formed.
3. The formation of the head contributes to the temperature up to +18 degrees. If you are engaged in late-ripening Romanesco cabbage, then you need to calculate the timing of sowing seeds in such a way that the inflorescences form in early September, when it is already cool at night.

Preparation of seedlings

Romanesco cabbage is usually grown in seedlings due to the climatic features of the regions. Only in the southern regions is it possible to sow seeds directly into the ground.

So that by the time of planting the seedlings of exotic cabbage have time to grow, the seeds must be sown 40-60 days before planting in the ground.

For seedlings prepare a box with earth. Sow, as mentioned above, 2-3 seeds with a margin. The distance between future cabbage shoots should be at least 3-4 cm, and between the grooves about 4 cm.

A box with seeds is placed in a warm place, and until they hatch, they maintain a temperature of + 20-22 degrees. When the first shoots appear, during the day the temperature during the day should be from 8 to 10 degrees, and at night 2 degrees lower.

During the growth of seedlings of Romanesco cabbage, the lighting should be good, and watering should be moderate (drying out of a clod of earth is unacceptable during the cultivation of seedlings). These agrotechnical norms are necessary for the formation of a powerful root system. In addition, by the time the seedlings are planted in the ground, it should be squat.

Planting seedlings in the ground

When the air warms up to 12 degrees and the threat of the return of night frosts disappears, seedlings of the Romanesco hybrid are planted in open ground. The beds are prepared in the fall. They add the necessary fertilizers, rotted manure or compost to them. To prevent the acidity of the soil, you can add lime fluff or wood ash. Digging is required so that harmful insects and disease spores die during the winter under the influence of low temperatures.

It is not recommended to choose a place where cruciferous relatives grew, but after legumes, potatoes, cucumbers, onions, you can safely plant a Romanesco hybrid.

Before planting seedlings, holes are prepared at a distance of 45-50 cm. A little more between the rows so that you can safely walk. The earth is shed with hot water or a solution of potassium permanganate of a rich pink color. Seedlings are selected carefully so as not to damage the roots, and sprinkled with soil to the cotyledon leaves. The earth around the seedlings must be compressed for better adhesion of the roots to the soil, then watered.

Plant Care

Further care is reduced to the usual procedures:

1. Abundant watering, preventing the surface of the soil from drying out. It is best to arrange a drip irrigation system, then the Romanesco variety will not need water.

   

2. Loosening the soil after watering and removing weeds should become the norm.
3. Top dressing with organic and mineral fertilizers at different periods of plant development. If you prefer organic, then use an infusion of mullein, chicken manure or green manure (an infusion of cut grass without seeds). Of the mineral fertilizers, gardeners use ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, potassium chloride and others. As a rule, Romanesco cabbage is fed three times.

   

4. The Romanesco variety is subject to the same diseases and is damaged by the same insects as ordinary cabbage. To notice the danger in a timely manner, you need to monitor the condition of the plants. When diseases or pests appear, treat plantings with special preparations in accordance with the instructions.

Instead of a conclusion

You need to collect inflorescences as they ripen, you can’t be late, as the vegetable will begin to rot. Cabbage should be cut early in the morning, in dry weather. Unfortunately, it is problematic to keep the Romanesco variety fresh because of the short period: it lies in the refrigerator for no more than a week. It is best to freeze cabbage or prepare various snacks, then a healthy vegetable can be eaten all winter.