Calabrese Ironman F1

Season Overview

Description

A huge improvement on the older varieties. Calabrese Ironman F1 has the usual advantages of a hybrid - vigorous growth with excellent uniformity and high yields with larger than average heads. It produces few hollow stems under drought stress and is tolerant to crown rot, fusarium and downy mildew. It keeps well in the garden and has an excellent shelf life. Ironman is a very popular variety with home and vegetable gardeners and is the most commonly grown commercial broccoli. It produces uniform, dense heads of excellent quality with a medium pearl size and a very good dome shape. The variety is ideal for harvesting from the end of June to November. Planted out as a 6 to 7 week old plant, it matures in 70 to 80 days. Calabrese can be grown over a long season and is often successful where other brassicas fail. As soon as the main heads are removed, small side shoots form, which are ideal for florets.

Growing tips

If you sow early, you will miss the first caterpillars. Early harvests can be improved by using plant covers. The distance between plants should be 30 cm in all directions. A lower plant density leads to a longer harvest time, as more secondary heads are formed.

Details

Light requirement

Semi-shaded

Water requirement

Very humid

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

High

Seeding distance

30 cm

Row spacing

30 cm

Seeding depth

2.5 cm