Green Magic broccoli is a high-yielding, disease-resistant variety. It is popular with gardeners for its excellent taste and high nutritional value. This hybrid boasts unique characteristics, including frost resistance, making it suitable for growing in regions with cold winters.
Description of Green Magic F1 broccoli
It was created by Japanese breeders at Sokata. Although not officially listed in the Russian registry, this variety is popular for cultivation worldwide. Its distinctive feature is its strong stem, which does not split as it grows.
Hybrid features:
- The heads retain their shape and continue to grow both when it gets colder and when the temperature rises.
- It is characterized by its undemanding growing conditions and the ability to produce crops even in poor soils. For maximum productivity, the use of a nutritious substrate is essential.
- The heads are dense, without the voids typical of other species.
This vegetable has a pleasant flavor and is suitable for fresh consumption, hot dishes, and freezing. The florets retain their shape when cooked.
Beneficial properties
Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable renowned for its numerous health benefits. It's an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which can benefit your health thanks to its rich composition:
- Vitamin C. It is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage. Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen, a protein important for healthy skin, bones, and joints.
- Vitamin K. Essential for blood clotting and bone health.
- Fiber. Plays an important role in digestion and can help lower cholesterol levels.
- Antioxidants. Contains various antioxidants, such as sulforaphane, carotenoids, and flavonoids. These protect cells from free radical damage, which can lead to chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
Green Magic has anti-inflammatory properties. These reduce inflammation in the body, which is associated with a number of chronic diseases.
Characteristics
Broccoli has excellent characteristics. The heads grow to medium size, weighing between 300 and 700 g. They have a rounded shape and a strong stem. They grow to a height of 25-30 cm. The leaves are dark green and underdeveloped. The vegetable has a sweetish flavor.
Other characteristics of the variety:
- Ripening periods. This is an early hybrid. It takes 65 days from planting to harvest.
- Productivity. From 1 sq. m you can get up to 7 kg.
- Immunity. Shows resistance to fungal diseases, including downy mildew.
The variety can grow in all regions of the Russian Federation due to its resistance to cold and heat.
Pros and cons of the variety
Before planting a new variety, it's important to study its pros and cons. Green Magic has many advantages:
Rules and features of cultivation
Thanks to its early ripening and cold tolerance, it is suitable for planting in all regions of Russia, especially in southern and temperate climates. The plants tolerate low temperatures well.
Planting seedlings
Use nutritious soil. Buy a ready-made potting mix or mix soil with humus and sand. Sow the seeds in boxes or trays. Follow the instructions:
- Create furrows in the soil 1 cm deep with a distance of 3 cm between them.
- Place the seeds evenly in the beds and cover them with a thin layer of soil, compacting lightly.
- Cover the boxes with film and move them to a place with room temperature.
- ✓ Soil pH should be between 6.0-6.8 for optimal nutrient absorption.
- ✓ Drainage is required to prevent water stagnation and root rot.
By following these simple steps, you'll create optimal conditions for successful seed germination. Ensure the soil remains moist, and once the seedlings emerge, gradually acclimate them to the environment by opening the plastic wrap.
Caring for seedlings
To ensure healthy and strong seedlings, careful care is essential. Follow these recommendations:
- Watering. Water regularly but moderately. Avoid overwatering, as this can lead to root rot.
- Temperature. The optimal temperature is 18-21°C. Protect the plants from sudden temperature changes and drafts.
- Lighting. Plants require plenty of light. Provide at least 12-14 hours of bright light per day. If natural light is insufficient, use artificial lighting.
- Top dressing. Feed every 2-3 weeks with complex fertilizer.
- Picking. When 2-3 true leaves appear, transplant the plant into separate containers. This will allow the root system to develop more freely.
- Hardening. Harden off the plants before planting them outdoors. Gradually reduce the temperature and increase the time spent outdoors.
- × Avoid watering with cold water, as this can stress plants and slow their growth.
- × Do not allow the soil to dry out between waterings, which can weaken the plants.
Sowing in open ground
You can sow seeds outdoors in spring or fall, depending on your region's climate. Choose a sunny site with well-drained, fertile soil. Broccoli prefers soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8.
Recommendations:
- Before sowing, dig over the area and add compost or rotted manure. This will improve the soil structure and provide the plants with nutrients.
- Make shallow furrows about 1 cm deep at a distance of 60-70 cm from each other.
- Sow seeds 5-7 cm apart.
- Cover them with soil and compact it lightly.
- Water the crops.
- Thin out seedlings as they grow, leaving the strongest plants 30-45 cm apart.
Under favorable conditions, the seeds will germinate in 5-10 days.
Caring for broccoli in open ground
Although the hybrid is easy to grow, it requires proper care to maximize its yield. Care recommendations:
- Provide regular watering, especially during dry weather.
- Mulch the soil around plants with straw or compost to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
- After watering and rainfall, loosen the soil to break up the crust that prevents air exchange and moisture stagnation. At the same time, remove weeds.
Feed broccoli several times per season. Use organic, nitrogen, and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Fertilize with chicken manure, ammonium nitrate, urea, superphosphate, potassium sulfate, and nitroammophoska.
Harvesting and storage
Harvest the first crop in late June or early July. Continue harvesting before flowering begins. Signs of readiness include:
- dark green color of heads;
- head diameter not less than 10-14 cm;
- closed inflorescence buds.
- ✓ The head should be firm, with no signs of yellowing or bud opening.
- ✓ The optimal head size for harvesting is 10-14 cm in diameter, but not more, to avoid over-ripening.
Collect the finished heads with a clean, sharp knife, preferably early in the morning.
Diseases and pests
The crop is resistant to various diseases, but only if proper care is followed. Take preventative measures:
- Maintain crop rotation, avoiding planting in the same place two years in a row.
- Avoiding dense plantings.
- Timely watering and fertilizing.
- In case of clubroot damage, destroy diseased plants and treat healthy plantings with fungicides.
Pest prevention:
- Dust plants with tobacco or ash dust.
- Sprinkle the beds with red pepper and dry mustard to control slugs and caterpillars.
- Use crushed eggshells and ash as fertilizer and protection.
- Plant marigolds, onions and garlic next to the beds.
Reviews
Resistance to various growing conditions, high yields, and increased vitamin content make Green Magic broccoli a welcome addition to the garden. Growing it requires attention and care, but the results are well worth the effort.