Amanda’s right: brassicas are the heart of what we’ve come to know and love as “Fall Veg.” Collards, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kohlrabi, and that scrumptious cauliflower. We love it all. And for good reason. Brassicas are high in fiber, a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants, and may also be an effective cancer-fighter as well. We plant them in August and early September. One dry summer we needed an insect barrier to keep the Carolina grasshoppers from eating everything before fall set in, but last year was wetter and we didn’t need it.
Brassicas are much more cold hardy than we first thought. Everything but the broccoli has been able to handle temps down into the mid-teens. And even the broccoli, which succumbed to the freezing temps, bounced back in the spring. This podcast runs a little long because we take time to talk about each brassica, how it grows, how we prepare it, and how it stacks up for us.
Listen – 24:57
This savoy cabbage is just a few days from harvest
The red cabbage is beautiful, but if it doesn't head up fast we'll get no crop this year
Kale is hardy but not quite as sweet as collards
Brussels sprouts are the cutest vegetable going, and they'll be a big producer in the late winter
Amanda's keeping the broccoli well picked this time of year
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