About This productBroccoli is one of the healthiest foods that you can eat and was ranked 3rd in The Top 10 Healthy Foods from Medical News today. Broccoli is full of potassium, folate, fiber, calcium and phytonutrients, and is known to have preventative qualities as well for illnesses and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and forms of cancer. Broccoli also has beta-carotene which the body converts to vitamin A, which helps with the immune system, good eye health, vision, mucus membranes as well as healthy skin. Broccoli also has 150% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C, which helps the immune system fight off infection. This nutrition packed vegetable is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, which includes other common vegetable such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale. Figure 1 depicts the nutritional value for 1.00 cup of broccoli. As shown, there are very high levels of Vitamin C and K and many other essential nutrients.
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Growing |
Broccoli is considered a cold season crop which allows harvesting in the fall an spring in most countries. Being a cold season crop, you must harvest the broccoli before it reaches 23.89 degrees Celsius and grows best in temperatures between 7-23.89 degrees Celsius. This vegetable is also frost hardy and can withstand temperatures of minus six degrees Celsius. Premature bolting would occur if broccoli was grown in temperatures higher then the suggested temperature and this plant also prefers full sun. Broccoli needs consistent moisture, has a preference of well-drained soil that contains high levels of organic matter. They range in hight between 2-3 feet and span approximately the same, 2-3 feet. Pests that effect broccoli are flea beetles, cabbage root maggots, cabbageworms, cabbage aphids, cutworms as well as slugs and snails.
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cornell university |
It is suggested by Cornell University that you should “sow seeds indoors for 6 to 8 weeks before average last spring frost” (Cornell University, 2006). It is also suggested to keep the soil warm until germination occurs, and then to grow the plants at an average of 15.5 degrees Celsius. After the plants have sowed inside for 4 to 6 weeks, planting them in the garden 12 to 20 inches apart is ideal (Cornell University, 2006). The stages of growth are demonstrated in figures 2-6, from sowing the seeds to the fully grown, healthy broccoli plant.
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References
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Broccoli: Health Benefits, Nutritional Information (2015). In Medical News Today.
Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266765.php |
Albert, S. (2015, January 2). Harvest to Table. In How to Grow Broccoli. Retrieved from
http://www.harvesttotable.com/2009/01/how_to_grow_broccoli/ |
Growing Guide: Broccoli (2006). In Cornell University. Retrieved from
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene91d8.html#profile |