How much do broccoli seeds cost? A detailed guide to growing methods
Broccoli, also known as green cauliflower, green broccoli, and green sprouting broccoli, is a biennial herbaceous plant of the genus Brassica in the cruciferous family. It originated along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. After being introduced to China at the end of the 19th century, it was first grown in Taiwan, China, and later cultivated in Guangdong, Fujian, Yunnan, Beijing, Shanghai, and other places. Today it is widely grown across both northern and southern China. Let us take a look at broccoli seed prices and growing methods below!
How much does broccoli seed cost per gram?
The price of broccoli seeds is about 12 to 20 yuan per gram, but prices vary greatly depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin, and the market. For production, broccoli varieties should be chosen that have strong plant growth, deep green flower buds, few scorched buds, arc-shaped round heads, few side shoots, small buds, large heads, disease resistance, heat tolerance, cold tolerance, and wide adaptability, such as Youxiu, Longlü, Shanshui, Yuguan, Dongfang Lübao, Wanlü, and Lüxiu, but they must meet the national second-grade seed standard before use.
What varieties of broccoli are there?
1. Youxiu: An early-maturing variety with a mushroom-shaped head and a fairly prominent top, dark green in color, with a single head weighing 350 to 400 grams. The head is firm, the buds are fine, and the market quality is good. It has relatively few side branches and is suitable for early spring and autumn cultivation.
2. Weilai: An early-maturing variety, an upright type suitable for close planting, with a mushroom-shaped head, fairly deep green color, plump shape, and good market quality. It is suitable for autumn cultivation.
3. Shanshui: A mid-maturing variety with vigorous growth and a large spread, with a single head weighing about 500 grams. It is semicircular with a tight head, fine buds, and blue-green color. It has relatively poor cold tolerance but strong stress resistance.
4. Lüdàizi: A mid-maturing variety with a single head weighing about 500 grams, vigorous growth, and good quality. It is semicircular and used for both the main head and side heads. With plenty of fertilizer and water it tends to become hollow, in high temperature and rainy conditions it easily develops "starry sky" spotting, and with frost it easily turns purple.
5. Shenglü: A mid-to-late-maturing variety with vigorous growth and cold tolerance. The single head weighs about 500 grams, is semicircular, with fine buds and deep green color, and is not prone to becoming hollow.
Growing conditions for broccoli
1. Light: Broccoli likes sufficient light. When light is adequate, the plants grow robustly and can form a strong vegetative body, which is beneficial for photosynthesis and the accumulation of nutrients, making the heads firm and dense with a fresh green color and good quality, but too strong sunlight in midsummer is also unfavorable for growth and development.
2. Temperature: Broccoli has strong cold and heat tolerance. Within the range of 5 to 20°C, the higher the temperature, the faster the growth and development. The suitable temperature for germination is 20 to 25°C, for the seedling stage 15 to 20°C, for the rosette stage 20 to 22°C, and for head development 15 to 18°C.
3. Water: Broccoli requires a relatively large amount of water during growth, especially during vigorous leaf growth and head formation, when it must not lack water. However, rainy conditions during the seedling stage or excessively high soil moisture easily cause black rot, black spot, and other diseases. During head formation, soil moisture should be kept at 70 to 80% of field capacity.
4. Soil: Broccoli is suitable for planting in loam and sandy loam with good drainage and irrigation, deep topsoil, loose and fertile texture, and strong water and fertilizer retention. The pH range is 5.5 to 8, with 6 being best. Throughout the entire growth process, the N, P, K ratio is 14:5:8.
Sowing methods for broccoli
1. Sowing time: For autumn double-mulch cultivation of broccoli, the sowing time is early July; for overwintering cultivation in solar greenhouses, late July to August; for early spring cultivation in solar greenhouses, early September to early October; for early spring cultivation in plastic tunnels and small arch sheds, November; and for spring plastic film cultivation, January.
2. Seed soaking treatment: Soak broccoli seeds in warm water at 33°C for 15 minutes while stirring constantly, stop when the water temperature drops to 20°C, continue soaking in warm water for 4 hours, rinse clean with clear water, and then germinate.
3. Seed germination: Wrap the soaked broccoli seeds in moist cotton gauze and germinate them at 30°C. Rinse once a day with clear water, and sow when 60% of the seeds have sprouted white.
4. Seedbed selection: The broccoli seedling stage is relatively short. Choose a seedbed on land that is high-lying, convenient for drainage and irrigation, rich in organic matter, and has not grown cruciferous vegetables in the past two years, or where the previous crop was rice. A north-south orientation for the seedbed is preferable.
5. Apply sufficient base fertilizer: Plow deeply 15 to 20 days before sowing broccoli. Seven to 10 days before, apply 15 kg of ternary compound fertilizer plus 5 kg of superphosphate per mu, or splash-apply 2500 kg of decomposed human and animal manure. Turn and rake the soil fine and make a sowing bed about 1.2 m wide, with a seedling field ratio of 1:20 to 30.
6. Mix with chemicals and sow: Before sowing broccoli, water the seedbed thoroughly once and apply agents such as 1000-fold phoxim. At sowing, mix the seeds evenly with an appropriate amount of sand and broadcast them evenly in the seedbed. After sowing, press down with an iron shovel, then spread a layer of medicinal soil mixed with 0.1% carbendazim and dexon.
7. Shade and insulation: After sowing broccoli in summer, spread a layer of shade netting flat on the seedbed, build a small arch shed, and cover with another layer of shade netting for double-layer shading, moisture retention, and cooling during seedling raising. In winter and spring, use one layer of plastic film and one layer of greenhouse film for double-film insulation during seedling raising.
Growing methods for broccoli
1. Land preparation and fertilization: Broccoli roots penetrate relatively shallowly, so it should be planted in fertile soil with good water and fertilizer retention. Generally, per mu use 100 kg of organic fertilizer, 10 kg of urea, 25 kg of compound fertilizer, and 2 kg of borax as base fertilizer. Plow the land, rake it level, open furrows, and apply fertilizer.
2. Reasonable planting: When broccoli seedlings reach the 6-leaf-1-heart stage, when the soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm has stably passed above 10°C and the seedling age is 30 to 35 days, they can be transplanted. When transplanting, the soil covering the seedlings must not exceed the cotyledon scar, and must certainly not bury the growing point. Water thoroughly after transplanting.
3. Cultivation management: Within 2 days after transplanting broccoli, promptly inspect the field and fill in missing seedlings, provide sufficient nutrients and water, loosen the soil more, keep the lower soil moist, cultivate appropriately, and remove weeds. Generally cultivate once, combine deep loosening with one topdressing, and hand-weed twice.
4. Topdressing method: Seven to 10 days after planting broccoli, apply 5 kg of urea and 10 kg of potassium sulfate per mu; 15 to 20 days after, apply 25 kg of compound fertilizer and 10 kg of potassium sulfate per mu; at the early stage of head formation, spray once with potassium dihydrogen phosphate, boron treasure, or a 0.05 to 0.10% solution of borax and ammonium molybdate.
5. Irrigation method: Broccoli needs slightly more water than other crops. Except for the seedling stage, when soil moisture should be properly controlled, sufficient water should be ensured during all other growth and development stages. Generally use manual furrow irrigation or mechanical sprinkler irrigation, and advanced sprinkler irrigation equipment is best.
6. Remove side branches: The terminal head of broccoli is a specialized variety, and side branches should be removed before the head appears. Varieties used for both terminal and side heads produce more side branches; generally keep 1 to 2 strong upper side branches and remove the rest to reduce nutrient consumption.
7. Temperature management: When broccoli begins to form heads, the normal temperature is around 25°C. High temperatures of 30°C in the field must not continue for more than three days. If it exceeds three days, temperature control measures should be taken, such as manually covering the heads with leaves or using mulch or artificial rainfall methods.
8. Pest and disease control: Broccoli is prone to many kinds of pests and diseases. After transplanting, promptly investigate and prevent the occurrence of pests and diseases, using systemic agents as preventive pesticides and fumigants and contact killers as control pesticides when outbreaks occur. Green, pollution-free pesticides should be used for control.