Broccoli, Heirloom (Chinese Kailaan)

Lake Valley Chinese Kailaan Broccoli Seeds

Chinese broccoli is also known as Chinese kale or kailaan. It is a leaf vegetable featuring thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems and a small number of tiny flower heads similar to those of broccoli. The florets can be substituted for regular broccoli in many recipes. The leaves and juicy stems have a more complex flavor, sweet yet slightly bitter.

Sowing Information:

• Light: Full sun - partial shade
• When to Start Inside: Not recommended; transplants tend to bolt (prematurely flower).
• When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks before your average last frost date. Also, in late summer or winter for cool-season harvest. Mild Climates: Sow in fall or winter for a cool-season harvest. Optimal soil temperature for germination is 60°–85°F.
• Seed Depth: Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep.
• Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 8-10 inches
• Thinning: When 2 inches tall, thin to 1 every 8-10 inches
• Days to Germinate: 5-10 days
• Days to Maturity: 65 days

Growing Notes:

• Harvesting: Harvest in early morning if possible. Pick the center bud stalks first; side branches will continue to produce more flower buds for additional harvesting, or leaves and stems may be harvested without florets. Whole plants can be harvested just before first flower buds open if desired.
  
• Variety Information: Thick, wide, blue-green leaves on asparagus-like stalks, with small flowerheads of blue-green buds that look like small broccoli heads or side-shoots.
• Attributes: Good for Containers, Heat Tolerant