Page 30 - ALG Issue 1 2023

vegetables
Burgeoning Brassicas
DID YOU KNOW... ?
Wild cabbage (B. oleracea) rather like its cousin Crambe maritima (seakale) is a coastal plant and still commonly found on and around chalk cliffs.
The cabbage family is huge and includes many of our favourite crops. Kitchen Garden editor Steve Ott takes a close look at these fascinating and valuable plants.
Despite the new wave of trendy and exotic veg that has grabbed our attention in recent years, the cabbage family (brassicaceae) endures and
is still a favourite on allotment plots everywhere.
This important family includes all of those leafy greens we know and love, including cabbages (of course), kale, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, but also some common crops that you may not realise are related including mizuna, mustard, kohlrabi, turnip and swede.
The brassica family, also known collectively as crucifers or cruciferous crops, is huge and importantly also takes in many common weeds to be found in the UK such as shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), hairy bitter-cress (Cardamine hirsuta) and garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). It is important to identify your cruciferous weeds as they may harbour pests and diseases which will attack your crops.
FAMILIAR BRASSICAS
Although there are many species
of brassica, only a relatively small selection are commonly grown in the UK. Brassicas are also genetically promiscuous and often share genes, having crossed and back-crossed during the course of their long history.
Perhaps the most important species for UK gardeners is Brassica oleracea, and this includes such firm favourites as cabbages (B. oleracea Capitata Group), broccoli and the more tender version commonly labelled as calabrese (B. oleracea Italica Group), cauliflower (B. oleracea Botrytis Group), kale (B. oleracea Acephala Group), Brussels sprouts (B. oleracea Gemmifera
Group) and collard greens (B. oleracea Acephala Group). Acephala means ‘without a head’ or in this case ‘non- heading’.
Both collard greens and kale are considered to be closest to the original wild cabbage and as such have probably been in cultivation over the longest period – at least 2000 years, but probably much longer.
Several important crops grown as salad leaves and green manures such as mustards and mizuna are also closely related. Black mustard (B. nigra) is cultivated especially for its seeds
DID YOU ? KNOW...
Brassicas contain a compound which makes them taste bitter and unpleasant to some while others will fail to detect it. This reaction all comes down to your genetic makeup; about half
of all humans can detect the compound and are more likely to dislike some brassicas such as Brussels sprouts as a result.
30 Allotment and Leisure Gardener