![]() Read more about controlling cabbage loopers in our article. However, a savvy gardener will want to have many other tricks up their sleeve to fight these pests. One method of deterring these pests is to use floating row covers to protect your crop. As these small green caterpillars feast on your plants, they will leave noticeable, irregularly-shaped holes in the foliage. Like other cole crops, broccoli rabe attracts cabbage loopers. Here are some of the most common culprits likely to nibble on your crop: Cabbage Loopers Your patch of cime di rape will be just as appealing to your insect neighbors as it is to you. To protect your garden from these gastropods, make sure to read our article on the best natural methods of deterring slugs and snails. ![]() Here’s what you’ll need to know: Herbivoresīroccoli rabe will tempt the palates of a variety of critters if they find their way to your veggie patch, particularly snails and slugs. To ensure that your crop of buds and leafy greens is abundant, prevent damage from pests and disease before it happens. ‘Zamboni’ seeds are available for purchase in a selection of package sizes from Zamboni Raab Seeds via Amazon. Rapini should be grown in full sun or light shade in well-drained soil that has been amended with plenty of well-rotted compost. Pat and smooth the soil around the newly transplanted seedling and water it in. Then situate your seedling into the soil so that its crown is flush with the soil level rather than above or below it. Mix a bit of the medium from the nursery pot into the garden soil. Remove your seedling from its nursery pot, gently loosening up the growing medium. ![]() Use your hori hori or garden trowel to dig a small hole in your planting bed. Those in humid locations should err on the side of more room between plants to increase airflow. Plan on planting your seedlings four to 12 inches apart. Once the young rapini seedlings are hardened off and ready to live life in new soil, prepare your planting area by mixing well-rotted compost into your soil. Need to brush up on your seed-starting skills? Be sure to read our primer on starting annuals indoors. To get your plants going indoors, start these seeds just as you would other annuals. Thinned rapini seedlings make excellent additions to salads or sautes. Rather than pulling up unwanted seedlings, you can snip them off at the soil surface to avoid disturbing the roots of the other seedlings. When the plants start to get crowded, thin them so the plants are four to 12 inches apart. Rather than thinning these while they are very small, allow them to size up a bit. Space the holes out one to two inches apart from each other. Make a hole approximately a quarter of an inch deep in the soil for each seed. When you have your seeds and are ready to sow, first smooth your soil down to create a level planting area. Soil that is slightly damp but not wet is not required, but will make sowing easier. Water your planting bed down the day before you sow your seeds, or wait to sow until the day after it rains. To prepare your planting beds, mix plenty of well-rotted compost into your garden soil. Like kale and radishes, raab is a cruciferous vegetable with a fairly quick maturation, making it an easy crop to grow via direct sowing. Let’s have a look at direct sowing first. Once you decide when to plant, your next decision is to choose whether to direct sow, or to start your crop indoors and then transplant. For an autumn crop, sow your seeds eight to ten weeks before your first average fall frost. When planting in the spring, make sure to time sowing so that your crop will come to maturity before the really hot weather kicks in, which will cause the plants to bolt.įor spring plantings, start your seeds four to six weeks before your last average spring frost date. To prevent unwanted spread in susceptible locations, be sure to harvest the buds before plants go to seed.Īs a cool-season vegetable, broccoli rabe can be planted either in spring or in fall. Rapini gets rather bitter.But note that in some areas, this plant is considered an invasive species. Make sure to cut leaves that spread over into neighbouring squares so they don’t shade other plants. Plant out with your spring planting in early April. Set plants 2.5 cm (1″) deeper than they were grown inside the pots. Transplant out when seedlings are 7 cm (3″) high. Hand pick these bright green 2-cm (1″) caterpillars off of the underside of leaves. Keep an eye out for cabbage moth caterpillars (cabbage worms). If the soil is rich and healthy and plants get enough water, the rapini will be very resistant to pests or diseases. Plants grow to on 52-cm (22″) tall.įull sun is best, but will tolerate some shade.
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