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Post by farmermike on Dec 2, 2015 1:21:17 GMT -5
I've been learning so much from you all these past few months, that I decided I should start sharing my experiences as well. These Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, and Radicchio are my only breeding projects currently in the ground. I just moved at the end of August, so I only got this one garden space prepared.  The Brussels Sprouts varieties are: Roodnerf, Red Ball, Catskill, and Long Island Improved (seems like I've read that the last 2 are synonymous). I planted them on August 27th (right after I finished sanding the floors in the new house), and I'm hoping they will start to grow sprouts in early January. Hopefully the fact that we've been eating some of the leaves doesn't keep them from producing sprouts. But, my main goal is to get them all to bloom at the same time in spring, so I can get some crosses and start breeding a grex/landrace that will produce well in my area. I'd like to have a population that contains green and red leafed plants and can tolerate our summer heat and drought. Though these all performed fine during the many 104deg days in September. Brassicas have no problem overwintering here in the SF Bay Area. Any advice on breeding Brussels Sprouts? Other varieties I should add to the mix?  Some of the Red Ball plants have a great purple color. The more vigorous ones only have purple stems though. I'll post more about the Cauliflower and Radicchio later. Mike |
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Post by steev on Dec 2, 2015 1:41:36 GMT -5
Welcome! Looks like your veggies aren't your only breeding adventure. I suppose you know you're growing in a very un-rigorous environment; here in the SFBay area we are favored by such hospitable conditions (although not for things that want real heat or cold), but we can grow some things year-round. Children do especially well here.
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Post by philagardener on Dec 2, 2015 7:01:30 GMT -5
Hi farmermike ! Welcome and thanks for jumping right in! We look forward to hearing more about your adventures! |
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Post by flowerweaver on Dec 2, 2015 17:54:11 GMT -5
Welcome farmermike! I grew up in SFBay so I second what steev said. I can't seem to grow Brussels Sprouts here so I have no advice on them. Best wishes on your projects! |
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Post by farmermike on Dec 2, 2015 20:29:18 GMT -5
Welcome! Looks like your veggies aren't your only breeding adventure. I suppose you know you're growing in a very un-rigorous environment; here in the SFBay area we are favored by such hospitable conditions (although not for things that want real heat or cold), but we can grow some things year-round. Children do especially well here. Ha ha! Yes, after all, I will need a bigger family to help eat up all the produce I can grow in these hospitible conditions. |
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Post by richardw on Dec 3, 2015 0:02:07 GMT -5
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Post by kazedwards on Dec 3, 2015 11:49:01 GMT -5
Welcome. I look forward to reading about your projects and will hopefully get a few tips myself. I can't seem to grow cabbage or cauliflower for the life of me.
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Post by farmermike on Dec 9, 2015 2:12:21 GMT -5
The radicchios: Castelfranco, Rossa Di Treviso, and Sugar Loaf (latter 2 pictured below), are showing signs of beginning to form heads. I believe they are all Cichorium intybus. The leaves were very bitter for a long time. Then we had our first frosty nights around Thanksgiving (when my one remaining basil plant was killed). About 10 days later the radicchio leaves were suddenly delicious.  I'm looking to cross several of the head-forming radicchio/chickory varieties, and see what interesting forms and color patterns I end up with. I worry that I might see a lot of wild chicory traits coming out as dominant. I only have a few plants right now, so I'm hoping that I can let them form heads, harvest them an inch or so above the ground to eat, and then still have them survive and flower in the spring. Also, of course, the different varieties will have to flower simultaneously to get any crosses. I may try a slightly larger crop in the spring--to give this project better odds of success.  The ones pictured above are supposed to be Variegata Di Chiogga (from Baker Creek), but they sure do look like dandelions. I'm guessing that they accidentally gave me their Italiko Rosso Dandelion seeds instead (which is actually a chicory). They probably won't fit in with this project, but maybe they'll win me over.  Mike |
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Post by farmermike on Dec 16, 2015 20:49:14 GMT -5
I harvested my 1st head of cauliflower today. Amazing is the variety.  I also have Sunset F1, Graffiti F1, and Sicilia di Violetto. I had been thinking of letting these varieties cross so I could select out a colorfully diverse cauliflower population. I considered leaving this head to mature and flower, but I couldn't stand to NOT eat one of the few ripe veggies in my garden. It was amazingly delicious! Maybe I will get side shoots that I can allow to flower. I will probably eat the heads from all of the 2 dozen total plants I have this winter, and plant a bigger population the next time I sow seeds. When I do finally let the cauliflowers cross, I'm not sure how I'll deal with the likelihood of cytoplasmic male sterility in the F1's. I have read that some varieties can act as "fertility restorer lines", and reverse CMS. I guess there's no way to know which these are, except by trial and error. I wonder if I would be able to select FOR the orange of Sunset F1, and AGAINST its CMS--assuming I could find a suitable pollen donor. I know a lot of people don't want to waste time and space growing/breeding such a relatively unproductive crop (long time in ground, and one time harvest) as cauliflower. I guess I do consider it a luxury crop, but it is also the number one thing my wife says we could never have too much of in the garden. So, that makes it a good choice as a breeding project! Mike |
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Post by steev on Dec 16, 2015 23:16:05 GMT -5
Double your production: the leaves are useful much like collards.
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Post by rowan on Dec 16, 2015 23:44:38 GMT -5
Well done, cauliflower is a great crop even if it does not have the greatest space/food ratio as it is so delicious raw or cooked. There should always be room for a few in your garden |
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Post by richardw on Dec 17, 2015 12:49:45 GMT -5
Looks so healthy too,do you not get much of the white butterfly Mike
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Post by farmermike on Dec 18, 2015 0:50:07 GMT -5
Looks so healthy too,do you not get much of the white butterfly Mike I did have a lot of the white butterfly larvae back in September and October--along with tons (ounces literally) of aphids. Fortunately, my garden is currently small enough that I was able to spend time picking off all the little green caterpillars. Our chickens were ravenous for them! I also fed them the worst aphid-infested leaves. Once we got some cold weather, in November, the aphids and cabbage whites slowed way down. A few are still there, but not doing much damage. I guess the timing of planting is important. I planted the seeds mid-July, put plants in the ground late-August, and picked first cauliflower mid-December. So, they got established during warm weather, and got to ripen during the cold when there was little insect pressure. This is really the first time I've ever gotten the timing right! |
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Post by farmermike on Feb 12, 2016 0:43:33 GMT -5
The cauliflowers have been pretty hit or miss so far. I had a few nice heads, but quite a few of them got brown and rotten before they seemed large enough to pick. They are in a brand new garden bed, so maybe there are fertility issues and I should have harvested them small instead of waiting until they were a respectable size for a cauliflower. I also think that maybe some frosty nights (down to 26F), followed by a week of continuous rain in January, may have damaged them. Here is one of the rotten ones I tried eating. It was nasty.  I got a few decent Graffiti F1 heads.  My first Sicilio di Violetto is now ready. We will eat it tomorrow. This variety was planted at the same time as the others (end of August), but is a much bigger plant and about a month later to ripen. It is my favorite so far.  |
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Post by rowan on Feb 12, 2016 1:28:28 GMT -5
I love purple cauliflowers, they look so ornamental as well as being delicious.
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