Power Veggies

Power Veggies

Cole crops are among the most nutritious vegetables that we can grow in our backyard gardens. Whether eaten raw or cooked, they are high in beta-carotene, calcium, folate, iron, potassium, cancer-fighting phytochemicals, and vitamins A, C, and K, while also being low in calories.

Facts about these Brassica family plants and some growing tips:

• One cup of broccoli has as much vitamin C as an orange!
• The tallest brussels sprouts plant ever recorded grew to a whopping 9 feet 3 inches tall.
• The name “cauliflower” comes from the Latin words caulis, meaning stalk, and floris, meaning flower.
• The term “cole slaw” comes from the Dutch koolsla, for “cabbage salad.”
• “Kohlrabi” comes from the German for “cabbage turnip.”
• In Scotland, kail means food, and a “kail-yard” is a kitchen garden.
• To avoid soilborne diseases, don’t plant members of the Brassica family in the same spot year after year.
• Add mulch to provide even moisture and keep soil temperatures cool.
• Most brassicas begin to lose their nutritional value rapidly once they are harvested.
• Brassicas appreciate full sun to grow robustly but will produce a crop even in a partly shaded location.

If you want to read the entire article for yourself to learn how to grow these vegetables and which are best suited for your garden, check out the article in our 2015 Garden Guide!