Cruciferous Vegetables Ideas, Tips & Guides

Sampling the first crisp, sweet radish from your own garden is pure delight. I would argue that it’s the top springtime taste sensation for the vegetable gardener.But the best radish variety to enjoy for that spring

I hate to be the one to break this to you, but you may have been wasting a delicious opportunity to harvest homegrown leafy greens.Do you grow radishes? Did you know you can eat th

You gave your brussels sprouts plenty of water and you put them somewhere that they could bask in full sunlight. You kept away those pesky bugs and diseases. You did everything right.So why the heck are your sprout heads loose instead of being ti

Cauliflower, Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, is a cruciferous vegetable that requires consistently cool temperatures, even moisture, good airflow between plants, and nutrient-rich soil to produce firm, compact heads.Have you read our guide to growing cauliflower

Cauliflower can be a challenging vegetable to grow in the home garden. It has very specific needs, and when they aren’t met, your harvest basket may be full of green leaves, but no heads. And while the foliage is delicious, it’s a disap

While the fungi Cercospora or Pseudocercosporella that cause white spot can severely affect turnip, rutabaga, canola, mustard, radish, horseradish, and hybrids of turnips and mustard, they are much less likely to affect kale, collards, broccoli, or cauliflower.This is a cool weather disease and is most likely to strike at 55 to 65 F.The di

While most people have heard of – and eaten – red and green cabbage, I’ve noticed that fewer are familiar with savoy cabbage.This is a shame, since it’s my favorite variety!

Kohlrabi is a cole family plant with large, juicy bulbs that form above ground, emerging from a central stalk.Gaining in popularity, these c

Kohlrabi is a fascinating and delicious member of my favorite vegetable family: the brassicas.Also known as “German tur

Despite looking a lot like lettuce, cabbage is actually a member of the Brassica genus of vegetables, along with broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts.We link to vendors to help y

Cabbages can fall victim to an array of diseases from all of the major classes of pathogens – fungi, water molds, bacteria, and viruses.The infections can range in severity from the unsi

If you’re the adventurous foodie type, broccolini might be something you’ve not only heard of, but cooked at home or eaten in a restaurant. But what about the similarly named broccoli rabe, also known as rapini? Are these two vegetables the same thing?Ready for a quick and simple answer? No, they’re not!

Most of us are familiar with the usual garden foes. Aphids are a common sight, and who hasn’t come across a fungal problem now and then?But you don’t hear as much about mosaic

I have always been a huge fan of the brassicas. Nothing lifts my spirits quite like a bundle of freshly picked tender greens and crunchy florets.While kale, collards, and broccoli are longtime staples in my g

With the possibility of having up to 200 slugs on every square yard of your garden in cool humid climates,your cabbage plants and other brassicas may be in peril.Such a robust population can strip your garden o

Cauliflower, Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, is a cool-season cruciferous crop that can be challenging to grow.Many different varieties are available

Most home gardeners learn quickly that there are some crops that need protection and rescue from a variety of common pests.Hornworms are going to munch on your tomatoes;

Are you a broccoli lover? Then it might be time to try growing your own!This healthy green brassica is a member of the Bra

Can we be honest about brussels sprouts? They’re not that easy to grow. I think that’s why you see cabbage and turnips and kale and radishes in home gardens way more often than you do sprouts.That’s a shame, because they also happen

I grew up eating broccoli at almost every meal.My mother loves broccoli, almo

One thing I love about gardening is the planning, with seed catalogs, soil test results, graph paper, and maybe a cup of coffee at the ready.I find it especially gratifying to map out companion planting ahead of tim

There are plenty of reasons why you might want to know whether kale, Brassica oleracea, the star of many a spring or fall veggie garden, is an annual or a perennial.Armed with this knowledge, you

If you are a fan of broccoli and kale, you will love growing Chinese broccoli!This flavorful broccoli-like green vegetable – also known as gai la

I like to think of planning my garden as a balancing act.While it takes a bit of self-restraint each year to

White rust, caused by Albugo candida, afflicts turnip leaves and flowers and used to be considered a fungal disease.The organism has been reclassified and is now no longer a fu

So, you planted a bed of turnips in your garden this season. You cared for your plants, thinning, mulching, watering, managing pests, and watching them grow.Now what?You

I love kale. I could happily eat it at any time, cooked in any style. My family, however, isn’t quite so enthralled.It has taken a bit of

If you’ve ever coached a little kids’ sports team or managed a crucial project for work or school, you know the value of the motto, “finish strong.”And while growing collard g

Most of us have tasted horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) and appreciated its sinus-clearing and deliciously flavorful bite, but has it ever occurred to you to grow it?How fun would it be to mix up a batch of

Bok choy is one of my favorite leafy greens. A few crisp and juicy green leaves can really make a soup or stir fry feel complete!Since it can be an expensive ing

Collard greens, Brassica oleracea var. acephala, are a standby of Southern cooking, sauteed with bacon or a ham hock, and maybe served alongside a tasty bowlful of black-eyed peas.Or perhaps you’ve tried them raw, in place of a tort

Turnips and rutabagas are vulnerable to a number of diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, and viruses.Many of these pathogens affect the leaves of the plants a

There may be no vegetable more closely associated with the American South than collard greens.Oh, wait, well, except maybe okra.Regardless of which veggie

Cauliflower, Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, is a temperamental cool-weather vegetable. If its needs aren’t met, it can become stressed and fail to produce the sweet, tender heads for which it is prized.In companion articles, we discussed how to grow cauliflower an

Today, we often think of the cabbage as a humble vegetable. However, the ever-wise ancient Romans valued cabbage as a luxury food item, and many treasured its flavor above that of other veggies.They also held its p

There are a few plants out there that rescue me from the end-of-summer blues.You know, that feeling that comes around when you know the g