Recommended Citation
Guan, Wenjing, "Fall Broccoli Production in High Tunnels" (2020). Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports. Paper 11.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mwvtr/11
Date of this Version
2020
Keywords
broccoli, fall production, high tunnel
Abstract
A fall broccoli trial was conducted in a high tunnel at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center, Vincennes, IN in 2016 to test the potential of growing broccoli in high tunnels after tomato. Six broccoli cultivars were evaluated in the trial. Seedlings were transplanted in the high tunnel on Sep. 2. Plants started to form heads in the middle of October. The first harvest occurred on Oct. 25 on cultivars Blue Wind and Green Magic. Harvest for cultivars Belstar and Arcadia started the latest on Nov. 11. Cultivars Green Magic and Blue Wind developed about 2 side heads per plant, which was significantly greater than cultivars Gypsy, Arcadia and Belstar. Cultivars Green Magic and Gypsy had the highest marketable yield (including first and secondary head), which was significantly higher than cultivars Arcadia and Belstar. With the current spacing, an 80 feet long bed inside a 96 feet long high tunnel can accommodate about 100 plants. Harvesting up to 119 lbs of high-quality broccoli per bed may be expected.