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Annual Biennial

Brassica oleracea (Italica Group) 'Rudolph'

broccoli (purple sprouting) 'Rudolph'

A hardy biennial purple sprouting broccoli variety grown as an annual. It is one of the earliest varieties, producing well coloured, good sized purple spears from November to March when fresh vegetables in the garden tend to be scarce. If growing in colder climates, the crop will be ready to harvest from February

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained, Moist but well–drained

pH

Neutral, Alkaline

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Brassicaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Brassicas can be annual, biennial or perennial plants, most are upright with alternate, often glaucous leaves, long taproots and clusters of cross-shaped, yellow or white flowers. The genus includes a number of species bred to produce food crops, such as cabbages, turnips, mustards and oilseed rape, as well as others grown for their ornamental value
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, well compacted, non-acid soil in full sun. Sow seeds in Spring in shallow drills at 1.5cm depth, thin to 30cm apart when 10-15cm tall or have four or five leaves. See broccoli cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to birds, cabbage caterpillars, cabbage whitefly, cabbage root fly, cutworms, flea beetles, mealy cabbage aphid, slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to black rot, club root, downy mildews, grey moulds, leaf spot, white blister

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