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Annual Biennial

Brassica oleracea (Italica Group) 'Monaco'

calabrese 'Monaco'

A semi-evergreen perennial usually grown as an annual vegetable, for its edible thick stems and large compact flower heads. This F1 hybrid calabrese has medium-sized heads, and is early to harvest, from midsummer onwards depending on climate and sowing date

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

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: Semi evergreen
Habit: Bushy
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: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun or very light shade. Where possible, avoid growing brassicas in the same soil year on year, to prevent the build up of soil-borne diseases. See calabrese 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

Harvest when heads are well formed and tight, before flowers begin to open

Pests

May be susceptible to cabbage root fly, cabbage caterpillars, cabbage whitefly and mealy cabbage aphid

Diseases

May be susceptible to black leg, downy mildews, powdery mildews, and club root particularly in acidic soil

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