Guide to Growing Romanesco

• Romanesco looks like a cross between calabrese and cauliflower, with a taste and texture exceeding the finest broccoli.
• Romanesco is a large plant, with a long growing season and is unsuitable for close spacing or container growing.
• The plants need careful cultivation to produce well.

Sowing and Growing

• Romanesco is a brassica and the general brassica growing advice applies.
• Sow seed in modules in May. Don't allow the plants to become pot bound – pot on early until planting out in their final position.
• Usual spacing is 45–60 cm (18 inches–2 feet); they are larger than cauliflowers and should have at least 60 cm (2 feet) each way between plants. They grow quite tall.
• Protect the heads from frost with fleece.

Harvesting

• Harvest when the large pyramid-shaped heads have developed.
• Either break off individual spears, or harvest the entire head.

Pests and Problems

•  Clubroot can be a problem – read the article on coping with clubroot.

Varieties

• Romanesco is stocked by the seed merchants but can be difficult to find in seed catalogues. Sometimes it is listed with broccoli or calabrese, and sometimes with the cauliflowers.
• Veronica produces individual florets with lovely spirals giving a magical appearance from late summer to early frosts, from successional plantings.

Eating

• Fine flavoured and nutritious.
• To appreciate the fine flavour, steam and serve individually with melted butter.
• Stir-fry individual spears or try them raw in a salad or with a dip, or substitute for cauliflower in a cauliflower cheese.

• Sow seed in May.
• Harvest September onwards.