Favorite or New Plant
Broccoli x Gailon
Also known as baby broccoli, this hybrid is similar to the trademarked Broccolini%% sold in the supermarket. A cross between regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli (gailon), it produces long tender stalks topped by small florets with a sweet, mild flavor. Unlike regular broccoli, it's the side shoots that produce the main harvest, so the main floret should be cut as soon as it matures to encourage additional side shoot production. Johnny's Selected Seeds (www.johnnyseeds.com) carries two varieties: high yielding 'Atlantis' and especially sweet 'Happy Rich'.
Clever Gardening Technique
Sow Tiny Seeds Thinly
Sowing tiny seeds like those of carrots and lettuce thinly can be a challenge. One solution is to mix the seeds with some dry sand or dry pulverized soil, and then sprinkle the mixture in the planting furrow. Another is to mix up some plain gelatin, adding more water than the package calls for so that it is very soft when it sets up. Mix the seeds into the gelatin, then pour it into a plastic squeeze bottle of the type used for dispensing ketchup or mustard. Squeeze the gelatin/seed mix out into the center of the planting furrow.