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Broccoli

K-State horticulture expert Ward Upham said cole crops need a fertilizer boost before summer heat arrives.

Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower need a boost

K-State horticulture expert recommends fertilizing cole crops

April 27, 2023

By Maddy Rohr, K-State Research and Extension news service

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Cole crops planted in the spring need to mature before summer heat arrives, which means a fertilizer boost is necessary, said Kansas State University horticulture expert Ward Upham.

Cole crops are cool season vegetables and include cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

“They must grow quickly while the weather is cool,” Upham said. “A side dressing of fertilizer about three weeks after transplanting helps plants continue to grow rapidly.”

Upham suggests fertilizers high in nitrogen. “Do not use lawn fertilizers that have weed killers or preventers,” he said.

Upham said a nitrate of soda or blood meal at the rate of 1/3 cup per 10 feet of row is ideal.

“You may also use lawn fertilizers that have close to 30 percent nitrogen such as a 30-3-4 or 29-5-4 but the rate should be cut in half to three tablespoons per 10 feet of row,” Upham said.

If it doesn’t rain, fertilizer must be watered in.

Upham and his colleagues in K-State's Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for maintaining home landscapes and gardens. The newsletter is available to view online or can be delivered by email each week.

Interested persons can also send their garden and yard-related questions to Upham at wupham@ksu.edu, or contact your local K-State Research and Extension office.

At a glance

Cole crops planted in the spring need to mature before summer heat arrives. K-State horticulture expert Ward Upham suggests fertilizing those crops while the weather is cool.

Website

K-State Horticulture Newsletter

Notable quote

“A side dressing of fertilizer about three weeks after transplanting helps plants continue to grow rapidly.”

Ward Upham, Kansas State University horticulture expert

Source

Ward Upham
785-532-6173
Wupham@ksu.edu

Written by

Maddy Rohr
maddy23@ksu.edu

For more information: 

2023 Kansas Garden Guide

 

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K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.