The Classic Name in Crown Cuts and Bunching!
The best for warm climates!
Genus: Brassica
Species: oleracea
Variety: Gypsy Hybrid
Item Form: (P) Pkt of 100 seeds
Days to Maturity: 58
Fruit Color: Green
Habit: Upright
Seeds Per Pack: 100
Plant Height: 22 in – 24 in
Additional Characteristics: Cool Season, Cut-and-Come-Again, Direct Sow, Edible
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Harvest Season: Early Summer, Early Winter, Late Fall, Late Spring, Mid Fall, Mid Spring
Light Requirements: Full Sun
Moisture Requirements: Moist, well-drained
Resistance: Downy Mildew, Heat Tolerant, Humidity Tolerant
Soil Tolerance: Normal, loamy
Uses: Beds, Cuisine, Outdoor
58 days from setting out transplants; 93 days from direct-sowing.
There are reasons why some classic vegetable varieties outlast all others, and Gypsy is proof that reputations can be well deserved. This bestseller and tried-and-trusted name in broccoli earns its stripes over and over again in home gardens every year, and we are delighted to bring it to yours this season.
Gypsy has many merits, but we think that the reason so many gardeners love it is that you can harvest it any way you like. If you want to cut the crown young, you will get masses of long, succulent, tender side-shoots all season. If you want to cut the shoots as bunching broccoli, no problem. And if you simply want to wait and cut the whole head, it remains tender and flavorful all season, even if unseasonable heat and humidity strike your garden.
Gypsy is just delicious, no matter how you harvest it. The heads are pure, deep green without a hint of blue, and the stalks, though very strong and thick, are tender. The flavor is much stronger than that of store-bought broccoli, and it keeps its good bite in humid and warm gardens. This is a cool-season crop that often extends into the warmer months, and it knows how to withstand less-than-perfect conditions.
This plant reaches about 2 feet high at full maturity. It withstands downy mildew, which makes it very appealing in rainy, moist, and humid climates. It also holds well in the garden, so don’t have to harvest the whole crop at once and then figure out what to do with all that broccoli. And we do mean “all that” — Gypsy is a generous producer!
Like all broccoli, Gypsy grows well with celery and onions, which some folks believe actually improve its flavor. Strongly aromatic herbs from dill to sage help keep destructive pests off the broccoli plants. And flowers such as marigolds, nasturtiums, and anise hyssop make lovely as well as useful companions in the sunny garden.
A cool-weather crop, broccoli can be grown in spring and fall everywhere, and even in winter in mild climates. Sow seeds directly (germination takes 10 to 14 days) or transplant into the garden when they have 4 true leaves (about 8 weeks from germinating). Before planting, prepare the soil well, adding nitrogen if necessary and neutralizing heavily alkaline or acid soils.
If planting in spring, plan to harvest before the temperature reaches 80 degrees; the heads will bolt in high heat. If planting in fall, start 10 to 12 weeks before first frost date.
Space seeds or transplants 18 inches apart in rows 2 feet apart. Harvest the central head first, which will stimulate the production of numerous side-shoots and extend your harvest another few weeks. Pkt is 100 seeds.
Pictures at approximately 45 days maturity.