Each year it's exciting to try growing new things.  This fall we planted an Italian broccoli previously unexplored: Cavolo Broccolo a Getti di Napoli

That's a mouthful.  Basically it means that it's a broccoli from Southern Italy, specifically Naples, that has a sprouting behavior.  "Getti" literally means "jets" in Italian.  It shoots out little heads of broccoli, but more than that, the leaves are edible!


Broccolo a Getti di Napoli seeds

I picked up these seeds at the LA Garden Show at the request of my Italian husband.  His mother was from Naples and he remembered this broccoli from his summers visiting Italy.

We planted the seeds in late September in flats and planted them out in October as the weather started to cool down.  We had a cutworm attack, but they survived.


A small Broccolo a Getti di Napoli

This broccoli behaves like regular varieties in watering needs and sun requirements.  The difference is that as they grow, we can harvest the leaves and eat them, or we can wait for heads to form.  Either way, the act of cutting the shoots encourages more growth.  This is considered a "cut and come again broccoli"!


Older cavolo broccolo a getti di Napoli

So far, we haven't seen any heads form, so we're holding out for that before harvesting any leaves.  It also should be noted that our plants don't really look like the picture on the seed packet yet, but we're hopeful!

Pretty soon we'll be chomping on this Neapolitan specialty. Better brush up on that mandolin playing and ready the checkered table cloth!