Kailaan broccoli, scientifically known as Brassica oleracea var alboglabra, offers a delightful twist on familiar vegetables with its tender, sweet stems that surprise gardeners with their snappy juiciness. This popular Chinese green vegetable thrives in zones 3-10 and reaches harvest in just 60-69 days, producing 30-inch tall plants with deep green color and exceptional flavor. The variety is slow to bolt and resists turning fibrous in heat, making it more forgiving than traditional broccoli while providing continuous harvests throughout the growing season.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-10
30in H x 18in W
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Moderate
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What makes Kailaan truly special is its remarkable versatility and productivity in the garden. Unlike regular broccoli, this variety offers multiple edible parts including tender stems, flavorful leaves, and delicate flower buds that all contribute to the harvest. The plant's resistance to bolting and heat stress means gardeners enjoy extended harvests, with frequent cutting actually encouraging more productive side shoots. Its sweet, snappy stems provide a unique texture that sets it apart from other brassicas, while the deep green foliage maintains excellent flavor even as temperatures rise.
Kailaan excels in quick-cooking preparations that highlight its tender stems and flavorful leaves. The stalks, leaves, and flower buds can be blanched and stir-fried with garlic, sugar, and rice wine, or boiled and dressed with oyster sauce for a classic preparation. The versatile vegetable works beautifully in soups, sukiyaki, and tempura, while the florets can be used like traditional broccoli or broccolini. Many cooks blanch the stems and leaves before final cooking to ensure perfect tenderness throughout.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost date, then transplant into fertile soil just after the frost date passes.
Transplant seedlings into fertile, well-drained soil just after the frost date, spacing them 10 inches apart.
Direct sow seeds in spring after the last frost through early summer, or in late summer to early fall for a second harvest. In cool areas, plant from late spring through fall.
Harvest the main stalk when it reaches 8-10 inches tall and 2-3 flower buds are about to open, cutting near the base of the plant. After this initial harvest, the plant branches freely to produce smaller but continuous side shoots that can be harvested frequently before flower buds open. The more often you cut, the more productive the plant becomes, providing an extended harvest of tender stems, leaves, and flower buds throughout the growing season.
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