Family Owned Since 1979
Cultivating Gardeners

BELSTAR

BELSTAR

Product Description:

66-75 days. Flawlessly uniform, 6 inch heads are beautiful blue-green, densely packed florets. The tightly domed heads are held high off the plants for easy harvest. This variety has excellent field holding capacity and is ideal for both warm and cold weather planting. It performed so well in our trials that it would have been a sin not to offer it. Good disease resistance.
  • Key Features:

SEED

ORGANIC SEED

TRANSPLANT

$4.75

$4.75

  • Key Features:

Customer Reviews

Based on 2 reviews
100%
(2)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
J
Jack B.N.
Great for NE Iowa

I have been looking for a broccoli that grows nice tight heads in my garden. I live in zone 4b and have not had the greatest of luck with other varieties.

This year I grew this Belstar and had very nice heads. It was very mild in flavor. My 19 year old son who doesn't like broccoli cannot get enough of this broccoli due to the flavor.

The only issue that I had was that I felt the heads were a bit smaller than I would have liked, but we had stressors this year from forest fire smoke and drought. We do irrigate, but plants love rain water the best.

I will grow this regularly every year now unless I find a better variety.

S
Susan H.B.
I have grown a lot of different kinds of broccoli and this one is clearly the best!

Search no longer. Belstar is the broccoli you have been seeking. While other broccolis may grow small heads, bolt quickly, and are more coarsely textured (larger florets), Belstar consistently grows large full heads with dense tiny florets, rich dark green color, firm texture and mild, delicate broccoli flavor. And for a bonus - they don't tell you this in the catalogue blurb -- after you have cut the first head, it resprouts more heads, and some of them will be nearly as big as the original head! This means it will produce over a longer season than you would expect, and be more prolific. If you keep up with it, cutting the new heads as they arise, you can keep it producing for a long time. (Each generation of heads gets a little smaller than the last.) If you let the sprouts go, they will produce yellow flowers that bees just love! Does great in cool, foggy coastal CA conditions - either spring, summer or fall plantings.

Soil Temp for Germ 55–75°F
Seed Depth ¼"
Seed Spacing 4–6"
Days to Emergence 5–17
Thin Plants to 12–24"
Row Spacing 18–36"
Fertilizer Needs High
Minimum Germination 80%
Seeds per Gram ≈ 250–350
Seed Life 3 years

Brassica oleracea, Botrytis Group. Broccoli is a rich source of vitamins C, K, and B-complex, along with a treasure trove of minerals. Although one cup of milk has more calcium than a cup of broccoli, the human body absorbs the calcium from broccoli more effectively than from milk. From your body's perspective, broccoli is said to be richer in calcium than milk!

Days to maturity are calculated from date of transplanting; add 25-35 days if direct seeding.

Culture
• Broccoli performs best in fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0
• Broccoli is a cool-season crop that does not tolerate extreme heat; rough heads or leaves in the head are usually from heat stress
• Keep beds evenly moist and/or use shade cloth to maintain quality during heat waves
• Excess nitrogen or a boron deficiency can cause hollow stem
• In colder climates covering with Reemay or Frost Blanket will protect plants from frost damage
• Sprouting broccoli is very hardy, surviving down to 10°F — before flower buds open, cut the central head at a 45° angle; side shoots will form from the axillary buds

Direct Sowing
• Direct seed April through June
• At the bottom of the furrow band 1/2 cup of TSC's Complete fertilizer per 5 row feet
• Cover with loose soil or sifted compost
• Not recommended for fall plantings

Transplanting
• Not recommended for broccoli raab
• Start broccoli indoors 4-6 weeks before your anticipated transplant date
• Side dress with 1/2 cup of TSC's Complete fertilizer at transplant
• Start autumn/overwintering varieties May—July for transplanting June—August
• Start overwintering sprouting broccoli from mid-May—June, transplant out by the end of July—September

Insects & Diseases
• Common insects: See Brassica Insect Information below
• Disease prevention: 5-7 year crop rotation

Harvest & Storage
• Harvest when heads are tight and dense
• Cut side-shoots regularly to encourage production
• Store at 36°F and 100% relative humidity

Brassica Insect Information
Aphids: Control aphids with ladybugs or a hard spray of water or Pyrethrin. Also, select varieties that mature later in the season when aphid populations decline.
Cabbage worms, loopers, and root maggots: The first sign of cabbage worms will be off-white butterflies fluttering near the plants. They lay their yellowish-colored eggs on the undersides of leaves, which hatch into caterpillars that can cause severe root and head damage. To control light infestations, spray plants with Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.). For heavy infestations, bait cabbage worms by mixing wheat bran into a B.t. solution. Add 1 tablespoon of molasses. Broadcast the bran mixture around the base of plants. Reapply as necessary. Using Reemay or Summer Insect Barrier can also provide control.
Flea beetles: Flea beetles chew tiny pinholes in leaves. Early control is essential to minimize the damage. Spray infected plants with Pyrethrin. Using floating row covers such as Summer Insect Barrier can also provide control.
Symphylans: In some areas of the US, symphylans (also known as garden centipede) can severely impede the plant growth of many crops. Only 1/4 inch long, white, and very active, they eat the root hairs of developing plants. Using larger transplants helps reduce damage. Contact your local county extension agent if you suspect you have a problem.

KEY TO BROCCOLI DISEASE RESISTANCE AND TOLERANCE
HR indicates high resistance.
IR indicates intermediate resistance.
BLS | Bacterial Leaf Spot
BR | Black Rot
DM | Downy Mildew
F | Fusarium Wilt

Thanks for signing up for our weekly newsletter!