Student Farm to give broccoli seedlings at UC Davis Fall Convocation

Welcome new and returning students, faculty, staff and friends of the University of California.

Thank you for joining the UC Davis Student Farm, a program of the Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI) at UC Davis, at Fall Convocation 2013.

This year’s convocation focused on how the UC Davis community is innovating together to advance food and health. ASI – with programs such as the Student Farm, Russell Ranch Sustainable Agriculture Facility, the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP), and more – plays an important role in that innovation as it seeks to ensure access to healthy food and promote the vitality of agriculture today and for future generations.

In addition to doing this through integrative research, communication and early action on big, emerging issues, ASI is focused on sustainable farming education as it supports both the new Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems major and the well-established Student Farm.

The broccoli seedlings the Student Farm shared with Convocation attendees are one example of the sort of hands-on education students receive at the Student Farm.

Learn more about the UC Davis Student Farm.

Caring for your broccoli plant

Wondering how to take care of the broccoli plant you received today? Alice Del Simone is happy to help.

Planting instructions:

• Transplant seedling into your indoor, or outdoor, garden in the next couple of weeks
• If you’re planting into a pot, use at least a two-gallon container per seedling.
• Broccoli prefer at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Fill the pot with potting soil mix.
• Before transplanting water your seedling.
• To plant, gently squeeze the sides of the seedling pot before removing it by holding near the base of the stem
• Place it in the hole and firmly pack the soil around the base of the seeding
• Water the pot.

Care instructions:

• Water regularly, about one inch per week
• Add nutrients, such as a fish fertilizer or another nitrogen-rich amendment
• As the plant grows, check for pests such as cabbage worms or aphids. Cabbage worms are small green worms that are generally on the undersides of the leaves.  Remove any worms immediately.
• Harvest the central head as it comes to maturity. After you cut off the first head of broccoli, side heads will continue to grow well into the cooler weather. These can be harvested as they mature.