Match the feed to the surge — and to your irrigation.
An organic program for broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and other brassicas: a Phyta-Grow® Leafy Green Special base, then in-season Phytamin® tuned to how you irrigate — furrow, sprinkler, or drip — delivered during the rapid head-formation surge.
Cole crops take up most of their nitrogen late and fast.
Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage take up little nitrogen early, then surge in the last 4–6 weeks before harvest — reaching 4.5 to 8.5 lb N/acre per day, with over 90% of the crop’s nitrogen absorbed during that window (UC Davis / CDFA FREP). Feeding that surge takes nitrogen that is available immediately, which is why an ammoniacal liquid like Phytamin® fits where slow-release materials fall behind. This program builds a Phyta-Grow® base early, then delivers in-season Phytamin® through head formation — at a rate and frequency matched to your irrigation method.
A dry base, built early.
| Timing | Product | Rate | N supplied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-plant Incorporated | Phyta-Grow® Leafy Green Special 7-1-2 | 1,500–2,000 lb/acre | 105–140 lb N/acre |
| At thinning Sidedress | Phyta-Grow® Leafy Green Special 7-1-2 | 500–800 lb/acre | 35–56 lb N/acre |
| Dry base nitrogen | ~140–196 lb N/acre | ||
Incorporated
Sidedress
Replace the dry pre-plant with an injection of Phytamin® Jumpstart.
When planting into healthy, organically-farmed soil at optimum soil temperatures, the dry Phyta-Grow® Leafy Green Special pre-plant can be replaced by a direct injection of Phytamin® Jumpstart 4-1-1. Beyond its ammoniacal nitrogen, Jumpstart’s corn steep liquor supplies surplus soluble carbon — food for soil microbes — supporting the biology that healthy organic soils depend on to cycle nitrogen.
Best suited to active, warm soils: ammonification and nitrification both slow sharply below 45°F soil temperature. This is a lighter starter nitrogen load than the dry pre-plant — it leans on active soil biology and in-season feeding, so pair it with soil nitrate testing and finalize with your PCA.
In-season Phytamin®, tuned to your irrigation.
Cole crops are grown under furrow, sprinkler, or drip irrigation — and the delivery method changes how the in-season liquid is best applied. Fewer, larger doses suit furrow; smaller, more frequent doses suit sprinkler and drip. All applications use Phytamin® Pure 5-0-0 or Phytamin® Jumpstart 4-1-1, and all begin at the 45–60 day stage, when head formation starts.
| Irrigation method | Rate | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Furrow / surface | 10–20 gal/acre | 2–3 applications |
| Sprinkler | 5–7 gal/acre | Weekly |
| Drip | 2–7 gal/acre | Weekly |
Cole crop nitrogen uptake, timing, and scavenging: CDFA FREP & UC Davis California Crop Fertilization Guidelines (Broccoli, Cauliflower Nitrogen Uptake and Partitioning; uptake 4.5–8.5 lb N/acre/day in the final 4–6 weeks). Nitrogen scavenging and soil-nitrate management: Smith, Cahn & Hartz, Survey of Nitrogen Uptake in Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbage, Salinas Valley (CDFA FREP); pre-sidedress soil nitrate testing. Product rates and densities: Phytamin® and Phyta-Grow® CDFA-registered labels, California Organic Fertilizers.
THE ORGANIC AGRONOMIST
Organic Cole Crops: Why Nitrogen Timing Matters More Than Total Nitrogen
.Explore how matching nitrogen availability to crop demand helps organic broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage grow efficiently while making better use of existing soil nutrients.
