Variety characteristics:

• W1307 Jiemei Chicken-Leg Thick-Stem Gai Lan is a vigorous Chinese broccoli selected for its stout, succulent central stalks and tender, rounded leaves. The blue-green foliage is short, broad, and thick, while the juicy stems have a crisp texture, fine fibers, and a mild, pleasantly sweet flavor. Plants produce edible flowering shoots with white buds and perform best at approximately 59–86°F. Start seeds indoors and transplant seedlings at about 30–35 days, spacing plants approximately 8 inches apart in rows 16 inches apart. Begin fertilizing about 5–7 days after transplanting. Harvest the main flowering stalk while tender, then apply a quick-acting fertilizer to encourage side-shoot production. This selection is described as relatively tolerant of heat and rainy conditions, but summer and off-season crops benefit from protective growing conditions or shade cloth. Watch for cabbageworms, diamondback moth caterpillars, and aphids. Excellent for stir-fries, steaming, soups, and fresh-market bunches.