Spigarello / Spigariello (Brassica oleracea var. italica (leaf form)) growing guide

Quick facts

Category: leafy greens
Difficulty: beginner
Days to harvest: 45 to 70 days
Harvest type: cut leaves, plant regrows for repeated harvests
Spacing: 30 cm between plants

Environment

Temperature: 7–24°C
pH: 6 to 7.5
EC (hydroponic): 1.2 to 2 mS/cm
Daily light: 12 to 18 mol/m²/day

Climate and zones

USDA zones: 5 to 9 (winter low around -29°C or warmer)
Frost tolerance: frost hardy (handles regular frost)
Season: cool (spring and fall crops)

Viable growing environments:

outdoor year-round (in zone)
outdoor in growing season (annual)
unheated greenhouse / hoop house
heated greenhouse
indoor (heated home)
indoor hydroponics under grow lights

USDA zone bounds reflect outdoor year-round survival. Anywhere outside the bounded zone range, this crop still grows as an annual in the warm months (outdoor_seasonal), under cover (greenhouse), or indoors under lights.

Growing systems

Spigarello works in:

deep water culture (rafts)
NFT channels
media bed (ebb and flow)
wicking bed
soil bed

Growing media

The substrate the roots sit in. Choice depends on the system (clay pebbles don't fit NFT channels; rockwool isn't used in media beds) and the crop (spigarello works in the media listed below).

Medium	pH effect	Water retention	Bacterial surface
Rockwool (Mineral wool)	alkaline until pre-soaked	very high	low
Expanded clay pebbles (LECA)	neutral / inert	low	high
Coco coir (Coconut coir)	slightly acidic	high	moderate
Net pot, no medium (Bare-root)	-	-	-
Soil-based mix (Potting soil)	varies by source	high	high

Bacterial surface area matters for aquaponics: clay pebbles, lava rock, and pumice double as biofilter substrate. Low-surface media (rockwool, perlite, pea gravel) work in hydroponics but need a separate biofilter in aquaponics.

Nutrient demand by stage

NPK ratios are relative weights at each growth stage; the nutrient mix calculator scales them to absolute grams or ml. EC targets shift through the plant's life: seedlings need a much lighter solution than fruiting adults.

Stage	N	P	K	EC target (mS/cm)
seedling	1	1	1	0.7
vegetative	3	1	2	1.6

Companion-growing notes

Heavy uptake of nitrogen. Co-grown crops with the same demand will end up deficient even at "correct" EC. Plan around this in shared reservoirs.

Aquaponics suitability

Compatible with typical aquaponics nutrient profiles. Fish waste provides enough nitrogen for healthy growth; supplemental potassium, calcium, and iron may still be needed depending on fish stocking density.

Care notes

A fast, productive leafy brassica for hydroponic growing. EC 1.5-2.5 mS/cm. pH 6.0-7.0. Temperature: 12–24°C (cool-season, like broccoli). Moderate light (DLI 14-20 mol/m2/day). NFT, DWC, or media bed systems. From seed to first leaf harvest: 5-7 weeks. Harvest lower leaves progressively (cut-and-come-again); the plant continues producing new leaves from the center for months. Unlike heading broccoli, spigarello doesn't require precise temperature control for head formation; you're harvesting leaves, not waiting for a head. This makes it easier and faster to grow than regular broccoli. The mild, sweet broccoli-like flavor is more versatile than kale in cooking. For the classic Pugliese preparation: saute chopped spigarello with garlic, anchovy, chile flakes, and olive oil, toss with orecchiette pasta and a shower of Pecorino Romano. A rewarding specialty brassica for Italian cooking enthusiasts.

Notable varieties

A starting shortlist of cultivars worth knowing about. Not exhaustive: the seed catalogs list hundreds of named varieties. These are the ones home growers commonly choose between.

Cultivar	Type	Days	Notes
Spigariello Liscia	heirloom	55	The smooth-leaf Calabrian type, the most-grown variety. Long narrow blue-green leaves on upright stems. Most tender of the spigariellos, best for raw use or quick sauté. Sometimes labeled "Spigariello da Foglia" in Italian catalogs.
Spigariello Riccia	heirloom	60	The crinkled-leaf type, more visually striking and slightly more bitter than Liscia. The traditional minestra nera variety. Holds texture better in long-cooked Southern Italian greens dishes.
Aspabroc-style hybrids	hybrid	60	Modern hybrids marketed as "baby broccoli" or "broccolini" hover near this category, bred from Spigariello × Chinese broccoli (gai lan) crosses. Tatsoi-leafy growth habit with small florets. Cleaner than the heirlooms but less of the traditional flavor.