Broccoli Seeds
2025–2026 SeasonCommercial hybrid broccoli for bunch, floret, and crown production. California cool-season variety — sow October through December, harvest January through May.
BRAVADO
Hybrid BroccoliMedium-large frame with tight, semi-domed heads. Medium-fine beads, good weight and firmness. Field tolerance to downey mildew.
Production uses
Variety specifications
DTM
~105
Direct seeded
Head
Semi-domed
Tight, medium-fine beads
Frame
Medium-large
Good weight & firmness
Tolerance
Downey mildew
Field tolerance
Planting & Harvest Calendar
California cool-season production window.
From October sowing to May harvest — approximately 105 days direct seeded. Schedule mechanical harvest around contracted delivery windows.
What the specifications mean
Context for commercial buyers and production managers.
Bead size matters at pack
Medium-fine beads present uniformly across the head, improving visual quality at the retail and foodservice level. Finer beads also resist post-harvest yellowing longer than coarse-beaded types, extending marketable shelf life.
Semi-dome packs clean
A semi-domed head profile fills bunch bags and crown boxes more consistently than flat or convex heads, improving pack efficiency and per-unit weight uniformity. Tighter heads ship with less bruising.
Downey mildew tolerance reduces spray programs
Peronospora parasitica (downey mildew) is one of the most common disease pressures in California's coastal broccoli belt. Field tolerance in BRAVADO means natural infection levels are resisted without intensive fungicide applications — particularly relevant for organic or reduced-input programs under CCOF certification.
DTM schedules the operation
At approximately 105 days from direct seeding, BRAVADO's maturity window is predictable enough to back-schedule harvest labor and processing commitments from contract dates. The Oct–Dec sowing window aligns with California's cool-season heading conditions, reducing bolting risk.
Common questions
BRAVADO variety — technical and commercial.
What broccoli variety does Orsetti Seeds offer?
Orsetti Seeds offers BRAVADO, a commercial hybrid broccoli with a medium-large frame, tight semi-domed heads, and medium-fine beads. It is suited for bunch, floret, and crown production with approximately 105 days to maturity when direct seeded.
What is the planting and harvest window for BRAVADO?
Sowing runs October through December. Harvest windows run January through May, depending on sowing date and regional conditions. This winter production window takes advantage of California's cool-season temperatures for tight, uniform head development.
What does BRAVADO's downey mildew field tolerance mean for my operation?
Field tolerance means BRAVADO resists typical infection levels under natural field conditions. This is not immunity, but in most California coastal production environments it reduces the need for intensive fungicide programs. It is particularly relevant for operations under CCOF organic certification.
Is BRAVADO seed available as CCOF certified organic?
Orsetti Seeds holds CCOF organic certification. Contact us to confirm organic availability for BRAVADO for your specific planting season and volume requirements.
831.636.4822 · osco@orsettiseeds.com