broccoli

Hi everyone I've just joined this forum.

I am growing broccoli for the first time this year but am confused.
They are extremely large and still have not produced any florets yet.
should I have been pinching them out and is it too late now for any crop?

ps: cant remember the name, I started of in seed trays in march planting out in early june,they're about 2.5' tall,equally wide and very healthy.

 

Hi and a big scottish wellcome Amberleaf.

Sorry can't help you with your Broccoli hope you get an anwser.

Just wanted to say Hi and you will enjoy being here very much.

 

thanks for a reply anyway scotkat

im at the mom sortin out skype and that for a dif forum. cbeers and still looking for an answer.

 

hi amberleaf, according to the rhs. info. these are biennial plants. height 2-3ft.purple and white forms. the purple flower is prolific and hardier. flowering shoots develope in the spring, a slow maturing veg,it will stay on the ground for a year. cover the plants with netting or else wood pigeons will eat the leaves,you can pick shoots from early spring and this will encourage more shoots to develope. this veg freezes well.

I am going to put some down in my new allotment next year. good luck

 

thanks

[ 03. December 2006, 08:28 AM: Message edited by: amberleaf ]

 

on our allotments these plants have grown tall and very big leaves but as I mentioned before the florets will appear in the spring.

 

Is this the same for Romanesco broccolli? I started from seed in Sept. They're not looking too good with lots of holes in the leaves (from slugs I think). Thanks.

 

Hi AL, leave the plants alone. I think they will head up between March and May when the weather gets a little warmer. If you keep an eye on them once a fortnight, you will see when the head starts forming.

 

I grow Broccolli regularly though haven't the last couple of years due to health probs. The one I grow is purple sprouting (yum yum!) and the plants do get BIG when they're healthy! About shoulder height. They'll need support against winter winds and snow, so stake them well. Also, take off the bottom leaves as they just lay on the ground and rot which isn't good for the plant.

But they don't bloom until March at the earliest, as LesH says, depending upon the kind of weather. Just keep an eye on them after mid March as they suddenly all sprout at once and you're innundated with lovely, yummy florets which will keep coming and coming if you keep harvesting. Only sad thing - they really don't freeze well!

 

thanks michael i,ve read a few replies in the last few days. Must be the time when you good experianced gardeners start thinking. You say it dont freeze well but coming from a glasgow area(paisley) we,re not brought up on such beautiful tasting brassica. Ido buy frozen packs but one has to be very careful as my inlaws are rather exceptionaly skilled at cooking it to a soggy mush wow they couldn,t boil an egg.

[ 03. December 2006, 08:32 AM: Message edited by: amberleaf ]

 

Hi every one, i managed to collect a few florets from my broccoli this weekend. Although most of my plants are now covered with bright yellow flowers, one of them has produced some seed pods which i collected and brought home, hopefully i can use these seeds next year instead of buying more. merry xmas everyone.

 

You can also eat the leaves of broccoli plants, cook as cabbage.
Greenlady

 

Re freezing - I was referring to purple sprouting not the 'ordinary' stuff! What I especially like about it (with P/S) is that you can go and get bucket fulls of the stuff when it's about �£2 for a spoonful in the supermarkets!! ** evil cackle **

And yes, greenlady, the leaves are also very yummy!!

 

never tried the purple. sounds good. when do i start them from seed in g'house.

 

I always sow them where they're going to stay. That seems to be the recommendation. Apparently they don't take too well to transplanting as I have found in the past. I sow them around early autumn. And give them plenty of space right from the get go as they just don't like having their roots disturbed at all, not even for thinning. Stunts their growth. And being young plants during the winter is why they need good staking.

I could eat purple spr all the time, much better than the calibrese you get in the supermarket IMO. When I've had a good show, I'd just have a big plateful on its own, gently steamed to be 'endente', with a bit of butter. Yum yum yum!!