Purple Sprouting Broccoli

I've never tried growing this. I gather that you should plant it by June? Is it worth trying a row now or am I too late and wasting my time?

 

Its too late to grow by seed, but if you have a young plant you should be fine. I've got some small ones that are growing nicely and one big plant thats been in a year! (due to me moving it, not too happy!). Oh and watch out for caterpillars if you do, I found 14 on one leaf the other day that had all obviously just hatched!

 

If you go to the Salisbury market on Saturday the plant stall on the corner near Nationwide (old Portman) has veg seedlings - I got brussels and curley Kale from them last year. May be worth a look. I think they're there on a Tuesday too, but not 100% sure.

Beanie

 

In the south it may be worth trying some started in pots in doors, or a conservatory, keep then warm and damp, and put them in a warm part of the garden when a couple of inches high. For the price of a packet of seeds it's worth a go, and you will not need the whole packet, save the rest for next year, about 10 plants are going to take up a fair bit of room when fully grown. The most valid point mentioned earlier is the cabbage white butterfly, it was a menace when I lived in Devon, through lack of attention and forgetting to cover them whilst on holiday, I have lost a whole crop stripped to the bone in 2 weeks. We don't get the same problem in Normandy i'm glad to say

 

We have some plants we grew from seed, they are around 2 foot tall now and really healthy, when can we expect brocolli spears from them (I have no instructions as the seeds were donated from a friend!)

 

my one big broccoli plant is about this big now, it says on the packet around october time for harvesting!

 

Thanks, we have 5 plants and some romanesco broccoli too, roll on October!!

 

Sorry folks, not purple sprouting, it will be sprouting in the early spring, look for the first signs of the buds in late February.


BT

 

huh?! my seed packet says october for purple sprouting broccoli!

 

Well, all mine have always sprouted in very early spring when it's still cold! Just managed to get mine in under the wire this year!

 

Blimey they do take an age then don't they? almost 12 months by the sound of it!! Does anyone know if romanesco take the same length of time? I think I will not be growing them again if they take up that much space for so long:rolleyes:

 

as the king of the cabbage family, I will always find time and space for it, it's delicious.

 

beanie b12

Thanks for the tip about Salisbury market - I'll pay the plant stall a visit.
( I hope that the service is better than in the adjacent old Portman branch: notorious for its long queues)!

 

here's my broccoli plant, its grown quite a bit since i took this last week now the caterpillars have gone!