Tall psb.

[ann-the-nan]

I only did a few psb this year and am please with the result. However, one has started producing "spears" and is just lovely, but not the others. They are, in fact, just growing taller. So much so they are pushing against the enviromesh and have more than reached the limit of the height of the mesh. These tall ones stand about 5' - and no, I haven't got the packet to look up what's on the back. Any thoughts please as this is the first time I have grown psb. Thanks.

[Snadger]

I think the amswer to your question lies in the enviromesh. As can be guessed by it's name it creates a localised 'environment' around the plants which protects them from the elements. This is the equivalent of growing plants that thrive in cold conditions under cover............ and will result in large plants.

I have the same with my carrots grown under enviromesh where the foliage is nearly 3 foot high as opposed to 18 inches outdoors.

PSB usually crops in the spring and once again it could be the enviromesh making the plant think it is spring and making it crop earlier.

[Green_Poppy]

Ahem. Excuse my ignorance. What is PSB and environmesh? :

[ann-the-nan]

Tall psb.

Psb is a quick way of saying "purple sprouting broccoli", on this grapevine, anyway. Enviromesh is a brand name for a net to cover various plants to keep all the nasties out. It is very good but a tad expensive, tho' if well looked after, it can last up to ten years. It can also give you a micro climate. ( see above).

[ann-the-nan]

tall psb.

Thanks snadger. Does this mean that even growing side be side I'll get all different sizes and different rates of maturity?

[Shadylane]

I don't have enviromesh on mine and they've just started sprouting?? And I was pretty late putting them in too. I'm sure I didn't sow them until mid summer. What the hell is going on?

[Alison]

I have enviromesh on mine and they're a way off sprouting yet, about 3' tall max I think with room to grow a bit taller before reaching the top!

Can't see why the enviromesh could be responsible for different growth between neighbouring plants, are some getting more / less light than others?

[jacob marley]

i have some PSB that is quite tall growing along side some Killaton Cabbage that reached 14 lbs each and it says in the seed catalogue that they could reach 4 or 5 lbs in weight i think that the wet august has some thing to do with it....jacob

[rustylady]

I just wish I had some - the b***** caterpillars got every one of mine and reduced them to stumps

[Snadger]

After having re-read the thread there could be loads of reasons for variable growth of PSB.

F1 plants are usually all the same but open pollinated varieties can give considerable variations.
Different soil and moisture & Ph conditions can also make a difference.

Some of my sprout plants were smaller than the otheres so I pulled them up and lo and behold, they had clubroot.

Anything munching at the roots, like cabbage root fly or the miriad of other soil bound pests will cause stunted growth also.