Purple sprouting brocolli question

[kitty12345]

Hello knowledgeable people

I grew PSB for the first time last year, but only sowed the seed in June. They were planted out in August. They are still quite small (under 1m). What are the chances to get any sprouting brocolli from these plants? Do you think they will have a growth spurt and start producing?

Or shall I just give up and sow new seeds in spring? I don't need the space yet so I suppose I could just wait and see what happens.

Thanks

[SarrissUK]

I think they will produce shoots - just give it time and it'll start when it's ready. Well worth waiting for too

[Bren In Pots]

Mine were sown March and planted out mid June but I'm still holding out for a crop we had a hot summer so i put every oddity down to that.

[Snadger]

Its nearly every plants mission to set seed and reproduce. The PSB florets are its attempt to set seed.They will come, eventually!

[Chestnut]

I have grown PSB once - they only ever got to about 2 foot high, but produced plenty of shoots
Definitely worth the wait.

[kitty12345]

Thanks everyone

I wasn't sure if I planted them too late but from your comments I think it's still a good idea to wait

[bario1]

I had some flower July the following year once.

[Penellype]

The time taken for PSB to flower depends a lot on the variety. I normally sow mine in late May. Until this year I have grown Early Purple, which tends to crop around March-April, this year I sowed Rioja, which is billed as being earlier, and I cut the first heads at the beginning of January. Therefore look at the seed packet or description online for your variety to get some idea of when it should flower.

[1Bee]

I shake my head over PSB. In 2017, it cropped the same year! This year, following the same routine, it's doing a more normal routine and I took the first sprouts a week ago. I've also had some crop very late. Give it time. Mine's about shoulder height, but who knows why....

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

I had a bash at these in 2017, wait a minute, let me get my timings right,

Yep! 2017 and harvested spring 2018, four plants planted in July just outside the polytunnel door, they did prosper, gave a good crop but I wouldn't shout over the hills for everyone to give them a bash to be honest, they were ok, and I suppose a little feature within the hungry gap when little or nothing else is available, a lot of time and space for little reward, that said, the space was available so I suppose something rather than nothing is a reward! But I wasn't too struck to be fair!

[Snoop Puss]

^The problem with PSB is that the first cutting is absolutely delicious (in my view), but the secondary shoots are a bit coarser. Still worth growing for us, though. I love it.

[Snadger]

PSB Is one of my favourite brassicas. I don't know what it is about it (the wife dislikes it intensely)but I just like the texture and flavour whatever time of the year its ready.

In my mind it far surpasses any of the Broccolis or Calabrese.

Its has a few failings though, it can bolt when it is very young and not worth harvesting, it makes a sizable plant so takes up a lot of room and lastly it has a very long growing season. (Maybe that's what allows the flavour to develop?)

[SarrissUK]

I agree with you Snadger - it's superb tasting, and only hispi type cabbage is as good when home grown. I am not a huge fan of either traditional calabrese or cauliflower, and I find PSB much easier to grown, even if it does take up a lot of room. The fact that it helps alleviate the hungry gap and does it with such flavour and, in my experience, abundance, makes the long growing season absolutely worth it

[kitty12345]

Mine is early sprouting PSB but grown late... What happens then?

Intriguing that they sprout quite randomly, July seems very late. Maybe mine will be like that as I grew them so late.

Whatever it is I can't wait to taste it! So they say good things come to those who wait, maybe the caterpillars will have a tasty lunch