Purple Spouting Brocolli

[Tracey]

Hi there,

As purple sprouting brocolli is in season at the moment, I wondered to harvest it now, when would I have had to sow it?

I haven't got any I was wondering for next year.

Kind regards
Tracey

[rustylady]

Purple sprouting broccoli to harvest in spring is usually sown April or May of the previous year, so it occupies the ground for a long period. I've just sown a new sort, summer sprouting, which according to the packet should be ready end of June - July this year. We'll see. I would recommend that you get yourself a vegetable reference book for general information. I can recommend Dr Hessayon's The Vegetable Expert. Really well set out - he gives sowing and harvesting dates, expected germination time and storage time for seeds, planting distances etc. Not expensive either. The sort of book you just keep dipping into for information you either never had or have forgotten.

[Tracey]

Thanks Rustylady,

That is a long time in the ground. Can you put it in a seed bed and transplant end of summer?

kind regards

Tracey

[Habanero]

I have thought about looking in to quicker sprouting brocoli as well. Summer 2006 I sowed some purple sprouting in to a bed and it grew well but it wasn't until about march/april 2007 did it actully produce purple sprouts (spears). They are quite big plants and are good for harvesting as greens prior to this if you like.

Late August 2007 I sowed some more purple sprouting and it is in the ground still now but too small and not ready to product spears yet. I reckon it will be at least april/may before I harvest it as I was late sowing.....

Ideally I would like to sow march and harvest the same summer. not sure if there is such a quick variety? I hope so! :-)

[veg4681]

Yeah they do take a century to grow before harvesting is possible. I had thought of ditching PSB even before attempting to grow but seeing as I've bought the seeds, I might as well give them a go this year.

From my disappointing experience of an unsuccessful overwintering Spring Cabbage, I think I'm getting the idea of how Brassica should be treated. I believe that for most overwintering Brassica, it's best to get them as MASSIVE as possible before November when they'll just stop growing and give them fleece protection during winter to keep them warmish (also protect them from wildlife). And make sure the soil where they are to grow are very HEAVILY MANURED. In summertime, protect them from white butterflies using very fine netting.

Of course I may be wrong and we may be lucky enough to have experienced growers telling us exactly how it should be done for a successful harvest next year . BTW I sowed by PSB (called Early Purple Sprouting) yesterday.

[rustylady]

Thanks Rustylady,

That is a long time in the ground. Can you put it in a seed bed and transplant end of summer?

kind regards

Tracey

Sure Tracey. I usually sow mine in cell trays and grow them on at home till ready to transplant onto the lottie Mid-summer. Alternatively, you can sow into a seedbed on the lottie and then transplant, but I've found I lose too many seedlings doing it this way.

[peanut]

I planted my late PSB last May I think. I didn't want them in a bed so lifted some turf along the side of the fence. I didn't dig it over just made a whole big enough to plant the plants, I read somwhere that they like hard ground, and have pretty much ignored them since, other than the annual fight with White Butterflies and picking off caterpillars.

They are now huge plants and you can just see where the sprouts will come from. I can't wait!

[Cutecumber]

I sow during summer - June/ July - in modules, then transplant as many times as necessary until there is space available to plant them in the ground. Last year they were planted up by August.

I had my first crop (from Garnet) in December, and cut the central head from the second Garnet plant yesterday. The two other plants are Claret and will probably not come good until March.

PSB (the traditional long-season varieties) are very, very hardy. There's no need to fleece them during the winter unless you experience extremely severe weather. Much more of an issue is wind rock - make sure the plants are well tied in to strong stakes as they are top-heavy.

They grow slowly but steadily throughout the winter, they don't rest like other plants, and you may be able to harvest right through until Spring if you select appropriate varieties.

One of the lovely things about them is that if they have survived summer butterfly attacks (and if you have protected them from pigeons!) on harvesting they can be completely clean and pest free. The ones I picked last night were beautiful!

[bluemoon]

We are growing the variety 'Rudolph' it's been producing since the end of November and is showing no signs of stopping, I'm having to beg friends to take some. Last year we grew a summer variety called 'Wok Brocc'. I have to admit I thought it was a bit gimicky and only had the seeds because I'd received them free a couple of years before - it was delicious and we'll definitely be growing it again.

[veg4681]

Last year we grew a summer variety called 'Wok Brocc'. I have to admit I thought it was a bit gimicky and only had the seeds because I'd received them free a couple of years before - it was delicious and we'll definitely be growing it again.

I've heard of Wok Broc too, so you can sow in spring and harvest in summer/autumn in the same year. I had to scratch my head if that was possible.

[bluemoon]

It is definitely possible, the crop wasn't huge, but OH and I really loved the flavour and will be growing more of it this season as last year we only planted half a row.

[veg4681]

It is definitely possible, the crop wasn't huge, but OH and I really loved the flavour and will be growing more of it this season as last year we only planted half a row.

Thanks I'll put out an order for them as they're only 50p from Alan Romans . Half a row so how many did you grow?

[Two_Sheds]

don't be getting your Calabrese (summer) mixed up with your Broccoli (late winter). The stuff you get in supermarkets is calabrese. The rarer and much more appreciated stuff is starting to crop now. I have just had 6 lovely florets in a stir fry, yum.

I made a decision last year to grow more winter veg (sprouts, cabbage, leeks etc) over salads. I'm glad I did.